Mimicry – Empathy

A thematic reader inspired by the exhibition project “Mimicry – Empathy,” including works by Ulla von Brandenburg, Berta Fischer, Jochen Lempert, BLESS, Alexandra Leykauf, Wiktor Gutt/Waldemar Raniszewski, Sofia Hultén, Annette Kelm, and Susanne Bürner. Texts by: Roy R. Behrens, Roger Caillois, Marie de Brugerolle, Anne-Sophie Dinant, Amirali Ghasemi, Johan Hartle, Gohar Homayounpour, and Jonna Mendez. The development of mimicry demands a certain empathy in order to be able to put oneself in the position of the opponent, or either to blend in with the system one wants to be a part of or on which one depends. Only in engaging with the strategies and trains of thought of the counterpart is it possible to form the basis for visual adaptation and mimicry. However, the act of empathy risks the dissolution of the boundaries between the imitators and imitated, creating a genuine identification – in the most complicated cases – with the enemy. “Mimicry – Empathy” deals with these emotionally uncontrollable aspects of adaptation, and challenges the construction of cultural identities in the void between playing safe and getting lost. The “Mimicry – Empathy” exhibition opened at the Lajevardi Foundation, Tehran, in 2018. Related events included artist talks, screenings, and workshops. The book “Mimicry – Empathy” followed these iterations, compiled as both a thematic reader and a document of the exhibition, and created in relation to the archival images collected during the research.