Into the Wild: Nature and Technology in Merano

Curated by Christiane Rekade, the group exhibition 'Into the Wild' at Merano Arte explores the tension between nature and civilization through the works of five contemporary artists. The show draws its title from Jon Krakauer's book and Sean Penn's film about a young man's Alaskan journey. It juxtaposes contemporary art with 19th-century positivist culture, notably the herbarium of Dr. Tappeiner, creator of Merano's famous promenade. Luca Trevisani's 'Wireless Fidelity' features peacock feathers digitally printed with Liberty-style botanical motifs, while 'Il secco e l'umido' uses animal horns and bamboo canes covered with printed herbarium collants, evoking spa design. Gina Folly's mushroom sculptures represent nature healing technological man, and her exotic fruits comment on globalization's erosion of exoticism. Trevisani's video 'Sudan' overlays works by Pietro Longhi and Dürer with footage of the last white rhinoceros, which died recently, suggesting science and technology can preserve nature. Alek O collects bamboo leaves in Lombardy to create wall grids. Linda Jasmin Mayer's video 'Parallel Worlds' offers an Arctic landscape that collapses space-time, while Stefano Pedrini directly references 'Into the Wild' through his life in a van in eastern Australia. The exhibition runs at Merano Arte in 2018.