Tag Archive for: Kunstverein

Exhibition – TRANSHUMAN

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TRANSHUMAN N°5
Dysis
Astali/Peirce, Birte Bosse, Simon Faithfull, Olga Fedorova, Stella Geppert, Bastian Hoffmann, Virginie Ittah, Delia Jürgens, Felix Kiessling, Frederik Marks, Aline Schwörer, Geerten Verheus

curated by Stephan Klee

Vernissage
Saturday 17 October, 5 pm
Open until 8 pm
free admission)

Exhibition dates
18 Oct – 13 Dec 2026
Tue – Sun 11 am – 5 pm

Venue
Old Town Hall, Göttingen (1st floor)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

Admission
€3.00 / €1.50 (concession)
Free for visitors under 18
Free with the Kultur-Ticket
Free admission to Vernissages and Finissages

 

INTRODUCTION

“The end of the world has already occurred. We can be uncannily precise about the date on which the world ended. Convenience is not readily associated with historiography, nor indeed with geological time. But in this case, it is uncannily clear. It was April 1784, when James Watt patented the steam engine, an act that commenced the depositing of carbon in Earth’s crust—namely, the inception of humanity as a geophysical force on a planetary scale.”*

 

Dysis – Δύσις is an Ancient Greek word meaning, amongst other things, ‘the setting of a celestial body’, ‘the west’, ‘twilight’, ‘setting’ and ‘hiding place’. In Greek mythology, Dysis is also the patron goddess of sunset, the twilight phase marking the transition from day to night, which is also seen as a moment of reflection and transformation. The final group exhibition of 2026, bearing this title, juxtaposes works relating to the annual theme ‘TRANSHUMAN’ in the 400-square-metre exhibition spaces of the Old Town Hall in Göttingen. To this end, it brings together internationally recognised artists with significant new discoveries, placing the respective works in new, often illuminating contexts. The whole endeavour also represents new ground in curatorial practice.
For Dysis, the scenario of an abandoned future following our current civilisation is deliberately staged: only scattered sculptures and objects in the medieval gallery spaces offer a glimpse of past human activity, whilst deformed, functionless objects still bear witness to our current advanced civilisation. Added to this are film scenes of dilapidated architecture and dysfunctional means of transport. Thus, the works on display form a spatial network of artistic testimonies and traces of a former presence, of past activity. As if at a crime scene, viewers can grasp the aftermath of something that once was, without being able to fully unravel what actually happened. Simon Faithful displays the flooded holiday resort of an oil industry engineer; Bastian Hoffmann contributes a Porsche engine that has melted onto the floor; Stella Geppert freezes the clay-stirred traces of a group of people at work; Birte Bosse exhibits fragments of broken-out concrete reinforcement; and Astali/Peirce place an already mineralised T-shirt on display – to name but a few examples.
All the works on display are characterised by a sense of final enigma; they evoke thoughts and feelings without ever being able to deliver a clear conclusion or a clear reason for their erratic presence. In this state of tension between intuition and denial, they remain fixed in space and condition. In doing so, they allude, amongst other things, to the philosophical complex of speculative realism (or the related field of object-oriented ontology), which asserts the following: things in themselves possess an autonomous realm that eludes definitive human perception or scientific measurability. Consequently, there must be a substantial part of reality that lies outside our consciousness. This, in turn, means that things in the world actually behave autonomously and are not organised in an anthropocentric manner; they are, as it were, causally arranged around human perception and research. Timothy Morton expands this understanding of the world with what he calls ‘hyper-objects’. These are far-reaching processes and developments which last so long, or are so complex, that they elude both the human imagination and complete scientific analysis, yet are constantly transforming our planet. For him, the disintegration of the world brought about by the expanding, technological and mechanised transformation of global resources into energy, products, computer processes and services is an example of a hyperobject.
Furthermore, the exhibition’s installations often confront visitors, almost casually, with the question: “Is this the art on display, or was it already there before?” This gives rise to an unusual interplay between everyday life and high culture: a near future that has already passed – or rather, the possibility of our era’s past – has arrived in the reality of our present. Furthermore, there are individual ‘creatures’ from a vibrant, posthuman future, whose activities are currently taking over the fallow terrain of this exhibition. Examples include Virginie Ittah’s wax creature or Aline Schwörer’s new species.
All in all, this paints the following picture for the near future: the era of transhumanism has failed and is already drawing towards its final end, whilst the new era of posthumanism is already on the horizon. The exhibition thus presents a phase of transition, the coexistence of two eras. A liminal state is created – a staged liminality in the chronology of time. For visitors, questions arise such as: ‘Are we already at the twilight of an era, and what are its relics?’ – ‘How would we position ourselves in this twilight of the West?’ and: ‘What future might await us on the dawn of change?’ In this sense, this concluding exhibition in 2026 also serves as a kind of bridge to the coming exhibition year, 2027: >POSTHUMAN.

* in: Timothy Morton in “Hyperobjects – Philosophy and Ecology After the End of the World”, 2013, p. 7 

 

PROGRAMME

Sat 17 Oct from 5 pm
Vernissage
Welcome speeches and introduction to the exhibition
The artists and the curator will be in attendance
Open until 8 pm
(Free admission)

Sun 1 Nov / Sun 9 Nov, both at 3 pm
Sunday tour
with Joos Ziegler and Stephan Klee respectively

Sun 7 Nov 2026 at 2 pm
The Long Afternoon of Art
with a guided tour and panel discussion
Open until 7 pm
(Free admission)

Sun 13 Dec 2026 at 3 pm
Finissage
with a guided tour by Stephan Klee
and closure
Open until 5 pm
(Free admission)

 

Eventimages:
Simon Faithfull Reenactment for a Future Scenario no. 2: Cape Romano, HD video, 6min loop, 2019
Courtesy of the artist

 

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors:  Stiftung Niedersachsen, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen und Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

Finissage – Nieves de la Fuente

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INVITATION TO THE GRAND FINISSAGE
of

TRANSHUMAN N°4
Nieves de la Fuente
Xenoform

curated by Stephan Klee

It is with regret that we note the year’s final solo exhibition is now rapidly drawing to a close. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our interested visitors and, of course, first and foremost, the artist and the team.
However, we naturally wish to bring this exhibition to a fitting finale, and therefore cordially invite you to the Grand Finissage on Sunday, 4 October, from 11 am to 4 pm in the rooms of the Altes Rathaus, Göttingen. We are delighted to welcome the museum director, Ina Neddermeyer, and the artist, Nieves de la Fuente, as our guests on the day. Both will be actively involved in the programme for the closing event.
The programme begins at 11 am with a guided tour of the exhibition led by the curator and accompanied by the artist. Following a lunch break, a panel discussion between Nieves de la Fuente and Ina Neddermeyer on the artist’s work and aspects of the exhibition will take place at 2 pm, moderated by Stephan Klee. The event – and with it the exhibition – will draw to a close at 4 pm. We will be on site throughout from 11 am to 4 pm; please feel free to drop by at a time that suits you – admission is free.

