Mimmo Scognamiglio Artecontemporanea is glad to announce the opening of Shamanism, a new exhibition project by British curator and art critic James Putnam, former curator of the Egyptian Antiquities Department of the British Museum, in prosecution of a decennial collaboration with the gallery. Shamanism sees the participation of twelve international artists, joined on the common field of researching an enlightened artistic dimension through the ritual practice.
There is a current tendency for some artists to look beyond everyday reality into the realms of the metaphysical incorporating elements of myth, alchemy, animism, folklore and ritual into their practice. Shamanism can be defined as a universal phenomenon that relates to humanity’s relationship through Nature with its roots in the cultures of indigenous people across the world.
These mystical spiritual practices have their origins in parts of Siberia, Australia, Africa and the Americas as well as premodern Europe. Like shamanism, art can be a calling, a means of exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness as if in communion with an external force or “spirit”. The creation of a work of art can sometimes involve a process of metamorphosis, insights, visions and dreams, in a quest for life’s deeper meaning.
This diverse collection of international artists using the mediums of drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation are in tune with a new sensibility that also embraces aspects of ecology, sustainability and futurism. These works can evoke our connection with the natural world and help us to feel part of an all-inclusive collective vision of our ancestor’s bond with Nature.
Shamanism cares for the well-being of both Nature and human nature, and their inter-relationship, a quality that many artists also strive to capture in their work. The artist’s observation and understanding of Nature tends to relate to an understanding of human nature, and of the human condition within Nature. By applying aspects of shamanism to the contemporary, artists express an awareness of Nature’s dual enigmatic force and fragility. Shamanism curated by James Putnam at Mimmo Scognamiglio Artecontemporanea
List of Participating Artists Acci Baba (Japan, 1977) Lauren Baker (UK, 1982) Bert Gilbert (UK, 1979) Mat Chivers (UK, 1973) Baptiste Ibar (France, 1977) Silia Ka Tung ( China, 1974) Katya Kan (Kazakhstan) Iyvone Khoo (Singapore, 1975) Moses Quiquine (UK, 1996) Eloïse Van der Heyden (USA, 1983) Koen Vanmechelen (Belgium, 1965) Nicol Vizioli (Italy, 1983)
Exhibition facts
Opening: May 6th 2021
Period: May 7th 2021 - July 2nd 2021
Opening time: Monday through Friday from 11h until 19h; Saturday by appointment only
Adress: Mimmo Scognamiglio Artecontemporanea - Via Goito, 7 - 20121 Milano - Italy
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