they say identity: we say multitude is an exhibition curated by Alejandra Torres Zapata and daniela brill estrada opening on November 13, 2024 at Improper Walls, 42 Reindorfgasse, Vienna, Austria
Matter, nature and life are a vast, interconnected web of existences—molecules, atoms, bodies, stars—constantly transforming and transmuting into each other. This exhibition, named using the words of Paul B. Preciado in “We Say Revolution”, invites viewers to embrace the multiplicity and fluidity of nature and resist rigid categorizations imposed by Western structures. In "They Say Identity: We Say Multitude," nature is viewed as a site of endless intersections, where, as Paul B. Preciado states, “the intersection is the only place that exists.” There are no fixed opposites; all beings continuously cross paths and transform, stabilizing temporarily as unique forms, thoughts, and practices before dissolving into new states. This perspective calls for a planetary revolution, a uniting of all living beings against restrictive, oppressing and exploitative norms.
Featured artist Adriana Knouf, PhD (NL/US), explores the entanglement of biological, technological, and cosmic entities. Knouf’s work, which has been displayed globally and aboard the International Space Station, delves into the fluid intersections between human, non-human, and cosmic life. As the Founding Facilitator of tranxxenolab, Knouf promotes the merging of trans and xeno entities, challenging the boundaries of identity and existence. Her exploration of time, matter, and the cosmos positions her work as central to the exhibition’s theme of dissolving fixed categories.
The exhibition also features performances by Daphne von Schrader, Tahereh Nourani and daniela brill estrada alongside workshops by Xava Mikosch & Jasemin Khaleli and Dusty Whistles. These artists and performers engage with the multitude of ways we inhabit our bodies, utilizing materials in a constant state of transformation, such as clay, sound, and rhythm, that reflect the non-linear and fluid nature of existence. A publication accompanying the exhibition includes critical essays, poems, drawings and reflections from artists such as Esther van Bronkhorst, Flonja Akshija, Julia Wolf, Lea Oos, Lena Michalik, Sattva Caru Giacosa, and Nerea González.