Sunday 4 Oct 2026, 11 am–4 pm
The Grand Finissage
11 am
Guided Tour
‘Walk and Talk’ through the exhibition with the artist Nieves de la Fuente and the curator Stephan Klee in German and English
2 pm
Podium Dialogue
‘When the slag heap calls’ – Landscape, homeland and romanticism in interplanetary capitalism –
A moderated panel dialogue with Ina Neddermeyer (Director, Giersch Museum at Goethe University Frankfurt) and the artist Nieves de la Fuente, moderated by Stephan Klee
– Since the Bronze Age, mining has been radically altering the landscape of our planet. Where once primaeval forests and naturally formed rock formations shaped the landscape, artificially created topographies resulting from resource extraction have been spreading ever further for millennia, profoundly shaping not only the surface but also the subterranean nature of our Earth. This has far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, but at the same time it also alters our perception of the familiar landscape, our relationship with an artificial environment and the organisation of our society. But what happens when human production shifts into space – can we send our sense of home and our form of society straight to Mars?
(Free Admission)

 

Our Guests

Ina Neddermeyer is a curator and, since 2024, has been Director of the Museum Giersch at Goethe University (MGGU) in Frankfurt am Main. Prior to this, she was a curator and Head of the Art Department at the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen, as well as a collections curator at the Kunstpalais in Erlangen. In her curatorial work, she combines contemporary art with socio-political, ecological and scientific issues. Her exhibitions at the MGGU include ‘Fixing Futures. Planetary Futures between Speculation and Control’ (2025) and ‘Multispecies Members Club. New Alliances between Living and Artificial Systems’ (2026). She has also organised exhibitions such as ‘Kryptomania. The Promises of Blockchain’, ‘Beyond States. On the Limits of Statehood’ and ‘Into the Deep. Mines of the Future’.

Nieves de la Fuente was born in Madrid in 1988; she lives and works in Cologne and Madrid. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Art at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2011) and studying at the Kunsthochschule Kassel (2011–2013), she completed a postgraduate degree in Media Arts at the Kunsthochschule für Medien in Cologne in 2016.
Working at the intersection of economically transformed spaces and multimedia installations in the gallery context, Nieves de la Fuente frequently employs virtual reality, browser experiences or augmented reality to immerse viewers of her works in historical events, surrealist scenarios or real locations of particular significance – such as the moon-like (or rather Mars-like) Rio Tinto open-cast mining area in southern Spain. Among other things, she works on ongoing series which – thanks to digital technology – explore the (re-)visualisation of impossible worlds and their fusion with real space. Her main focus lies on computer-assisted imaging and mapping, as well as on the relationship to visual perception – a relevant aspect at a time when computer-assisted imaging technologies are developing at a rapid pace.
Among other roles, she worked as an artistic-academic research assistant in the Art/Transmedia Space programme at the KHM Cologne (2018/2019) and at Burg Giebichenstein Halle (2019/2021). In addition to numerous international residencies, for example in Montepulciano, Montréal, Linz, Warehouse (online), Santander and Villa Aurora, Los Angeles, Nieves de la Fuente Gutiérrez has received numerous awards and grants, most recently the North Rhine-Westphalia Women Artists’ Prize 2022.

Stephan Klee is a curator who lives and works in Berlin and Göttingen. After five semesters studying philosophy and modern German history at Humboldt University, he studied at the Berlin University of the Arts, graduating in the summer of 2009 as a master’s student in fine arts.
Since its inception in 2006, his curatorial practice has primarily engaged with the phenomenology of ‘public space’. He is fundamentally interested in the interplay between a shared reality and the emergence of visual form. The subject matter ranges from interventions in socio-architectural space, through contemporary philosophical frameworks, to explorations of new media and an expanding virtuality. Since 2018, the foreseeable end of global ecology in the wake of a late-capitalist system has taken centre stage in his work. In this context, the possibilities of collective genesis often play a major role in his activities. Thus, through various collaborations with different partners, he realises diverse forms of independent, collective-cultural work. These partners have included, for example, Artitude e.V., Haus am Lützowplatz e.V., the Dockville Festival in Hamburg, the Institute for Spatial Experiments, the Goethe-Institut in Athens, State of Concept in Athens, REMAP in Athens, the Herzliya Museum in Tel Aviv, the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Kindred Spirit in Lisbon, amongst many others. Since 2024, he is also the Artistic Director of the Art Association Göttingen.

About the Exhibition
The Earth’s resources are finite and its ecological systems are already severely destabilised, as this summer’s global drought, amongst other things, has so starkly demonstrated. Consequently, technology moguls keen on progress have launched a new race for raw materials; only this time, the motto is not ‘Go West!’, but rather ‘Go Mars!’. Following on from the Earth’s resources, other celestial bodies are now set to be exploited in the near future.
The works in this solo exhibition, *Xenoform* by Nieves de la Fuente, explore relevant aspects of this theme. The five groups of works on display – ‘Bridge’, ‘No habrá servicio los Domingos ni en el cumpleaños de la Reina Victoria’, ‘Reliquia de las Disciplinas Geográficas’, ‘Night Companions’ and ‘ODD//FOES’ – explore aspects of the history and future of mining and interplanetary navigation, which is essential for the colonisation of space.
In doing so, the Spanish artist enriches the annual theme “TRANSHUMAN” in a multifaceted way with new areas and aspects drawn from her work. Nieves de la Fuente thus exemplifies where “transhuman tendencies” are already taking shape in the present and how this development fundamentally broadens the human perspective on interplanetary constellations and possibilities. However, new scope for action also requires social discourse to weigh up the potential consequences for the general public. The Kunstverein Göttingen facilitates this joint, critical discourse through its supporting programme and on the basis of its exhibitions of contemporary art, as an important part of its own social agenda.

