Into the fire

Berlin
Jun 24 — Jul 25, 2025

INTO THE FIRE 
CURATED BY HOLGER SCHMIDHUBER
24 JUNE – 25 JULY 2025

OPENING: 21 JUNE | 7 – 10 PM
AOA;87 BERLIN


Angst rules. In the economy, in politics, in society at large. Paralyzed, we stare past the crises at whatever may still be looming— like a squirrel frozen in the headlights of an oncoming Porsche Cayenne. The saving leap? Hardly even crosses our minds anymore.

Don’t dare try something new. Don’t take any risks. And for heaven’s sake—now of all times—don’t make a mistake. Better to do nothing. At most, perhaps: restrict, exclude, barricade. Just in case. Algorithmically conditioned and optimized for conformity in our desires and needs, we place our hope in the almighty AI like children awaiting Santa Claus. Already it calculates with chilling precision what suits us, what’s good for us, what path to take. It’ll sort things out. Meanwhile, we tighten our belts—both financially and ideologically. And in this golden age of advanced cowardice, a cunning few keep stuffing their pockets— while the rest often do little more than soil their pants.

Art must rise up against this misery. As one of the last bastions of courage, generosity, and radical autonomy. The title of this exhibition is meant as a rallying cry: Into the Fire! The artists gathered here dare to leap into the unknown, into what cannot be calculated— and in doing so, they show that detours, failed attempts, and breakdowns are not dead ends but the very path toward the ultimate work. They throw themselves, again and again, into this fire— a fire that does not destroy but transforms. That is what these artistic positions stand for— ranging from painting to sculpture, installation to sound— by Jessica Buhlmann, Christian Hellmich, Christine Moldrickx, Sunmin Park, Holger Schmidhuber, and Max Schulze.