ATLAS.KUNSTGALERIE
SOLO SHOW “Living Chimeras” by SOPHIE-LUISE PASSOW
17.06.2024 - 22.06.2024
The exhibition “Living Chimeras” asks the viewer to reflect on the intricate interplay between the visible and the invisible through the abstract compositions of Sophie-Luise Passow. Her work investigates the sociobiological implications of genetic chimerism in the context of maternal-fetal conflict, representing the perennial tension between the impulses of nurture and self-preservation. In antiquity, chimeras were mythical fire-spewing female monsters—part-lion, part-goat, and part-snake. Today chimerism refers to the presence of two or more cell populations with distinct DNA within a single organism. Biologically, human chimeras embody a patchwork of cellular individualities, with each genetic lineage contributing to the organism’s overall identity—living incarnations of biotic plurality.
Chimerism can happen naturally or it can result from medical procedures like organ transplantation. On the natural side, the vanishing twin phenomenon occurs when the cells of one of the developing twins are absorbed by the other or the mother while still in the womb. Patches of genetic material or even whole organs may then live on in the surviving sibling—in most cases without them ever finding out. More generally, during pregnancy the cells of the fetus migrate to the mother’s bloodstream and are incorporated into her tissues. This process is bidirectional—some of the mother’s cells move to be integrated in the body of her offspring. This cellular exchange is thought to have pronounced effects for decades to come. For example, fetal cells could help the mother heal her wounds, but may also increase the risk of her developing cancer. In the brain, they might work to trigger more intense feelings of attachment to the infant. When moving into breast tissue, fetal cells seem to convince her body to produce more milk. They also suppress the functioning of her immune system, among other things. Unsurprisingly, not all of this is welcomed by the mother’s body.
Maternal-fetal conflict rages in a number of physiological domains across organ systems—calling to mind both the deep dependency and the frequent friction between progenitor and progeny more broadly. It results from the fact that the biological interests of the mother and the fetus can often be at odds. Despite being part of the mother, the fetus is also a distinct genetic entity with its own survival needs and strategies. Its goal is to extract the maximum amount of resources for its own growth, while the mother’s body is left to defend against total depletion. This leads to an arms race—constant tension, adaptation, negotiation, and renegotiation. Nevertheless, through ongoing cycles of biological diplomacy, conflict ends up coexisting with cooperation in a dependable, albeit contentious harmony. This process persists beyond birth—we exist and coexist as chimeras, navigating and integrating multiple genetic selves within us via conflicted cooperation or perhaps cooperative conflict.
In Passow’s works, this concept is brought to life through her use of tangible textures, contrasting colours, and fragmented forms. Each canvas is a visual rendition of the complex cellular landscapes that comprise us. She achieves this through the juxtaposition of diverging elements within a single painterly topography—overlapping layers and interwoven shapes, evoking the underlying structure of the biotic tapestries holding us together. In her artistic practice, Passow invites us to more closely engage with the hidden collective nature of our own bodies—mosaics of genetically distinct people brought together to collaborate on creating one. Through the interpretive lens of visual abstraction, Passow’s paintings call into question our ideas of individual identity, foregrounding the imperceptible biological realms that inhere in us as living organisms. In this personal artistic exploration, the microscopic is made macroscopic, urging us to appreciate the mosaic of life in its entirety. The patchwork chimeric reality so revealed serves as a metaphor for our fundamental interconnectedness.
VERNISSAGE
Monday, 17.06.2024 - 18:00 to 22:00
w/ artist interview conducted by Paula Marschalek from 19:00
FINISSAGE
Saturday, 22.06.2024 - 16:00 to 22:00
w/ concert by DaiDai from 20:30