Between Normals

I wrote all the texts for the Between Normals art exhibition, which took place at S/ash Gallery and Wunderbar in Rotterdam between November 2023 and January 2024. This included the main curatorial text outlining the exhibition’s central concept, as well as individual artwork descriptions and press releases. Below, I share the main exhibition text.

Photo by Cem Altinoz

"The grip of the coronavirus pandemic sparked a collective quest for a new "normal" meant to bring us some sense of security, as we realized that the old normal wasn’t functioning anymore. Nearly four years since the global outbreak, it's striking how subtly we've slipped back into familiar routines, often forgetting the optimism we shared about doing things differently when it would all be over. Are we now back to the old normal or do we find ourselves in a new paradigm?

Since the only certainty in life is change, it is of paramount importance to develop and put into practice our ability to adapt. Like Hannah Arendt wrote, breakdowns reveal the need for repair, pushing us to reevaluate the structure of our world. In the case of the COVID-19 global crisis, it shed light on the shortcomings in our healthcare systems, and, most of all, on the flaws in our political and societal frameworks, and relationships with nature and fellow humans.

Bringing together eighteen artworks that respond to this pandemic, Between Normals allows us to revisit not only some critical insights from the past years, but also reflections from artists, designers, and illustrators that can help us build a better way forward. The exhibition is divided into two parts: the main part at S/ash Gallery presents multimedia artworks that delve into facets of our lives directly affected by the global outbreak, while the second part at Wunderbar showcases posters that add color and lightness to the profound lessons from this period.

In essence, Between Normals provides a space for us to process our unique pandemic experiences, where we can also explore the potential of the unknown. Once engaging with this space, the responsibility for transformation lies with each of us and the choices we make. We must remember that although the pandemic exposed our need for security, it also demonstrated our capacity for radical change in record time. As we navigate future normals, we must carry this transformative power with us if we want to better deal with the challenges that lie ahead."