Project
Warmth is not simple
Warmth is not simple, a curatorial project by Eileen Isagon Skyers, takes the form of an online exhibition and printed publication addressing themes of hospitality and alienation. The project is a conclusion of Skyers' residency periods in Helsinki in 2019, organized by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York and Frame – Contemporary Art Finland, with the support by Alfred Kordelin Foundation. Explore the exhibition at warmthisnotsimple.com.
The online exhibition and printed publication feature an essay against alienation by Eileen Isagon Skyers. In the text, Skyers ponders the role of social media, corporations, and how they affect our modern sense of community, communication, and alienation. As our entanglement with technology now underscores our relationships with people and environments, do we need to reform our basic notions of feelings with respect to technology? In the introduction to the essay, Skyers also takes into consideration the concept of hospitality and what might be owed in exchange in today’s artificial world. The essay is complemented by an exhibition featuring works by artists Jennifer Chan, Militza Monteverde, and André Filipek Magaña.
Eileen Isagon Skyers spent time in Helsinki in May 2019 conducting research related to technology’s capacity to simultaneously both connect and disarm us. In September 2019, she travelled back to Helsinki and presented the publication and upcoming online exhibition as part of Frame – Contemporary Art Finland’s Rehearsing Hospitalities program. During her stay, works by Chan, Magaña and Monteverde were shown and documented at the Sorbus gallery, and these installation view images are featured in the online exhibition.
Eileen Isagon Skyers is a New York-based curator, writer and artist who focuses on digital art and culture, with a specific interest in their alienating qualities. Her curatorial residency in Helsinki was organized in collaboration with the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York and Frame – Contemporary Art Finland with the support by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation.