Open Call Green Hill Gallery, EXHIBITION MAY 2022

Green Hill Gallery is pleased to announce the open call for the new exhibition on the topic of the Notion of Normalcy, which will take place between 20.05.2022 to 19.08.2022.

The exhibition seeks to explore what normalcy means to us nowadays, as we experience unprecedented times to a whole new degree. We seek to investigate the positive and negative aspects of what people deem to be “normal” and how our fabrication of this concept can help and hurt us. As we reach a crossroads in history, we must now consider in which direction we would like to push ourselves as a society.

We invite emerging and established artists working in any medium from Berlin and all over the world to participate in this call, as long as the topic is explored through the artwork. Please be aware that, since the Green Hill Gallery is run by the non-profit organization Kulturschöpfer e.V., accepted artists living outside Berlin will have to take care of the transportation of their artworks.

OPEN CALL CONCEPT NOTE

Topic: The Notion of Normalcy

No matter who you are or where you are from, it is likely that the events of the last two years have drastically challenged your perception of what is normal. Our grasp on what is “normal” is becoming evermore tenuous. Just as we seem to be heading towards a renewed sense of familiarity, under the context of Covid, something else seems to be thrown at us, such as the war in Ukraine. What even is normal anymore, in this strangely uncertain, absurdly inconceivable world?

The notion of normalcy has a myriad of varied connotations associated with it. In some contexts, normalcy is how one conducts their day through routines and systems. However, what is normal for me is likely not normal for you. The normal we experience in the city of Berlin – a hotspot and breeding ground for alternative cultures and communities – certainly shows its contrasts against a city such as Paris or London. That being said, when the world fixates on the notion of “returning to normal” in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, what does that mean? Is normal something that even exists universally? Perhaps it is just something we have fabricated for the sake of providing comfort and a sense of control over our existence.

More importantly, we must ask ourselves if this nostalgia for “normal” is even a good thing. Do we even want to go back to the way things were? These last two years have exposed the open wounds of our societies. Black Lives Matter and global climate strikes forced the world to reckon with our role on this planet. However, equally pressing issues such as the famine in Yemen and the economic crisis in Lebanon – as well as many others – have been overlooked by many and under-considered in regards to their impact on the world. These issues have forced us to consider what kind of world we want to be living in.

Furthermore, achieving “normal” can be dangerous. When catastrophic events are eventually regarded as normal – think, the war in Afghanistan, extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa – people become desensitized and possibly stop caring. So how can we hearken upon the positive aspects of normalcy while also dispelling the negative ones that hold us back from our greatest potential?

Questions we want to explore through this exhibition:

• What can be achieved if we let go of the construct of “normal”?
• To what extent is normalcy something we should be trying to achieve or how do we need to let go of our aspirations for going “back to normal,” given what we have seen in the last two years?
• During these turbulent and transformative times, our vulnerabilities in society have been exposed. How can we take advantage of this changed perspective to redefine what is normal and change the trajectory of our future?
• Does the construct of “normalcy” inform us and help us understand where we stand in society in a healthy way? Or does it hold us back from greater potential?

If you are ready to reflect these questions through your art, read more and apply here: https://form.jotform.com/220814755439360