26 August 2021

Vienna Insight: The exhibition 'Overground Resistance' (26 August - 21 November) presents artworks that reveal facts and critical views on climate justice collected in a scientific-journalistic manner

Yesterday on 25 August, Fashion.at visited the opening of the exhibition 'Overground Resistance' at the 'frei_raum Q21', MuseumsQuartier in Vienna. Before the opening speeches were held, it was possible to preview the artworks which reach from collage-like works over photographs, sculptures to films with impressing sound and poetical texts such as the film showing Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner (Marshall Islands) & Aka Niviâna (Greenland). One of the women is living in an environment of 'ocean and sand' and the other in 'ice and snow' such as the accompanying text (in German and English) of the projection at one of the Q21 walls explains. The film was initiated by 350.org which works for replacing fossil fuels by community-led renewable energy for all. The esthetics of the filmic tribute to earth might remind viewers of a fashion campaign video. The artists are perfectly styled with clothing, accessories, objects (shells) referencing the geographical oirigins and set in a scene with impressive nature images of powerful earth. The poetry is composed like a spoken-word music piece about the effects of climate destruction with the central theme of sea level rise.

The film was also one of the topics of the opening speech of 'Overground Resistance' curator and artist Oliver Ressler. Rachel Schragis' large-scale flowchart 'Confronting the Climate' was another work vividly presented by Ressler on that day. The guests' interest was awakened; the crowd moved to Schragis' work (picture below in the middle) for reading some of the numerous notes concerning the climate. The chart was developed over the duration of two years and is a collaborative work between various activists who helped organising the historic 'People's Climate March' in 2014. The artwork chronicles one part of the history of the climate movement.

Images: The neon work by Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio addressing the role of artists in today's society is one of the first artworks which catches the eyes of the visitors at one of the entries to the exhibition 'Overground Resistance' (26 August - 21 November 2021) at frei_raum Q21, MuseumsQuartier. Middle: The image shows guests at the opening standing in front of Rachel Schragis' large-scale flowchart 'Confronting the Climate'. Right: The picture shows exhibition curator and artist Oliver Ressler speaking to the guests on the opening day of the exhibition 'Overground Resistance' on 25 August 2021 at frei_raum Q21, MuseumsQuartier in Vienna.

The entry to the exhibition is free. The dates for guided tours - optional in German or English - with Oliver Ressler are published at mqw.at/institutionen/q21/kurator-innen-fuehrung.