REMAINING PROGRAMME

Sun 27 Sep 3 pm
Sunday Tour
with Stephan Klee

Sunday 4 Oct 2026, 11 am–4 pm
The Grand Finissage
11 am
Guided Tour
‘Walk and Talk’ through the exhibition with the artist Nieves de la Fuente and the curator Stephan Klee in German and English
2 pm
Podium Dialogue
with Ina Neddermeyer (Director of the Giersch Museum at Goethe University Frankfurt) and the artist Nieves de la Fuente, moderated by Stephan Klee
(Free admission)

Duration
9 Aug – 4 Oct 2026
Tue – Sun 11 am – 5 pm

Location
Altes Rathaus Göttingen (1. OG)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

Admission fee:
€ 3,00 / € 1,50 (reduced)
Free admission for guests aged 18 and under
Free admission with a Kultur Ticket
Free admission to exhibition Vernissages and Finissages

Event images:
Nieves de la Fuente ODD // FOES – Series, 2023, computer-generated image, courtesy of the artist, @ VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2026stlerin

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Hochschule Bielefeld, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen And Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

Talk and Finissage – Michael Schmid

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INVITATION FOR PROGRAMME

The Professur Materialität des Wissens (Chair of Materiality of Knowledge) at the University of Göttingen and the Kunstverein Göttingen present in cooperation as part of the “Art from Collections” series:

TRANSHUMAN N°3
Michael Schmid
Support for Speakers

 

Sat 22 Aug 5 pm
Invitation for Panel Talk 

We are delighted to invite you to a discussion with the artist Michael Schmid and the art historian Dr Jana August on Saturday 22 August at 5.00 pm. Stephan Klee, Artistic Director of the Kunstverein, will moderate the event, which is taking place to mark Michael Schmid’s solo exhibition “Support for Speakers” at the Göttinger Kunstverein.
What does an object reveal to us, and when does it become an image? What distinguishes artistic from scientific objects, and analogue from digital photography? What do objects, surfaces and structures tell us about social and economic contexts? What links the studio, the artist’s residence and the campus? In collaboration with the Kunstverein Göttingen, a new series of works by Schmid was created as part of the ‘Art from Collections’ series organised by the Chair of Materiality of Knowledge at the University of Göttingen. We look forward to discussing the works and the questions they raise with you. The discussion will take place in German.

Michael Schmid works with photography, sculpture and installation. His works explore the material and institutional conditions of images, their media, production processes and forms of presentation. He studied Fine Art at the University of the Arts Bremen and photography at the Academy of Visual Arts, Leipzig. His works have been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Germany and abroad. He is represented by Galerie K’ in Bremen.
Jana August is an art and visual history scholar. As a standing-in professor, she currently heads the “Materialität des Wissens” (‘Materiality of Knowledge’ ) research group at the Department of Art History at the University of Göttingen. As part of the”Kunst aus den Sammlungen” ( ‘Art from Collections’) series, she has been coordinating and curating projects with contemporary artists in the historical collections and at the Forum Wissen at the University of Göttingen since 2019, in collaboration with Prof. Dr Margarete Vöhringer. Her research and teaching focus on the art history and material culture of modernity, the history of museums, collections and exhibitions, as well as the history of knowledge and its visual worlds. She has worked on a freelance basis in various roles for exhibition venues, museums and festivals.
Stephan Klee is a curator and cultural manager from Berlin and has held the post of Artistic Director of the Kunstverein Göttingen e.V. since 2024. He studied philosophy, modern German history and fine art in Berlin and, since 2006, has been working as a freelance curator on various international contemporary art projects. He sees the partnership between the University and the Kunstverein Göttingen as offering excellent opportunities to integrate theory, education and practice even more effectively in Göttingen, thereby expanding and enriching the activities of both the Kunstverein and the University.

 

Sun 23 Aug 3 pm
Invitation for Finissage
The exhibition’s closing event will take place on Sunday 23 August from 3 pm to 5 pm. We’ll kick things off with a guided tour led by Stephan Klee from 3 pm until around 4 pm, before bringing the exhibition to a close together at 5 pm. Refreshments will be provided, and admission is free.

 

Duration
12 Jul – 23 Aug 2026
Tue – Fri 4 pm – 6 pm
Sat + Sun 11 am – 4 pm

Location
Künstlerhaus Göttingen (1. floor)
Gotmarstraße 1
37073 Göttingen
Germany

Admission Fee:
Free admission to the exhibtion and all events

 

REMAINING PROGRAMME

Sun 16 Aug at 3 pm
Sunday–Tour with Stephan Klee
(No admission fee)

Sat 22 Aug at 5 – 7 pm
Paneltalk about the exhibition Support for Speakers
with Michael Schmid, Dr. Jana August and Stephan Klee
Sat 22 Aug at 7 – 9 pm
Film Screening Trafic, 1971, directed by Jacques Tati
(No admission fee)

Sun 23 Aug from 3 – 5 pm
Finissage
3 pm
Guided Tour
“Walk and Talk” – through the exhibition with curator Stephan Klee, in German and English
4 om
Closure
(No admission fee)

Event images:
Michael Schmid, without title (Mathematisches Institut, Bunsenstraße) 2022/2026, inkjet print, 25×20 cm, VG Bildkunst Bonn | Courtesy of the artist

 

 


ABOUT THE ARTIST
Michael Schmid lives and works in Berlin. In his work, he combines photography, sculpture and installation. His starting points are often industrial materials, photographic processes and presentation systems, whose functions shift between image, object and medium. His works explore surfaces, support systems and spatial situations in which material and image are mutually dependent.

more information >> schmidmichael.com/

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Universität Göttingen, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen And Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

Vernissage – Nieves de la Fuente

/in , , /by

INVITATION FOR VERNISSAGE

TRANSHUMAN N°4
Nieves de la Fuente
Xenoform

curated by Stephan Klee

The multimedia installations and works by the Spanish artist Nieves de la Fuente in her exhibition Xenoform feature ‘estranged forms’. It stands to reason, because the works in this exhibition engage with territories in the near future, on other planets, and with landscapes that are intensively exploited by humans. The focus is thus on extraterrestrial resource extraction to underpin the industrial and technological foundations of a potential transhumanism in the near future.
We cordially invite you to the opening on Saturday, 8 August, on the first floor of the Old Town Hall, where you can walk through and explore these ‘art worlds’. Following the welcome and introductory speeches, the artist and the curator will be on hand to explain the works on display and to provide technical assistance with the interactive pieces. We look forward to seeing you there and to showcasing this extraordinary exhibition in Göttingen, the City of Knowledge, for eight weeks.

