Charging Myths (working title) A Series of More-Than-Human Encounters

The More-Than-Human Encounters event at Framer Framed revolves around their exhibition Charging Myths, which takes the recent run on lithium in Congo as a starting point to delve into technological, social and mythical dimensions across global extractive chains. At the event, artists and members of the On-Trade-Off collective Femke Herregraven and Maarten vanden Eynde will partake in a dialogue on the evolving narratives and counter-narratives surrounding extractive practices and rampant speculation. Keeping an eye on the human and more-than-human connections that are drawn from the mined landscape of Manono, the artists engage with a question central to their collective practice: how can we think beyond the dividing force of exploitative technologies today and, as artists, create new spaces for other imaginaries, stories and connections across continents?  

• Femke Herregraven explores the power structures and relationships between financial markets, international law, geopolitical relations, ethics and global climate change. She makes sense of these complex issues in surprising ways and playfully opens spectators' eyes to our economy-driven ruthless world. Herregraven is part of TRADE-OFF, an experimental research project on lithium.

•  Maarten Vanden Eynde is an artist and co-founder of the Brussels based interdependent art initiative Enough Room for Space. His practice is embedded in long-term research projects that focus on subjects of social and political relevance such as post-industrialism, capitalism and ecology. His work is situated exactly on the borderline between the past and the future; sometimes looking forward to the future of yesterday, sometimes looking back to the history of tomorrow. He is currently investigating the influence of the transatlantic trade of pivotal materials like rubber, oil, ivory, copper, cotton and uranium, on evolution and progress, the creation of nations and other global power structures.

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