Berlin | SYNAPSE 2013 workshop

The SYNAPSE Workshop 2013 (April 23-27) takes place in the context of Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s special focus on “The Anthropocene Project.” In a five-day, non-public workshop, eleven up-and-coming international curators will receive an introduction into questions of curating in the so-called “Age of Man” at the cutting edge between art and science from a team of renowned curators, artists, scientists and other experts. The core message behind the Anthropocene thesis is that nature, as we know it, is a concept that belongs to the past; today, humanity forms nature. It announces a paradigm shift whose far-reaching significance might be comparable to Darwin’s theory of evolution. With the long-term project “The Anthropocene Project”, Haus der Kulturen der Welt is the first to explore the epoch of humanity from the point of view of culture. The workshop will address the key implications of the Anthropocene, regarding humanity’s tasks and goals in a world formed by humanity while paying special attention to the role of curators and artists. The Anthropocene, a term that has emerged in geological discourse, applies not just to aspects of our existence like the everyday life, consumer behavior, and (self-)perception, but also has significant ramifications for art and for the scientific disciplines. Key topics the workshop will address are: the historic liaison of art & science; curating in a museum for natural history; genetics & transgenic processes; design. Eleven young curators have been selected for SYNAPSE 2013 - they were selected by an international jury from 148 candidates from 37 countries: Nabil Ahmed (Bangladesh/London),*1978, Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran (Vietnam/Berlin),*1987, Xiaoyu Weng (San Francisco, USA),*1985, Natasha Ginwala (India/Amsterdam),*1985, Alice Carey (London),*1981, Manuela Moscoso (Rio de Janeiro/New York City),*1978, Etienne Turpin (USA),*1980, Margarida Mendes (Lisbon),*1985, Vincent Normand (Paris),*1985, Laura Cassidy Rogers (California, USA),*1983, Anne Sophie Springer (Berlin)*1980 Check out the profiles of the SYNAPSE network of curators from 2011 and 2013 programmes A public programme of events, exhibitions, debates on The Anthropocene Project takes place at the House of World Cultures in Berlin through 2013.