Prolonged Emergencies

These are troubled times we live in – unpredictable and deeply anxiety-inducing. Just as we begin to move past the shock of a global pandemic, new uncertainties emerge: natural disasters, political unrest and rapidly evolving technologies that blur the line between fact and misinformation. It often feels as though we are living in a constant state of emergency, with no resolution in sight.

In moments like these, however, art offers a means of coping, and a way to imagine something beyond the chaos. Using today’s volatile climate as a starting point, 'Prolonged Emergencies' brings together thought-provoking works by eight artists to explore how we could begin to make sense of this ‘new normal’.

This is not an exhibition that sugar-coats, and there are no answers here. Instead, through a tightly curated collection of video art, photography, immersive and mixed media installations, you’ll encounter a range of perspectives and narratives on the present and possible futures.

Highlights include Kiyoshi Takahashi’s powerful Free Watermelon Bar Stand and FWB Sign Banner in Sapporo; Ishu Han’s poignant reflection on displacement, I carry a home, and a home relocates me; and Ayoung Kim’s dystopian Delivery Dancer’s Sphere, which imagines a future wrought by an AI-enabled gig economy.