Vernissage
Saturday,  8 August at 5 pm
open until 8 pm (No Admission Fee)

Location
Altes Rathaus Göttingen (1. OG)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

 

…
Working at the intersection of economically transformed spaces and multimedia installations in the gallery context, Nieves de la Fuente frequently employs virtual reality, browser experiences or augmented reality to immerse viewers of her works in historical events, surrealist scenarios or real locations of particular significance – such as the moon-like (or rather Mars-like) Rio Tinto open-cast mining area in southern Spain. Among other things, she works on ongoing series which – thanks to digital technology – explore the (re-)visualisation of impossible worlds and their fusion with real space. Her main focus lies on computer-assisted imaging and mapping, as well as on the relationship to visual perception – a relevant aspect at a time when computer-assisted imaging technologies are developing at a rapid pace.
…

PROGRAMME

Sat 8 Aug from 5 pm
Vernissage
Welcome speeches and introduction to the exhibition
The artist and the curator will be in attendance
Open until 8 pm, free admission

Sun 30 Aug / Sun 20 Sep / Sun 27 Sep
3 pm on each occasion
Sunday Tours
with Joos Ziegler and Stephan Klee respectively

Sat 3 Oct 2026, 11 am – 4 pm
The Art Matinée
with a guided tour and panel discussion

Sun 4 Oct 2026 at 11 am
Finissage
“Walk and Talk” – a tour of the exhibition with curator Stephan Klee in German and English
and a closure
Open until 3 pm, free admission

Duration
9 Aug – 4 Oct 2026
Tue – Sun 11 am – 5 pm

Location
Altes Rathaus Göttingen (1. OG)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

Admission fee:
€ 3,00 / € 1,50 (reduced)
Free admission for guests aged 18 and under
Free admission with a Kultur Ticket
Free admission to exhibition Vernissages and Finissages

Event images:
Nieves de la Fuente ODD // FOES – Series, 2023, computer-generated image, courtesy of the artist, @ VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2026

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Hochschule Bielefeld, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen And Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

Exhibition – Nieves de la Fuente

/in , , /by

TRANSHUMAN N°4
Nieves de la Fuente
Xenoform

curated by Stephan Klee


Vernissage
Saturday, 8 August 5 pm
Open until 8 pm
(No admission fee)

Duration
9 Aug – 4 Oct 2026
Tue – Sun 11 am – 5 pm

Location
Altes Rathaus Göttingen (1. OG)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

Admission fee:
€ 3,00 / € 1,50 (reduced)
Free admission for guests aged 18 and under
Free admission with a Kultur Ticket
Free admission to exhibition Vernissages and Finissages

 

INTRODUCTION

‘We believe there is no material problem – whether caused by nature or technology – that cannot be solved by more technology!’*

If the technological utopian visions of transhumanism are to enter a phase of widespread realisation in the foreseeable future, certain plans devised by the heads of leading American technology conglomerates will play a decisive role. There is broad consensus amongst them that space should be colonised as quickly as possible in order to meet the demands of rising production using extraterrestrial resources. Earth’s resources are finite; a new race has begun, only this time the motto is not ‘Go West!’, but rather ‘Go Mars!’. As a result, commercial spaceflight is taking on a new key role in driving forward an agenda of expansive, private technological implementation; Elon Musk with ‘SpaceX’ and ‘Starlink’, and Jeff Bezos with ‘Blue Origin’, are prominent examples.

Many works by the Spanish artist Nieves de la Fuente explore relevant aspects of this theme. Her multimedia installations, for example, examine large-scale mining and depict, amongst other things, the total topographical upheaval of the original landscape, which, following extraction, in its lifeless otherness, is strikingly reminiscent of the surface of other planets. By blending real-life footage with digitally scanned and computer-generated visualisations, the territories depicted become even more elusive on the one hand, whilst on the other, they appear even more futuristic within the high-tech simulation. The past, present and future of the areas shown merge into ethereal, almost surreal visions, which nevertheless highlight an urgent need for action. For it must be borne in mind that such devastated areas do indeed exist on Earth and are spreading. This thematic complex is represented, amongst others, by the series of works Bridge,  No habrá servicio los Domingos ni en el cumpleaños de la Reina Victoria and Reliquia de las Disciplinas Geográficas, all of which form part of this exhibition.
Other projects in the exhibition, such as Night Companions or ODD//FOES (Orbital Distant Debris Falling on Earth Surface), address the growing number of satellites that form a network encircling the Earth or, far from it, traverse space as ‘pathfinders’. These spacecraft are already essential for human communication and navigation and will form the basis for a possible conquest of space in the future. But who has control over these spacecraft, and what happens if they fail? On Earth, the stars once guided both animals and humans; today, the former are often at a disadvantage, as they rely on the stars but can no longer distinguish them from the glowing ‘satellite dots’ in the night sky.

Nieves de la Fuente is presenting these five groups of works in her solo exhibition in Göttingen, thereby enriching the annual theme TRANSHUMAN in a multifaceted way with new areas and aspects drawn from her body of work. Although complex in content, the artist brings the themes to life using real-life examples and, through her distinctive visual language and highly sophisticated animations, makes them easily comprehensible and accessible without remaining purely documentary. Rather, the real-life case studies serve as a basis for the creation of highly innovative, independent works of art that fuse the familiar with the unfamiliar. This creates a tension that allows visitors to explore the ‘art environments’ generated by the artist aesthetically, acoustically and tactilely. In doing so, Nieves de la Fuente exemplifies where ‘transhuman tendencies’ are already taking shape in the present and how this development is fundamentally broadening the human perspective on interplanetary constellations and possibilities. However, new scope for action also requires social discourse to weigh up the potential consequences for the general public. The Kunstverein Göttingen facilitates this collective, critical discourse through its supporting programme and on the basis of its exhibitions of contemporary art, as an important part of its own social agenda.

* Marc Andreessen in the Techno-Optimist Manifesto, 2023

 

PROGRAMME

Sat 8 Aug from 5 pm
Vernissage
Welcome speeches and introduction to the exhibition
The artist and the curator will be in attendance
Open until 8 pm, free admission

Sun 30 Aug / Sun 20 Sep / Sun 27 Sep
3 pm on each occasion
Sunday Tours
with Joos Ziegler and Stephan Klee respectively

Sunday 4 Oct 2026, 11 am–4 pm
The Grand Finale
11 am
Guided Tour
‘Walk and Talk’ through the exhibition with the artist Nieves de la Fuente and the curator Stephan Klee in German and English
2 pm
Podium Discussion
with Ina Neddermeyer (Director of the Giersch Museum at Goethe University Frankfurt) and the artist Nieves de la Fuente, moderated by Stephan Klee
(Free admission)

Event images:
Nieves de la Fuente ODD // FOES – Series, 2023, computer-generated image, courtesy of the artist, @ VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2026

 

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Nieves de la Fuente was born in Madrid in 1988; she lives and works in Cologne and Madrid. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Art at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2011) and studying at the Kunsthochschule Kassel (2011–2013), she completed a postgraduate degree in Media Arts at the Kunsthochschule für Medien in Cologne in 2016.

