Other Knowledge

Other knowledge is the long-term theme of the dramaturgy of the MeetFactory Gallery, which since 2020 has thematically covered exhibition projects and related events and research activities.

The term "Other knowledge" refers to those areas and ways of knowing, knowing and creating a worldview that go beyond or exceed the Enlightenment / rationalist conception of epistemology, which in our (European / modern) times and culture we usually side or which the prevailing social systems and hierarchies do. (eg capitalism or patriarchy) The main servant of this dominantly recognized epistemological model based on rationality is science.

But in life we ​​observe many other ways of knowing or creating a worldview. "Non-rational" knowledge can be based on emotions, immediate experience, faith, speculation, imagination, etc., and usually deviates from generally accepted norms or naming, classification or evidence.
Specific topics that our exhibition activities focus on include spirituality, magic, mythology, empathy and intuition, para-science, conspiracy and post-truth, healing, altered states of consciousness and drugs, "madness" vs. "Normality", childhood vs. education, learning about the world by people with sensory disabilities, discovery and adventure, artificial intelligence, oral traditions and knowledge of "natural nations", and last but not least, artistic research as a specific category of cognition.

All these thematic areas try to look for alternatives to the dominant rationalist model of knowledge. The point is not to disqualify reason and science, but rather to point out the broader framework of our existence in the world. The tradition of Western thought is associated, among other things, with power structures based on oppression (colonialism, patriarchy) or extractivism, which contributes to the social, economic and environmental problems of today. We consider dealing with alternatives to these systems to be one of the responsibilities of art and culture, which should stimulate and co-create (self) consciousness in society.
 

Past or current exhibitions of the cycle Other Knowledge: 

Spiritualities: Three Contemporary Portrayals of Transcendence and Beliefs (25. 5. 2020–16. 8. 2020) 
Where are the Lions? / Ubi sunt leones? (23. 9. 2020–17. 12. 2020) 
Eva Koťátková: Interviews with the Monster (13. 1. 2021–6. 6. 2021)
Planted in the Body(29. 6.–22. 8. 2021) - the part of project supported by Fonds EHP 2014 - 2021
AI: All Idiots (15. 9.–24. 10. 2021)
Wells of Wisdom (19. 1.–20. 3.)
Young and Restful (13. 4.–29. 5.)
Let Me Hear Your Footprints (22. 6.–11. 9.)
Ich/ Du & Aleksanda Vajd, Hynek Alt, Anetta Mona Chisa, Jen Kratochvil, Adéla Svobodová  (28. 9.–20. 11. 2022)

ONLINE EXHIBITIONS CATALOGUES 
 

International research and exhibition program of the MeetFactory Gallery focusing on non-normative knowledge

In 2021, the MeetFactory Gallery received support for its research project Other Knowledge: International Research and Exhibition Program with a Focus on Non-Normative Knowledge from the EEA Funds 2014-2021.

In addition to the implementation of exhibition projects, the project will enable its expansion by other outputs. The project is based on an international exchange and partnership with the Icelandic institution Art Without Borders (a festival focused on the creation of artists * with mental or physical disadvantages) and emphasizes the issue of social inclusion.

As part of the project, we held the Planted in the Body exhibition at the MeetFactory Gallery, and we are planning two more exhibitions here for 2022: the group exhibition Other Perceptions (June 2022) and a solo exhibition by Aleksandra Vajd (September 2022). The project will end with a comprehensive exhibition Fragments of Other Knowledge at the Living Art Museum in Reykjavík, Iceland in January 2023. The research project will also include an international interdisciplinary symposium in Prague and the publication of a comprehensive publication summarizing the research topic through exhibition documentation and new author texts.

The social overlap of the project will make it possible to open space for authors from disadvantaged groups and at the same time (thanks to the introduction of new promotional strategies and accompanying programs) to expand the audience by these groups. A natural part of the project is the creation of new works of art and the support of contemporary artists, to whom we provide a professional production and curatorial background for the development of their artistic creation and presentation in our country and abroad.

In addition to the mentioned activities intended for the general public, the project also takes into account the need for education and capacity development of the organizers themselves (seminars, curatorial tour, project meetings).

The partnership with the Icelandic Art Without Borders Festival, led by Artistic Director Jóhanna Ásgeirsdóttir, provides a new international framework for our activities, provides valuable professional support in the field of curation, helps expand the network of professional contacts and enriches MeetFactory's activities with a different cultural background.
 

Project curators and managers: Tereza Jindrová, Eva B. Riebová 
Project manager of partner organization Art Without Borders: Jóhanna Ásgeirsdóttir
Production: Jan Vítek 
Financial coordinator: Pavel Kraus 
 

Links: 
Fondy EHP a Norska
eeagrants.org

Contacts: 

Galerie MeetFactory: tereza.jindrova@meetfactory.cz, eva.riebova@meetfactory.cz
Art Without Borders: info@listin.is