Living in the Future’s Past
Curated by Aliki Tsirliagkou
1st Painting Studio, Department of Fine and Applied Arts, School of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Nitra Gallery presents the group exhibition Living in the Future’s Past, in collaboration with the 1st Painting Studio of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, School of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, under the direction of Professor Babis Venetopoulos.
The works on view were created within the framework of the Postnature Project, a research initiative of the studio led by instructors Vasilis Zografos and Fani Bountouroglou. The project explores the shifting concept of nature in an era when technological and ecological transformations are redefining humanity’s relationship with the environment.
Participating artists:
Zoi Dalidou, Kyriaki Evangeloudi, Thaleia Theodoroudi, Melina Martseki, Xenia Nikolaou, Argyri Stefanou, Elsa Tsitouridou, Dimitra Yfantidou
Living in the Future’s Past is inspired by the eponymous documentary by Susan Kucera, exploring how human legacy and environmental impact shape a new condition of life on the planet. It draws theoretical grounding from Timothy Morton’s concept of hyperobjects — phenomena such as climate change, so vast in time and space that they exceed human perception — revealing the complexity and interdependence that define the relationship between humanity and nature.
The exhibition approaches these shifts in the notion of nature through three thematic axes: Decolonizing Nature, which redefines the human–environment relationship by exposing mechanisms of exploitation and proposing new forms of ecological coexistence; Symbiosis and Interconnectivity, which highlights the intricate networks of interdependence between human and non-human organisms; and Posthumanism, which regards nature as an active subject, recognizing non-human voices and intelligences as co-shaping forces of the world.
This presentation is the culmination of an educational collaboration that began with an open call to graduating students of the studio. It was initiated with a lecture by Aliki Tsirliagkou and evolved through a shared curatorial framework with the faculty, offering students hands-on experience across all stages of professional collaboration with the gallery — from concept development and production to curating and exhibition presentation.
Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 11:00–14:30 & 17:00–20:00 | Wednesday & Saturday: 11:00–15:00 Duration: until October 22, 2025 Address: 51 Filippou St., 546 31 Thessaloniki Tel: +30 2310 285 890