Working at the intersection of economically transformed spaces and multimedia installations in the gallery context, Nieves de la Fuente frequently employs virtual reality, browser experiences or augmented reality to immerse viewers of her works in historical events, surrealist scenarios or real locations of particular significance – such as the moon-like (or rather Mars-like) Rio Tinto open-cast mining area in southern Spain. Among other things, she works on ongoing series which – thanks to digital technology – explore the (re-)visualisation of impossible worlds and their fusion with real space. Her main focus lies on computer-assisted imaging and mapping, as well as on the relationship to visual perception – a relevant aspect at a time when computer-assisted imaging technologies are developing at a rapid pace.

Among other roles, she worked as an artistic-academic research assistant in the Art/Transmedia Space programme at the KHM Cologne (2018/2019) and at Burg Giebichenstein Halle (2019/2021). In addition to numerous international residencies, for example in Montepulciano, Montréal, Linz, Warehouse (online), Santander and Villa Aurora, Los Angeles, Nieves de la Fuente Gutiérrez has received numerous awards and grants, most recently the North Rhine-Westphalia Women Artists’ Prize 2022.

Quote:
“For me, art is a discursive tool for the production of spatial constructions. I have mainly worked with sculpture and installations to pursue my process of inquiry. However, these installations are imbued with technology: both as a medium and as a reference to themselves and their malleability. My choice of virtuality and the production of experience as a medium must be viewed through a political lens. As an artist , I wish to explore the cultural potential of intellectual and digital landscapes as subjects of artistic research. Over the last years, I have been working with my mother’s birthplace, an old mining complex that has been completely transformed into a simulacrum of a Martian landscape. Ecology, the Anthropocene and feminism are recurring themes that I address throughout my practice. I am concerned with the translation between the analogue and the digital, which has recently been associated with virtual reality as a medium and as part of installation constructs. My artistic research focus on this topic is on raising awareness of physicality in VR, though not based on the standards dictated by the technological consensus within the entertainment industry on which VR is founded.”

more information >>www.nievesdelafuente.com

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Hochschule Bielefeld, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen And Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

 

Exhibition – Michael Schmid

/in , , /by

The Professur Materialität des Wissens (Chair of Materiality of Knowledge) at the University of Göttingen and the Kunstverein Göttingen present in cooperation as part of the “Art from Collections” series:

TRANSHUMAN N°3
Michael Schmid
Support for Speakers


Vernissage
Saturday, 11 July 5 pm
opened till 8 pm
(No admission fee)

Duration
12 Jul – 23 Aug 2026
Tue – Fri 4 pm – 6 pm
Sat + Sun 11 am – 4 pm

Location
Künstlerhaus Göttingen (1. floor)
Gotmarstraße 1
37073 Göttingen
Germany

Admission Fee:
€ 3,00 / € 1,50 (reduced)
Free admission for guests aged 18 and under
Free admission with a Kultur Ticket
Free admission to exhibition Vernissages and Finissages

 

INTRODUCTION

Following an invitation from the Chair of Materiality of Knowledge at the University of Göttingen, Michael Schmid has been developing a new body of work since 2022. The project began with research at various locations across the university and developed into a broader engagement with materiality, photographic processes, and structures of carrying, storing and displaying.
The resulting photographic, sculptural and installation-based works are brought together for the first time in the solo exhibition Support for Speakers at the Kunstverein Göttingen. Materials and structures that normally perform a supporting function are brought to the foreground. The exhibition focuses on the material conditions of cultural and scientific production, as well as on the supports, surfaces and infrastructures that enable these processes.

The exhibition was developed in collaboration between the artist, the Chair of Materiality of Knowledge at the University of Göttingen and the Kunstverein Göttingen. Special thanks go to Prof. Dr Margarete Vöhringer for initiating the project and to Dr Jana August for its project management and long-term coordination.

 

PROGRAMME

Sat 11 July from 5 pm
Vernissage
Welcome speeches and an introduction to the exhibition by Dr Jana August (University of Göttingen, concept and project management), Helmut Wenzel (Managing Director, KVG) and Stephan Klee (Artistic Director, KVG)
The artist and the curators will be in attendance
Open until 8 pm; admission is free

Sun 2 Aug | Sun 16 Aug
each at 3 pm
Sunday–Tour with Joos Ziegler and Stephan Klee

Sat 22 Aug at 5 pm
Paneltalk about the Exhibition
With Michael Schmid, Dr. Jana August and Stephan Klee

Sun 23 Aug from 3 pm
Finissage
opened till 5 pm incl.
3 pm
Guided Tour
“Walk and Talk” – through the exhibition with curator Stephan Klee, in German and English
4 om
Closure
(No admission fee)

 

Event images:
Michael Schmid, without title (Mathematisches Institut, Bunsenstraße) 2022/2026, inkjet print, 25×20 cm, VG Bildkunst Bonn | Courtesy of the artist

 


ABOUT THE ARTIST

Michael Schmid is an artist with an emphasis on photography. He trained at the Academy of Graphic Arts and Book Design under Prof. Beate Gütschow and at the University of the Arts Bremen under the teachers duo Prof. Korpys/Löffler. It was in this class that he obtained his diploma in 2013 and his master’s degree in 2014. Schmid’s reduced, focused photographs and objects are based on the forms and surfaces of objects – mostly familiar ones – from our everyday surroundings in Western societies. Through the conceptual use of a wide and innovative range of image-processing techniques, the artist reveals aspects of images and objects – and their everyday originals – that would otherwise easily have been overlooked. Through these often subtle and subversive shifts and clustering of our gaze, he not only opens up new ways of looking at the original objects and structures behind the images, but also clearly challenges the very notion of what an image is, or can be, within the exhibition space. Indeed, one might even derive the following question: How is our everyday reality actually constituted?

Michael Schmid’s work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at the Museum Weserburg in Bremen, the Michal Horbach Foundation in Cologne and his own gallery, K’in, in Bremen. His work has been supported by various grants and funding schemes, including the USA Project Grant (Senat für Kultur, Bremen, 2019), the DAAD scholarship for Los Angeles, USA (2018) and the catalogue grant from the Senator for Culture, Bremen (Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Niedersachsen), 2016. Project grant, Waldemar Koch Foundation, Bremen. In 2015, he received the Bremer Förderpreis (Bremen Supporting Prize) from the Städtische Galerie, Bremen.
The artist was born in Langenau in 1981; he now lives and works in Berlin.

more informationen >> schmidmichael.com/

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors:  Universität Göttingen, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen And Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

Vernissage – Roy Köhnke

/in , , /by

>>
INVITATION –
VERNISSAGE
Sa 30 May 5 – 8 pm

TRANSHUMAN N°2
Roy Köhnke
Being Flesh

The second exhibition of the year focuses on the human body, presenting it from astonishingly new perspectives. As the body lies at the centre of transhumanism – our theme for the year – the KVG team is particularly delighted to have found in Roy Köhnke a radical artist who fundamentally questions the relationship between the body and technology, both in the present and in the near future.

