Fog is a cloud that touches the ground
_{ANCESTRAL FUTURES}

Part of the curation team for Ancestral Futures as part of the event: FOG IS A CLOUD THAT TOUCHES THE GROUND, Helsinki 2023 (FI).

Fog is a cloud that touches the ground is a transdisciplinary event that brings together five curatorial projects presenting work in response to the shared theme of crisis. The projects delve into concepts of legacy, feminist narratives, informational skepticism, numbness and the state of being overwhelmed as a reaction to adversity. With work varying from textile and performing arts to sound and video installation among other media, the event invites you to reflect on your own relationship with divergent forms and representations of crises.

Fog is a reflection of the present, an acknowledgement of the past, and a projection of the future.

The title presents fog as the central metaphor of the event. It is a fog that suggests the co-existence of multiple dimensions and histories within the same space, the interconnectedness of our world and how actions can ripple through time and space. Each group takes on a different position in relation to this fog: some are centered within it, blinded by myopic vision, while others are looking for alternative perspectives and approaches; lingering between acceptance and reaction. The phenomenon of fog remains a representation of crisis, experienced as a lack of visibility and a single immersive entity, while being made up of multiple moving particles all working across time.

The event is comprised of five projects; We Didn’t Start the Fire, Numb, Ancestral Futures, The Heiress and The United States of Finlandica and is co-curated by Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art (ViCCA) MA students participating in the Curating from Theory to Practice course.

Ancestral Futures investigates practices of futuring through care, collectivity and intertwined temporalities as a response to crisis, and as an avenue for dreaming and practising the otherwise. Inviting artists (Gabriella Presnal, Teo Paaer, Eirini Tiniakou) and writers (Marjolein van der Loo, Micol Curatolo, Delilah Sydney Sykes, Julia Fidder) to participate in a collective exhibition event and publication. It was curated by Martina Šerešová, Jade Lönnqvist, Mana Tashakorinia (designer of the publication), Erika Cárdenas Manzanilla, Amy Merigo, Lau Kaker and Rebekka Yallop.