Touch Nature

The Austrian Cultural Forum New York is delighted to present the group exhibition Touch Nature. Curated by Dr. Sabine Fellner and co-curated with Dr. Stephanie Buhmann, it will run from October 5, 2023 through February 25, 2024. A program of related panel discussions, artist talks, and musical performances will accompany this project.

Synopsis

Seeking to explore the role of art in addressing the ongoing and increasingly severe ecological crisis, Touch Nature features a diverse selection of contemporary artists from Austria and the United States. Together, they engage in a dynamic dialogue that explores the impact of human activity on the environment and climate.

However, takes on these subjects are faceted. In expressing their grievances, for example, some positions advocate activism while others describe new utopias. Whereas some artists explore the exploitation of landscapes for economic gains, others zoom in on the global consequences of current consumer behavior or the commodification of waste management. Many confront pressing issues, such as global food systems, the spread of epidemics, and the legacy of colonialism, while others draw inspiration from the restorative qualities of nature and its definitive role in various mythologies.

Overall, Touch Nature aims to initiate and foster a discussion that encourages a shift in perspective. By envisioning a new relationship between humans and nature, one rooted in mindfulness and sustainability – in short a respectful approach to the environment -the exhibition embodies the spirit of the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a pioneering figure in ecological thinking and founder of climatology, ecology, and oceanography, who famously believed that nature must be experienced through feeling.

Artists included (selection):

Uli Aigner, Edward Burtynsky, Petah Coyne, Mark Dion, Ines Doujak, Titanilla Eisenhart, Michael Endlicher, Dorothee Frank / TIME GATES, Peter Hauenschild, Barbara Anna Husar, Kevin King, Kitty Kino, Christiane Löhr, Yvonne Oswald, Monika Pichler, Klaus Pichler (in collaboration with Maren Jeleff and Martin Kirchmair), Margot Pilz, PRINZpod, Luisa Rabbia, Oliver Ressler, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Gregor Sailer, Marielis Seyler, Elisabeth von Samsonow, Martin Schrampf, Rebecca Smith, Betsy Weis, Nives Widauer, Laurent Ziegler and Balint Zsako.

Touch Nature Project and Museum Exhibition 2025

The exhibition Touch Nature at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York is part of a multimedia installation series showcased in eleven Austrian cultural forums across Europe and the United States (2021-2025), further including Rome, Budapest, Zagreb, and Berlin. In late January 2025, the Lentos Art Museum in Linz, Austria, will host an exhibition of the same title, which will bring together all of the artists featured. This project will be supported by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria (Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten der Republik Österreich). An extensive catalog will be published on the occasion of this Exhibition.