The exhibition “Invasive Thoughts” explores the tension between the human act of drawing boundaries and the notion of so-called “nature.” Central themes include borders, defense mechanisms, the transgression of boundaries, the occupation of human-made structures, reclamation as self-empowerment, and protective spaces as zones of transformation.
The works attempt to enable a shift in perspective. They observe (parasitic) organisms such as galls, tree fungi, mistletoe, or ivy, which, by their very nature, depend on other host plants or structures. These organisms appropriate them, make them partly their own, and exploit them. In doing so, mechanisms become visible that appear to resist an anthropocentric worldview, act in defiance, and carry the potential to challenge existing hierarchies.
The aim is to foster a perception directed not only toward the self but also toward the other, the counterpart, and the unfamiliar. The works focus on the boundaries between what we perceive as natural and what is human-made. Protective spaces that are resilient, shielding themselves from the outside through various methods and mechanisms.
How might such protective spaces look—spaces that provide both defense and shelter? What occurs in these spaces, sometimes accessible yet often hidden from outsiders? What happens when we allow boundaries to blur, when things interweave more strongly again, and when a new equilibrium arises in which all actors share equal standing?