Can we think beyond "Us and Them"? The 13th GIBCA biennial explores art as a vessel for care, dialogue, and resistance in an era of polarization. Inspired by Solmaz Sharif’s poetry, the title underscores our collective responsibility for the past and future.

Curator Christina Lehnert highlights artists who champion solidarity and freedom against political pressure. By engaging with social movements, the exhibition asks how we can counter fragmentation. It is built on the conviction that art fosters the alternative narratives needed to protect democratic values.

The gallery act consisted of French gibberish and the Georgian folk song, Tsintskaro.

Water Thinking is a 100-day durational project that transforms the gallery into a living studio and social ecosystem. Rather than a static unveiling, the work evolves through the artist’s presence and public dialogue, demystifying the creative process in real-time.

Riser utilizes textiles, natural materials, and found objects to create tableaux that explore the rhythm and behavior of space. This intuitive approach echoes the Arte Povera movement, focusing on the poetic transformation of the familiar. The title reflects a personal philosophy of fluidity: thinking "like water" to navigate life’s unpredictability with emotional dexterity, treating "interference" as a source of creative energy.

The exhibition features guest artist interventions and microcosmic graphic études—maze-like drawings mapping tension and imaginary spaces. Visitors are encouraged to return repeatedly to witness the installation’s flow from an initial "tool kit" toward its final manifestation at the finissage.

Ko au te taiao, te taiao ko au,

Ngā hau e pupū ake ana, ngā ngahere e ngaro nei,

Ko ngā wai e riporipo ana, ko ngā maunga e tū tonu ana,

He tāonga tuku iho, he hononga tūturu.

I am the environment, the environment is me,

The winds that rise, the forests that vanish,

The waters that flow, the mountains that stand,

An inheritance, a true connection.

(Traditional Maori Proverb)

The installation invites the audience to explore the complexities of natural landscapes and our human-nature interconnectedness. Inspired by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing's exploration of human-environment relationships, the performative installation invites us to question traditional narratives and consider nature's agency. 

Using non-linear storytelling and multimedia elements. Inspired by a deep personal connection with the natural environment, fostered during Birkenbach’s time living in New Zealand and learning from the cultural Maori knowledge of human-nature relations.

As a performer, this was a unique situation where I had to collaborate with the light design to constantly shift the audience's gaze between observing my actions and solely the artworks. Also, using discretion in getting the audience to interact with the installation. Meaning, sometimes I acted as a daring member of the audience. Like touching the copper side of a branch that creates a sound or walking inside the installation.

Since 1990, Peter Johansson has interrogated his roots in Dalarna, a region central to the romantic construction of Swedish identity. His practice deconstructs the folkloric metaphors exploited by the tourism industry, utilizing humor and modern technique to challenge nationalism and racist aggression. Through sculptures and installations featuring the Dala horse, Falu sausage, and red cottages, Johansson subverts popular tradition with a sharp, provocative lens.

In this exhibition, Johansson challenges the Norwegian identity with stuffed animals, a doll house, and photos of himself playing Henrik Ibsen. Strangely, after this performance, I moved to Norway for a bachelor's in acting.