After a break of just under two months, we are now all the more delighted to be able to introduce you not only to the new art but also to the French artist himself at the opening. You are warmly invited and welcome.

Of course, there will be opening speeches at the start, at 5 pm, and chilled drinks will be provided. The entire exhibition takes place exclusively in summer daylight; heavy doors have been reinstalled, and the rest is best discovered for yourself – admission is free.

With best regards,
Your team at the Kunstverein Göttingen

 

Location
Altes Rathaus Göttingen (1st Floor)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

 

…

The French artist Roy Köhnke (*1990) is ideally suited to explore this contentious subject matter in Göttingen through sculptural-installative works from the field of contemporary sculpture. The eponymous work BEING FLESH, 2023, a multimedia installation that transforms the exhibition space into a kind of open body, is a good example of his approach: the installation consists of architecturally arranged membrane frames through which the audience passes. In the opening passageways, a series of biomorphic sculptures is brought to life by a sensory video created using scans of these sculptures taken with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

…

 

COMPLETE PROGRAMME

Sat 30 May from 5 pm
Vernissage
Welcome speeches and introduction to the exhibition
The artist and curator will be in attendance
Open until 8 pm, free admission

Sun 7 Jun / Sun 21 Jun / Sun 29 Jun
3 pm on each day
Sunday tour with Joos Ziegler

Sun 26 Jul 2026 2 pm – 7 pm
The Grand Finissage
Open until 7 pm (free admission) with
3 – 4 pm
Guided tour
“Walk and Talk” – through the exhibition with curator Stephan Klee in German and English
5 – 6 pm
Exhibition discussion
With Roy Köhnke, Stephan Klee and a special guest
6 pm
Closure

 

Duration
31 May – 26 Jul 2026
Opening times
Tue – Sun 11 am – 5 pm

Location
Altes Rathaus Göttingen (First Floor)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

Entrance Fee:
€ 3,00 / € 1,50 (reduced)
Free admission for guests under 18
Free admission with Kulturticket
Vernissagen and Finissagen are free of admission

 

Event images:
Roy Köhnke ‘Bugs series’ (detail), 2024, pigment print on aluminium | Part of the exhibition ‘It is Stronger than I Thought’, curated by Julien Arnaud, ADAGP | Photo: Salim Santa Lucia | Courtesy of the artist

 

 


ABOUT THE ARTIST
From sculptures and drawings to multimedia installations, Roy Köhnke’s work combines cutting-edge technology with basic craftsmanship. His project aims to overcome physical boundaries by reconnecting the body’s physical characteristics and narratives with its surroundings, whilst simultaneously treating the body as a distinct territory and narrative in its own right. By working with new technologies such as MRI or emotional AI, he explores alternatives to prevailing science fiction narratives in order to restore a body that has been fragmented and isolated by the dominance of science and Western culture. His often situational, transformative and collaborative installations are sites of interaction, much like a film set, where new types of biotechnological/queer organisms develop and assert their coexistence with vigour and vitality. His research focuses on techno-biological/co-evolutionary mechanisms, viewed through the broader prism of social justice, environmental justice and trans struggles.

more information  >> roykohnke.com/

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen und Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

Exhibition – Roy Köhnke

/in , , /by

TRANSHUMAN N°2
Roy Köhnke
Being Flesh

curated by Stephan Klee


Vernissage
Saturday 30 May at 5 pm
Open until 8 pm  (free admission)

Duration
31 May – 26 Jul 2026
Opening times
Tue – Sun 11 am – 5 pm

Location
Altes Rathaus Göttingen (First Floor)
Markt 9
37073 Göttingen

Entrance Fee:
€ 3,00 / € 1,50 (reduced)
Free admission for guests under 18
Free admission with Kulturticket
Vernissagen and Finissagen are free of admission

 

INTRODUCTION

“If we start transforming ourselves into something superior, what rights will these enhanced creatures claim, and what rights will they possess when compared to those left behind?” *

Transhumanism primarily aims to optimise, indeed to transcend, the human body as we currently understand it. Key technologies underpinning these aspirations include genetics, bioengineering, artificial intelligence, prosthetics and cryonics (the cryopreservation of bodies). Put positively, the human species is to be ‘empowered’: greater capacity, better senses, higher intelligence independent of location, no more disease and no more ageing. The idealised humanoids are consequently immortal ‘super-subjects’. Their future relationship to the current Homo sapiens remains (as yet) speculative. Whether for the transhuman developments that have long been taking place in our society, or for the ultimate vision of the “superhuman” that excites proponents of the pure doctrine, one thing remains evident: as the object of transhumanism, the human body is fundamentally at the centre; and is thus also central to our 2026 theme: TRANSHUMAN.

Whilst many people welcome scientific, medical and technological progress as opportunities for their bodies, consciously embracing it and actively integrating it into their everyday lives, a newly radicalised transhumanism is degenerating into a powerful ideology on the basis of which economic and political elites strive for physical superiority, boundless wealth and power. Further accelerated by exponentially growing investment capital – the so-called “techno-capital machine” ** – a cut-throat competition for the ‘most optimised’ body is taking hold, which could not only give rise to a techno-enabled elite, but is also gradually and forcibly eroding the free choice of medical-technological enhancement in relation to one’s own body. Bodies would thus become vital demolition zones for the human right to the self-determined integrity of one’s own body.

Against this backdrop, the KVG has chosen to present as the second solo exhibition of the year Roy Köhnke’s Being Flesh, featuring an artist who, whilst primarily exploring the multifaceted relationship between technology and the body, resolutely rejects the emerging techno-capitalist transhumanism as fascistic. Rather, his work explicitly challenges current scientific understanding and social paradigms of the human body by posing fundamental questions: What conception of the human body is actually held in today’s society, and how are bodies treated accordingly?

