Plague Crystals by Natalia Romik

This June, we will welcome Polish artist, architect, and researcher Natalia Romik to Koffler Arts to present her exhibition Plague Crystals . Plague Crystals is the newest chapter in Dr. Romik’s travelling project exploring sources of anxiety in a world threatened by multiple crises. Before Koffler Arts, previous iterations were presented in Passau and Berlin in Germany, and Będzin in Poland. Drawing on the biblical story in the Book of Exodus, Romik identifies and symbolically contains material embodiments of contemporary plagues: climate catastrophe, social injustice, political malaise, and other forms of collective vulnerability. Some objects will be selected by the artist; others will be nominated by the communities with whom she will collaborate. The artist encloses these symbolic representations within exquisite crystal vessels. Together, the Plague Crystals form a growing archive of lived vulnerability across places and generations. By giving a physical form to contemporary perils, the project asks how they might be confronted and contained. Despite its sombre theme, the installation is not governed by despair. The crystal vessels sparkle with optimistic hope rooted in the c