GROUP EXHIBITION

The term ‘pharmakon’ originates from ancient Greek, where it embodies a dual meaning of both remedy and poison. In ‘Phaedrus,’ Plato employs this interdepedent duality to examine and question concepts of memory, rhetoric, and writing. Derrida, in his work ‘Plato’s Pharmacy,’ unpacks the intricate implications that Plato embedded within this term, extending the investigation to include ‘pharmakeus’ and ‘pharmakos.’ The former refers to an apothecary or sorcerer, while the latter is according to ancient scapegoating rituals. Together, these three terms create a cyclical relationship that represents both positive and negative meanings, roles capable of transformation, and a spiritual surrogate for external purification. This circular interplay serves as a mantra, deconstructing the distant extremes of these concepts and revealing the intricate entanglements and tensions that exist between them.

The interconnected metaphors in the exhibition title Pharmakon, Pharmakeus, Pharmakos highlight the recent practices of the four artists. By re-enacting past material existences and spiritual symbols, they create narrative spaces that are open to contamination. Through parodying history, deconstructing mechanisms of desire, reshaping religious imagery, and remodeling biological bodies, they trace the sacred foreign bodies found within today’s social landscapes and cultural challenges.