From groundbreaking studies of proportion, including those by Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo da Vinci (e.g. the ‘Vitruvian Man’), through fundamental scientific works on anatomy, such as Andreas Vesalius’s ‘De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem’, right through to the imaging techniques of modern medicine (X-ray, CT, ultrasound, MRI and nuclear medicine), society’s understanding of the nature and potential of the body has undergone a profound transformation from the Renaissance to the present-day postmodern era. The opaque, fleshy image of God became the vitreous human, and as a perfectly lubricated cellular machine, was seemingly demystified once and for all. This also paved the way for the modern availability of the organism.

How this functionally oriented doctrine about the matter and potential of the body shapes both – our self-image as organic-mechanical beings and the future of our species – Roy Köhnke explores in his works–series. His predominantly drawing- and sculpture-based approach incorporates, amongst other things, medical imaging techniques and draws on our fascination with the comprehensive analysis of our cellular constitution. At the same time, a sense of alienation grows in the face of the medical and mechanical deconstruction of that entity, which we still primarily perceive as a self-determined safe space of flesh, technology and thought: our individual body. For living in an era of accelerated transhumanism could also mean allowing the familiar shelter of one’s own body to be repeatedly transformed by external forces, or rather be deformed? A visit to the installations by the French artist Roy Köhnke in the Old Town Hall may thus also prove to be a reflection — grounded in intense impressions — on our very own sensation of the body in the present day and the near future.

* Francis Fukuyama “Transhumanism” Source Foreign Policy, No. 144 (Sep. – Oct., 2004), pp. 42 – 43

** Nick Land in Essay “Melt Down”, 1995, in: “Fanged Noumena: Collected Writings 1987–2007”, (Urbanomic / Sequence Press, published by MIT Press

 

PROGRAMME

Sat 30 May from 5 pm
Vernissage
Welcome speeches and introduction to the exhibition
The artist and curator will be in attendance
Open until 8 pm, free admission

Sun 7 Jun / Sun 21 Jun / Sun 29 Jun
3 pm on each day
Sunday tour with Joos Ziegler

Sun 26 Jul 2026 2 pm – 7 pm
The Grand Finissage
Open until 7 pm (free admission) with
3 – 4 pm
Guided tour
“Walk and Talk” – through the exhibition with curator Stephan Klee in German and English
5 – 6 pm
Exhibition discussion
With Roy Köhnke, Stephan Klee and a special guest
6 pm
Closure

 

Event images:
Roy Köhnke ‘Bugs series’ (detail), 2024, pigment print on aluminium | Part of the exhibition ‘It is Stronger than I Thought’, curated by Julien Arnaud, ADAGP | Photo: Salim Santa Lucia | Courtesy of the artist

 

 


ABOUT THE ARTIST
From sculptures and drawings to multimedia installations, Roy Köhnke’s work combines cutting-edge technology with basic craftsmanship. His project aims to overcome physical boundaries by reconnecting the body’s physical characteristics and narratives with its surroundings, whilst simultaneously treating the body as a distinct territory and narrative in its own right. By working with new technologies such as MRI or emotional AI, he explores alternatives to prevailing science fiction narratives in order to restore a body that has been fragmented and isolated by the dominance of science and Western culture. His often situational, transformative and collaborative installations are sites of interaction, much like a film set, where new types of biotechnological/queer organisms develop and assert their coexistence with vigour and vitality. His research focuses on techno-biological/co-evolutionary mechanisms, viewed through the broader prism of social justice, environmental justice and trans struggles.

more information >> roykohnke.com/

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen und Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

 

Finissage – Mit Borrás

/in , /by

INVITATION
FINISSAGE
Sun 12 Apr 3 – 5 pm

TRANSHUMAN N°1
Mit Borrás
NATORU ナとル

The final week of Mit Borrás’s vibrant exhibition NATORU ナとル has begun, and it will conclude with a closing event on Sunday, 12 April 2026, from 3 pm to 5 pm. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit, we would like to take this opportunity to warmly invite you to come and see the exhibition.
We also recommend attending the closing event, which will include a drinks reception. At 3 pm, Artistic Director Stephan Klee will lead a guided tour of the exhibition for those interested. Several large-scale video installations featuring intertwining soundscapes are complemented by expansive installations and minimalist object assemblages. The works will be presented and discussed in a ‘walk and talk’ format, whilst at the same time offering all participants the opportunity for active discourse on the deeper themes behind the artworks. We look forward to seeing you there.

Location
Künstlerhaus Göttingen (1. OG)
Gotmarstraße 1
37073 Göttingen – Gemany


ONGOING PROGRAMME

Sun, 12 Apr, 3–5 p.m.
Finissage
3 pm
Guided tour and discussion – ‘Walk and Talk’
through the exhibition with curator Stephan Klee in German and English
4 pm
Closure

 

…

“The core of the exhibition title ‘nato’ comes from Latin and has multiple meanings: e.g. ‘to be born’ or the first-person form of ‘to swim,’ ‘to surge,’ ‘to billow’ and ‘to sway’, or even just ‘the children.’ In Spanish, “nato” simply means ‘born.’ The Japanese syllable ‘Ru’ rounds off the title and not only refers to the Japanese inspiration in the exhibition, but also underlines the active character of the title, as “Ru” often finalises verbs in Japanese. “NATURO” could be loosely translated as ‘continuous creation’, for example.
This meaning and connection between Western and Far Eastern culture in the title is no coincidence, but underlines the deeper concept of the exhibition. Inspired by the mystical Aokigahara forest in Japan, Mit Borrás creates an environment for the birth and presence of future creatures in the Künstlerhaus. To this end, he combines the directive power of prophecies in the video L.Y.R.A.- The Oracle (2025) with the essential significance of the forest for human existence in the central projection HANABA 突变花 (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022). And finally, the artist is already breathing life into a new species; the presence of this breathing sculpture permeates the spaces.”
…

 

event images:
Mit Borrás Hanaba. Adaptasi Cycle. Film. Installation | Performance. Work by Mit Borrás. Art Director Rachel Lamot, Music Daniel Vacas Peralta. With Weixin Quek Chong, Written by Mit Borrás & Rachel Lamot, Fashion Design Kim Rosario, Fashion Design Path by Janine Grosche, Drone Liu Zhang, Drone Field, Jesús Moreno, Clinical Department Gómez Bravo, Dental department Dentix, Relevium, Make Up Andréa Méndez, Eloy Noguera Atienza, Production Design Cavve. Images courtesy of the artist, 2023

 

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Mit Borrás (b. 1982, Madrid) is a Spanish visual artist based between Madrid and Berlin, recognized for his pioneering work and groundbreaking contributions to contemporary visual arts, videoart, media installation and digital art with performance. His transdisciplinary practice delves into the complex interplay between humanity, nature, and technology, frequently exploring themes such as adaptation, post-humanism, bioethics, and digital sensuality through immersive video installations, performances, and multimedia works. Borrás’s art is distinguished by its ability to merge the ancient with the futuristic, forging speculative mythologies that reflect profound societal transformations.

