Public Programs—The Parliament of Bodies
with Erik Van Buuren and Otobong Nkanga

The hunt and greed for resources has shaped economic and societal models over the ages. A growing world population is affecting the way resources are being depleted, causing major societal disruption on a global scale. How can we learn from the past to develop beneficial future scenarios for all through the concept of circular economies? The transition into a circular economy model can only succeed if, besides the predominating economic focus, it is accompanied with a holistic approach including human rights, local communities and intelligent distribution and use of new technology.

Erik Van Buuren
For over fifteen years, Erik’s work has improved the quality of people’s lives by promoting and developing beneficial and healthy places for them to live and work. By shaping and defining a positive role of business and organizations, sustainability becomes an innovation driver. Besides focusing on circular and detox product development, he also concentrates on sustainable investments. In 2016, he participated in the Dilijan Arts Observatory in Armenia. Erik is lecturer at universities and curates sustainable exhibitions. From 2012 to 2014 he was a jury member of the German Design Prize. Erik is trained as a material science and technology engineer (M. Sc.) and lives and creates in Berlin.

Otobong Nkanga
Otobong Nkanga was born in 1974 in Kano, Nigeria, and has lived in Antwerp for nine years. She recently had solo exhibitions at Nottingham Contemporary (2016), In Situ Gallery in Paris (2016), Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (2016), M HKA in Antwerp (2015), Somerset House in London (2015), Portikus in Frankfurt (2015), Kadist Art Foundation in Paris (2015), and the Performance Room at Tate Modern in London (2015). In 2016, she also had major international projects in Shanghai and Beirut (Landversation). She has taken part in several international group exhibitions, including the 13th Biennale de Lyon (2015), the 31st São Paulo Biennial (2014), the 8th Berlin Biennale (2014) and the Sharjah Biennial 11 (2013). She won the Yanghyun Prize in 2015. In 2013–14, she was a guest of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program.
Her work forms part of documenta 14 in Athens and Kassel.

The discussion will be held in English.