Mimicry-Empathy

Photobook edited by Susane Bürner published by Monroe Books  with images by BLESS, Ulla von Brandenburg, Susanne Bürner, Berta Fischer, Wiktor Gutt/Waldemar Raniszewski, Sofia Hultén, Annette Kelm, Jochen Lempert, Alexandra Leykauf as well as archival images. The publication MIMICRY—EMPATHY is an independent element of the project of the same name. The reader gathers archive images (Roman numbering) together with images of the exhibition (Arabic numbering). The texts deal with different perspectives on the theme of the project: starting with the deconstruction of the functioning of mimicry (Roger Caillois, 1935), the practice of hiding as a CIA spy (Jonna Mendez), the role of the arts at the beginning of military camouflage (Roy R. Behrens), the chameleon-like nature of contemporary artists (Johan Hartle), the principle of covering with fabric using examples from the exhibition (Marie de Brugerolle), curating as a process more or less adapted to local conditions (Anne-Sophie Dinant and Amirali Ghasemi), and finally false empathy vs. authentic empathy (Gohar Homayounpour). Mimicry, as a process of concealment and assimilation, gained topicality in the COVID-19 pandemic through the wearing of masks, which resonates in the book not least in the references to face recognition and its prevention. The book includes the BLESS N°66–68 compilation poster. 16,5 x 24 cm; 216 pp; 2020; English/German