Artists: Patrick K.-H. (Russia, Penza — Moscow), Yelizaveta Bobryashova (Russia, Voronezh — Moscow), Nadezhda Busheneva (Russia, Syktyvkar — Moscow), Kirill Glushchenko (Russia, Kaliningrad — Moscow), Alina Gutkina (Moscow), Darren Jones (Scotland — USA), Arseniy Zhilyaev (Russia, Voronezh — Moscow), Yulia Ivashkina (Russia, Tver — Moscow), Anna Titova (Russia, Sverdlovsk — Moscow), Kendra Walker (England), Nina Wakeford (Canada — France), Nina Yuen (USA — Netherlands)

«Junk» exhibition focuses on the problem of human self-identification within the metropolis urban environment. It «diagnoses» the society with an intention to reveal the aspects of socio-cultural reality, which «stick out», i. e. are most traumatically perceived by city dwellers.

«Junk» exhibition is by no means a homogeneous space giving an exact indubitable answer. It rather explores the capability of art as an instrument to revive social activeness and the possibilities of impartial dialogue.

The idea to identify the distinctive features of contemporaneity is not at all novel, and it will hardly result in any outstanding discovery. The contemporary society research history of this problem involves a multitude of descriptive and analytic approaches, each setting new criteria for the identification of novelty. However, I think that, first of all, the established conceptualisation of this theme is not dogmatic; secondly, in reality, the characteristics theoreticians assign to this notion do not function as invariants, they undergo transformations and, thus, signal the emergence of a new context or discourse in the society, politics, and culture.

These changes, their dynamics and vectors call for a highly reflective position, which will induce the constant renewal of individual actions. And this position is really essential to be able to speak the language adequate to today’s reality. «junk» exhibition does not aim to give an all-encompassing overview of the problematics around the life in a contemporary metropolis. It focuses on one of the most important diagnostic criteria, i. e. the way social networks and practices that unite people function.

According to Zygmunt Bauman, economic and social conditions of today’s world lead to disappearance and weakening of inter-human bonds, communities and partnerships. These bonds and partnerships now tend to be considered as something not to be created but to be used. They are evaluated according to the same criteria as any other commodity 1. These tendencies are caused in part by the individualization of the social sphere, its submission to private interests and motivations. Feelings, capable of uniting people, have a temporary character and are no more appealing than outdoor advertising. Separated from people by the borderline of the newness and practical utility, they end up «on the social edge». This situation is not self-contained; it provokes the question: Is there any chance that an alternative pattern of social bonds and communication to be constructed «on the social edge»? For example, is it possible for an encounter, which is a typical form of social interaction, to stimulate the elaboration of the new practices?