To Be or Not to Be

The Being Book – an expansive and cross-disciplinary publication, updated annually pending positive feedback. The ‘book’ will also be presented online with video, sound and motion graphics, and as an traveling exhibition at large and strategic city ‘pop-up’ locations around Europe. The live project’s main feature is local participation in collaboration with nomadic, emerging, professional and established image makers, artists, story tellers, philosophers, psychology and societal evidence – which aims to engage the local and wider community. Work produced along with contributed works will be offered for loan, share, sale or exchange.

The experience of being human encompasses a wide range of thoughts, emotions, sensations, and interactions that shape our existence. It is a complex and multifaceted journey that encompasses our physical, mental, and emotional aspects.

Being human involves having self-awareness, consciousness, and the ability to reason and make choices. We experience a range of emotions, from joy and love to sadness and fear. We have the capacity to form deep connections and relationships with others, to feel empathy and compassion, and to experience a sense of belonging and purpose.

The human experience is also marked by our ability to communicate and express ourselves through language, art, and various forms of creative expression. We have a natural curiosity and desire to explore and understand the world around us, seeking knowledge, meaning, and personal growth.

However, being human is not without its challenges. We face adversity, pain, and loss, and must navigate through the complexity of relationships, societal expectations, and the ever-changing nature of life. Our experiences and interactions shape our perspectives, beliefs, and values, influencing our identity and the choices we make.

Ultimately, the experience of being human is a deeply personal and subjective journey, unique to each individual. It is a constant exploration of self-discovery, growth, and the pursuit of happiness, fulfilment, and meaningful life.

Imagery and visual narratives would reflect on, record, observe and present, our common experience across generations, gender, culture and society. It is hoped that an annual travelling exhibition will evolve to show seasonally in different cities each year from 2024.

Nomadic and virtual exhibitions of this kind bring together objects and works collected and made locally, and can complement a carefully curated and themed central archive and catalogue. Artworks that depict, challenge, or symbolise social themes and topics, to reconstruct and observe original contexts, perspectives, and alternatives – all of which will give new insights and new ways of understanding human nature in the 21st century. 

Prior to the launch of being there will be a series of ‘pop-up’ workshops in Barcelona and Dublin to compile, curate, and prepare works and presentations for the archive, catalogue and exhibition.

The preparatory process will include the online and print publication of the catalogue as an art book, and a periodical journal or less formal ‘zine’ which can interpret and promote upcoming developments and events. These would include biographies, themes, processes, mediums, and concepts, as well as examples and procedures of the curated works and their origins.

Content will include experimental artworks, conceptual work using familiar arts media, and will feature sensory works using sound, light, smell, and feel. Creative photography, motion graphics, illustrated and voiced texts, collaborative art projects, social aesthetics and celebration, abstract observation and visualised thinking will all be part of the experience and ‘tell’ of past, present and future humanities. 

The curated content will be locally identified and revised as it visits individual cities. Cultural sponsorship and support from ethical, local and multi-national stakeholders will be sought by way of workshops and cultural hosts and institutions, providing audience, congregation and cultural appreciation – carefully curated for everyone to experience, learn and enjoy.

Some of the work will be for sale with proceeds after costs going back to the artists and/or to non-profit community development, cultural charities, and local community arts workshops at each location.