The exhibition Emotional Lands at philomena+ in Vienna explores the complexity of human emotions in a rapidly changing world. What experiences trigger feelings? What causes our feelings to change? The artists Maria Hanl (Vienna) and Ziad Naitaddi (Salé) explore these questions and look at the topic of migration and political manipulation from their own perspective.

In her work for the exhibition Emotional Lands Maria Hanl addresses the tension between the individual and society. She is interested in people as social and emotional beings who always relate to a community in their existence. This characteristic makes not only the individual but also entire collectives vulnerable and susceptible to manipulation.
Based on Gustave Le Bon’s “Psychology of the Masses”, she examines the influence over emotions as an instrument of power.

In discussion with philosopher Jan David Zimmermann, Maria Hanl provides insights into her working methods and discusses the instrumentalisation and manipulation of emotions.

The talk is followed by a concert by Mehdi Chamma as part of the Festival Salam Music.

image: Maria Hanl, Hörst du die Musik? (Do you hear the music?), detail of installation, 2024, photo: Maria Hanl