The central body of work Adaptasi, explores the artist’s personal worldview in his more recent oeuvre. Over the years, art director Rachel Lamot and many other contributors have created a multimedia cycle consisting of the following six parts: PHANTOM LIMB (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2021), HEAVVEN (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2021), EUPHORIA (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022), HANABA 突变花 (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022), YOKAI スワミ (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022), HERMES (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2025). The title ‘Adaptasi’ refers to the ability to adapt, to adjust. With HANABA 突变花 as its central work, the Adaptasi cycle is also strongly represented in Göttingen, albeit as the basis for an independent artistic narrative strand.

more information >>https://mitborras.com

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen und Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.

 

 

Vernissage – Mit Borrás

/in , , /by

VERNISSAGE –
INVITATION
Sat 28 Feb 5 – 8 pm

TRANSHUMAN N°1
Mit Borrás
NATORU ナとル

Shortly after the snow melts, the Kunstverein Göttingen heralds the start of the new exhibition year and warmly welcomes you. Spanish artist Mit Borrás kicks off the season with the colourful exhibition NATORU ナとル.

Expansive installations and minimalist object assemblages complement several large video installations with intertwining soundscapes. We invite you to come and see for yourself, listen to the opening and introductory speeches, take a short tour of the transformed rooms with curator Stephan Klee, and join us in toasting the start of the artistic year. The artist will be present.


Location
Künstlerhaus Göttingen (1st Floor)
Gotmarstraße 1
37073 Göttingen – Germany

FURTHER PROGRAMME

Sun 8 Mar / Sun 15 Mar / Sun 29 Mar
at 3 pm each day
Sunday Guided Tour with Joos Ziegler

Sun, 12 Apr, 3–5 p.m.
Finissage
3 pm
Guided tour and discussion – ‘Walk and Talk’
through the exhibition with curator Stephan Klee in German and English
4 pm
Closure

 

…

” The core of the exhibition title ‘nato’ comes from Latin and has multiple meanings: e.g. ‘to be born’ or the first-person form of ‘to swim,’ ‘to surge,’ ‘to billow’ and ‘to sway’, or even just ‘the children.’ In Spanish, “nato” simply means ‘born.’ The Japanese syllable ‘Ru’ rounds off the title and not only refers to the Japanese inspiration in the exhibition, but also underlines the active character of the title, as “Ru” often finalises verbs in Japanese. NATURO could be loosely translated as ‘continuous creation’, for example.
This meaning and connection between Western and Far Eastern culture in the title is no coincidence, but underlines the deeper concept of the exhibition. Inspired by the mystical Aokigahara forest in Japan, Mit Borrás creates an environment for the birth and presence of future creatures in the Künstlerhaus. To this end, he combines the directive power of prophecies in the video L.Y.R.A.- The Oracle (2025) with the essential significance of the forest for human existence in the central projection HANABA 突变花 (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022). And finally, the artist is already breathing life into a new species; the presence of this breathing sculpture permeates the spaces. ”
…


Event Images:
Mit Borrás. Hanaba. Aadaptasi Cycle. Film. Installation | Performance. Work by MIt Borrás. Art Director Rachel Lamot, Music Daniel Vacas Peralta. With Weixin Quek Chong, Written by Mit Borrás & Rachel Lamot, Fashion Design Kim Rosario, Fashion Design Path by Janine Grosche, Drone Liu Zhang, Drone Field, Jesús Moreno, Clinical Department Gómez Bravo, Dental department Dentix, Relevium, Make Up Andréa Méndez, Eloy Noguera Atienza, Production Design Cavve. Images courtesy of the artist, 2023

 

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mit Borrás (b. 1982, Madrid) is a Spanish visual artist based between Madrid and Berlin, recognized for his pioneering work and groundbreaking contributions to contemporary visual arts, videoart, media installation and digital art with performance. His transdisciplinary practice delves into the complex interplay between humanity, nature, and technology, frequently exploring themes such as adaptation, post-humanism, bioethics, and digital sensuality through immersive video installations, performances, and multimedia works. Borrás’s art is distinguished by its ability to merge the ancient with the futuristic, forging speculative mythologies that reflect profound societal transformations.

The central body of work Adaptasi, explores the artist’s personal worldview in his more recent oeuvre. Over the years, art director Rachel Lamot and many other contributors have created a multimedia cycle consisting of the following six parts: PHANTOM LIMB (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2021), HEAVVEN (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2021), EUPHORIA (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022), HANABA 突变花 (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022), YOKAI スワミ (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2022), HERMES (ADAPTASI CYCLE 2025). The title ‘Adaptasi’ refers to the ability to adapt, to adjust. With HANABA 突变花 as its central work, the Adaptasi cycle is also strongly represented in Göttingen, albeit as the basis for an independent artistic narrative strand.

more information >>https://mitborras.com

 

THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME

TRANSHUMAN (2026)
>POSTHUMAN (2027)

The Kunstverein Göttingen continues to follow the proven two-year biennial programme rhythm in order to enable the most in-depth examination possible of the programme’s overarching themes. After TERRA DIASPORA (2024–2025) explored contemporary phenomena, our current programme looks to the near and distant future.
The two-year programme TRANSHUMAN >POSTHUMAN (2026 > 2027) takes a critical look at the global transformation anticipated by some schools of thought: the transition from the anthropocentric humans of our time to the technically optimised transhumans of the near future and, even further into the future of our species, to posthumans. In short: the development of humanity from modern humanism to transhumanism to posthumanism.

The basic theme for the first year is TRANSHUMAN (2026) and includes four solo exhibitions and one group exhibition, bringing together artistic approaches and works to form a collection of perspectives and aspects of transhumanism. The formal and thematic basis of all exhibitions is the artistic exploration of the acceleration of technological development and capitalist growth, and the desired biotechnological optimisation of the human body and mind. The resulting social upheavals are already taking place in many ways in our present, with drastic consequences for coexistence within the span of a generation. These acute experiences flow into the visions of the approaching future and into the collective critical reflection of both the artists and our audience. With this in mind, a wide-ranging discourse and education programme is offered. We also aim to publish the annual programme again. The ideology of transhumanism should not be propagated uncritically, but rather deconstructed as critically as possible, collectively and on the basis of the works on display. We cordially invite all interested parties to join us.

 

We would like to thank our sponsors: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stadt Göttingen, Sparkasse Göttingen und Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V.