Lygophilia - Aquatic Life: A Symbol of Extinction, Scientific Wonder, and Cultural Heritage

With the multimedia installation Lygophilia the Kunstgewerbemuseum is presenting the first solo museum exhibition by Slovenian artist Robertina Šebjanič in Germany. The presentation comprises a series of research-based artworks initiated by her in Mexico in 2017 and continued in Slovenia. These include the installation Neotenous dark dwellers _Lygophilia, the video essay Lygophilia _ Piscis Ludicrous / Transfixed Gaze and the sound composition Dark Drops_ Lygophilia.

At the Kunstgewerbemuseum, the installation Lygophilia links up with the museum's collection. In close collaboration between the artist and curator Claudia Banz exhibits from different materials, eras, and origins were selected. They are re-contextualised in the Wunderkammer #3 intervention, thus creating new object narratives.

Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the mysterious, dark world of the Axolotl and Proteus — protagonists of ancient myths and cultural heritage icons of Mexico and Slovenia, respectively. These aquatic salamanders, known for their extraordinary regenerative abilities, serve as national symbols, retaining eternal youth even in adulthood.

Through cabinets reminiscent of old natural history museum displays, scientific lab glove boxes, and maternity incubators, Šebjanič presents a journey into our cultural gaze and its evolution. Using objects, texts, videos, and paraphernalia in a mirrored and crossed approach, where each element echoes, reflects, and even counteracts the other, Neotenous Dark Dwellers | Lygophilia offers visitors a deeper understanding of interspecies cohabitation in the contemporary world, envisioning a common future.