Survival Strategies II. Brave New Worlds? Soma Kazsimér and Márton K. Takács: Monster Workshop

This year, in the second edition of the Survival Strategies seminar series, participants can take part in ‘thought experiments’ that go beyond our current world and they can create together in workshops led by contemporary artists. There will be a seminar each month from February till April, with a lecture on a Friday evening that will introduce the work of the artists, followed by a full-day workshop on Saturday.

The subtitle of the programme refers to Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel of 1932, Brave New World. Much of what is described in that famous book has come to pass: humans, for instance, can be considered as creatures produced on assembly lines, who go on to inhabit castes Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc., and the World State successfully conditions the masses to accept the status quo. Meanwhile, the absence of emotions predicted by Huxley does not (yet) characterize our world, we are not spared experiencing life’s difficulties. Conflicts have not gone away, and we in fact feel increasingly powerless in the face of successive crises such as wars and the climate crisis.

Since almost all the information that reaches us, as well as every desire, is controlled by algorithms, we have lost our free will, and hence our capacity to act. Young people are extracted from reality by virtual worlds where, far removed from their real selves, they can take on (superhero) roles, become actors of evil or good, destroying or saving the world. Most people find it increasingly difficult to recognize the limits of reality.

To overcome desperation and powerlessness, it is essential to activate the imagination, which requires ‘training’ creativity and intuition. This is where the ‘post-human’ exercises of this year’s Survival Strategies workshops can be of help.  The participant should expect workshops based on ‘ancient’ knowledge and hands-on experiences that transcend all-powerful rationality. The sessions will provide a chance to learn from each other, to experiment and to experience the power of community and to immerse ourselves in uncanny worlds.

Concept: Dóra Hegyi

Soma Kazsimér and Márton K. Takács: Monster Workshop – An Introduction to Cryptozoology, Plus Edition

Date: 23 February 2024, 18.00–19.30 and 24 February, 11.00–18.00

Location: Práter 63 (1083 Budapest, Práter u. 63.)

CRYPTOZOOLOGY: A science (!) that studies animals/creatures whose existence has not (yet!) been acknowledged or proved by academic (?) sciences (?).

The creative duo spent three years studying the cryptofauna of Hungary in the desolate wilderness of the collective and the individual subconscious, examining the werewolf of Putnok, the Wood Scrunch of Mátranovák, the hydrovampire of Kömörő, Istók Hany and the sirens of the Szörnyű Vale. They looked at them, and they looked back, inside them.

Chasing the always elusive? They did try that. In this research-based artistic project, they assumed the character of the obsessed cryptozoologist, and sought the proximity of the creatures through photographs, texts, hearsay, media hack and field work.

Where does the line between reality and fantasy run? Why is it good to have creatures of our own? What do the fantastic creatures of Hungarian folklore reveal about us and our present? What happens when beasts occupy the press?

Their cryptozoological lecture on Friday will offer an overview of fantastic creatures in Hungary, while the all-day workshop on Saturday will be an opportunity for them to introduce their artistic methods, with various exercises and tasks that will help us to overcome the magiclessness of alienating everyday life and walk the path of magical thinking, as well as gain insights into the mysteries of monster production.