Exhibition Talk
Emergency. Preparing for the Future

On Wednesday, 29 November 2025 at 5 pm we cordially invite you to the House of the Lords of Kunštát for a guided tour of the exhibition Emergency. Preparing for the Future and a discussion with curator Lenka Dolanová and guests whose names will be revealed soon.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Participating artists: Anca Benera and Arnold Estefán (RO), Tamás Kaszás (HU), Michal Machciník (SK), Martyna Poznańska (PL), Pavla Sceranková (CZ), Ruta Putramentaite (LT)

The exhibition presents works of art from Central and Eastern Europe that illustrate the shift in perspective necessary in today’s endangered world. The participating artists explore the idea of preparing for the future by cultivating the requisite skills and resilience and also try to find ways of coping with feelings of anxiety.

Art can draw strength from narratives that differ from stories of progress and technocratic solutions implemented by people subjugating nature. It can act as a platform for sharing not only fears but also hope in the possibility of collective problem-solving.

Many people who expect the imminent onset of natural or other disasters engage in practical preparations for such disasters and join prepper or survivalist groups. On the one hand, such people extol the ability to survive in the wilderness, strive to be self-sufficient, and promote DIY solutions. On the other hand, however, they often take an individualistic approach and tend to have given up on the possibility of collective action to prevent future problems. Can one be a prepper and still remain sensitive to the needs of other human and non-human beings that are concerned with more than just their own survival? Is it possible to prepare for future catastrophes and to adopt the positive aspects of survivalism (learning the skills necessary to overcome various obstacles, building support networks, psychological resilience) while still searching for ways of averting disaster?

Many artists respond to the contemporary threats of climate change and escalating global conflict by creating works in which they apply specific forms of perception and sensitivity. The stories they tell acknowledge and name today’s state of emergency while trying to find connections that transcend us and teach us to see ourselves through the eyes of others.

The works in this exhibition explore fears of the impact of military conflict (A[Sv1] nca Benera and Arnold Estefán’s video featuring an audio performance on the Black Sea coast), imagine life after environmental catastrophe (Tamás Kaszás), connect us to the historical layers of nature’s memory with the help of found subfossil trees (Michal Machciník), use ritual experience to encourage us to change our approach to water resources (Martyna Poznańska), help us to process feelings of fear and grief (Pavla Sceranková), or try to see human civilization from a future perspective (Ruta Putramentaite).