« Neotenous Dark Dwellers (Lygophilia) », Robertina Sebjanič, 2018 – Photo Miha Godec
The exhibition that I curated of this work by Robertina Šebjanič took place at Osmo/za, Ljubljana, 31 août – 2 septembre 2018. I conceived and was the editor of the hypertexted video that documented the exhibition and the work.
Lygophilia weaves together mythologies and sciences, history and future, fears and desires, continents, cultures, humans and non-humans. Lygophilia folds and unfolds the stories carried by those fascinating creatures that are the Mexican Axolotl and the Slovene Proteus. From immortality to regenerative medicine — both animals are, as adults, in a state of “eternal youth” (neoteny) showing extraordinary longevity and regenerative abilities that put them at the centre of ancient myths as well as current cutting-edge scientific researches. Ironically, Axolotls and Proteus are endangered species in their natural environment. Both have found habitats in very specific and located places, in the swamps of the lakes around the City of Mexico for one and in Europe in Dinaric karst caves for the other, showing an example of parallel evolution, endemicm and adaptation to narrow and extreme niches.
« Neotenous Dark Dwellers (Lygophilia) », Robertina Sebjanič, 2018 – Photo Miha Godec
Hiding from the sun and daylight both are in love with darkness, lygophilia (from the Greek lúgē and philéō). With cabinets that evoke the old natural history museums displays as well as the scientific labs glove boxes or the maternity incubators, through objects, texts, videos and paraphernalia, playing with a crossed mirrored approach where each element, each story, each animal is echoing, reflecting but also diffracting and counteracting the other, Šebjanič invites us to a journey into our cultural gaze and its evolution. Lygophilia offers the visitors to gain a more profound view of interspecies cohabitation in the contemporary world for a common future.
« Neotenous Dark Dwellers (Lygophilia) », Robertina Sebjanič, 2018 – Photo Annick Bureaud
« Neotenous Dark Dwellers (Lygophilia), Robertina Sebjanič, 2018 – Photo Annick Bureaud
Panel discussion
Speakers: Carlos Pascual (writer), Gregor Aljančič and Magdalena Năpăruș-Aljančič (Tular Cave Laboratory – Jamski laboratorij Tular), Robertina Šebjanič (artist), Annick Bureaud (curator and art critic, director Leonardo/Olats).The panel discussion and exhibition is part of the Mladi levi festival.
Lygophilia is a series of research-based artworks initiated in 2017 by Robertina Šebjanič in Mexico and pursued in Slovenia to explore the love (Gr.: philéō) of darkness (Gr.: lúgē) and the unknown dwellers in places inhospitable for humans. Production: Projekt Atol (Uroš Veber), Slovenia, 2018 & Arte+Ciencia (UNAM), Mexico 2017; Sektor Institute, Slovenia 2017 / 2018 . Production support: Ministry of Culture of Slovenia and the Municipality of Ljubljana.
Special thanks to: Aisen Caro Chacin, Miha Godec, Roman B., Peter Kolobarić, Rampa Lab, Osmo/za Consortium, Bunker team, Tular Cave Laboratory