Dennis Haustein: UNCERTAIN GROUND

In his photographic work, Dennis Haustein (* 1991) takes an intensive look at the history of our relationship with nature and specifically examines representations of nature in the sciences as symptoms of ideological discourses.

He has also frequently explored the situation of nature in urban spaces. His forensically oriented works question the social aspects of the category “nature,” which, through artistic abstraction, can be traced back to democratic principles.

In the exhibition “uncertain ground,” Haustein refers to the concept of contamination as described by anthropologist Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing in her book “The Mushroom at the End of the World.” Contamination is understood here as a fundamental characteristic shared by all living beings on Earth, as a mutual “touch” and complex interweaving of countless stories of destruction, struggle, peaceful coexistence, and chance encounters.

With Dennis Haustein’s artistic contribution, the Kunst Archiv Darmstadt and the Literaturhaus Darmstadt are participating in World Design Capital 2026. Founded in 1984 and housed within the Literaturhaus Darmstadt, the Kunst Archiv Darmstadt is an integral part of the city’s cultural life and, as a public archive, is available free of charge to all art enthusiasts.