Into Uncertain Present 2021 | PLATFORM: centre

PLATFORM centre is pleased to announce Into Uncertain Present, a group exhibition featuring the work of Anna Ill (UK), Anna Luna Lopez (ES), Chantal Rousseau (CA), Felice Hapetzeder (SE), Mounir Gouri (DZ), Muhammad Ali (SE) and Tracy Peters (CA). Into Uncertain Present is curated by Abir Boukhari (SE) and runs from 30 April – 29 May 2021. The virtual residency is organized by AllArtNow (SE) in partnership with PLATFORM centre (CA), MAWA (CA) and Jiser (ES). The project is supported by Kulturradet (SE), The Institute of Culture of Barcelona City Council and OSIC of the Generalitat of Catalunya.

EXHIBITION | 30 April–29 May 2021

“The art residency acts as a mechanism to encourage and support intellectuals, artists, and cultural workers in the process of their artistic research and creative development. It fosters sustainability for the artistic body of ideas in an inclusive open society. The pandemic crisis illuminates the value of creativity, and the ways that new ideas can be generated in uncertain times.

The Strategy for many art residencies have been implemented through the virtual exchanging of artistic experience and many questions have been raised about the digital residency. Would it be more applicable in the future? Will we develop and adapt new formats for the art residency?

We began to explore the virtual residency format in 2020, and the program will continue with the second edition in 2021. Three events will be organized during the year, in three cities, Winnipeg, Stockholm and Barcelona. The residency process unfolded through webinars, first proposing the project, then giving the artists time to meet, discuss the concept, produce work and finally exhibit in venues in Winnipeg, Barcelona, and Stockholm.

The Albert Camus's quotation inspired our concept for this version of the residency "Until now I always felt a stranger in this town, and that I'd no concern with you people. But now that I've seen what I have seen, I know that I belong here whether I want it or not. This business is everybody's business." The Plague, p.209

In the novel, the narrator is a stranger who finds himself separated from his own home and his wife because of the Plague which invaded Oran City. First, he is looking for a way to escape the city but later on, he decides to stay to support the others in solidarity.

This collective fight against the pandemic leads to equality and belonging, where all people experience a form of exile, live in isolation, separate from their beloved, and fight against death; we are all prisoners, sharing the fear and the uncertainties of the moment.

Do we understand the plague as a collective disaster that we all must fight against in support of each other? Or, do we experience distress as individuals and believe that one’s own pain is unique and separate? Does this encourage solidarity and compassion between humans or is it a reason to blame each other?

For this residency, I invited seven artists to have online meetings using the selected quotation as a starting point, to discuss and share their thoughts, and create work which reflects on the current situation in relation to their own experience.”

- Abir Boukhari, Stockholm, 2021

PLATFORM is currently open by appointment only. Please note, 5 people will be allowed in the gallery at one time. When visiting us PLATFORM asks you wear a mask, maintain social distancing and to stay home if you are feeling sick. Please email us at outreach@platformgallery.org to schedule a viewing appointment.