Curatorial Concept:

SHAMANISM
curated by James Putnam

Mimmo Scognamiglio Artecontemporanea is glad to announce the opening of Shamanism, a new exhibition project by
British curator and art critic James Putnam, former curator of the Egyptian Antiquities Department of the British Museum,
in prosecution of a decennial collaboration with the gallery. Shamanism sees the participation of twelve international artists,
joined on the common field of researching an enlightened artistic dimension through the ritual practice.

There is a current tendency for some artists to look beyond everyday reality into the realms of the metaphyisical
incorporating elements of myth, alchemy, animism, folklore and ritual into their practice. Shamanism can be defined as a
universal phenomenon that relates to humanity’s relationship through Nature with its roots in the cultures of indigenous
people across the world.

These mystical spiritual practices have their origins in parts of Siberia, Australia, Africa and the Americas as well as premodern
Europe. Like shamanism, art can be a calling, a means of exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness as if in
communion with an external force or “spirit”. The creation of a work of art can sometimes involve a process of
metamorphosis, insights, visions and dreams, in a quest for life’s deeper meaning.

This diverse collection of international artists using the mediums of drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video, and
installation are in tune with a new sensibility that also embraces aspects of ecology, sustainability and futurism. These
works can evoke our connection with the natural world and help us to feel part of an all-inclusive collective vision of our
ancestor’s bond with Nature.

Shamanism cares for the well-being of both Nature and human nature, and their inter-relationship, a quality that many
artists also strive to capture in their work. The artist’s observation and understanding of Nature tends to relate to an
understanding of human nature, and of the human condition within Nature. By applying aspects of shamanism to the
contemporary, artists express an awareness of Nature’s dual enigmatic force and fragility.