Syndrome of the Present was a long-term research and art project, which included three exhibitions and public events, developed by curator Galit Eilat and writer and theorist Erden Kosova. The project brought together artists and scholars from different geographies and disciplines, working collaboratively to address questions around sovereignty and the boundaries of the political act; the threshold between political theology and religious politics; the constitution of the “non-citizen”; and the dispersion of information and propaganda through the evolution of media. The inaugural exhibition, held at the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica | Ritman Library in Amsterdam, shared new work and presentations generated in collaboration between the artists and scholars that focuses on prevalent themes within the current Dutch political climate, including the rise of nationalist sentiment and border control. Following its presentation in Amsterdam, the project will be presented at DEPO in Istanbul, Turkey, and the Museu do Homem do Nordeste in Recife, Brazil.

Participating artists: Juan Pérez Agirregoikoa, Oreet Ashery, Yael Bartana, Yael Davids, Marjolijn Dijkman, Köken Ergun, Wendelien van Oldenborgh, Zeyno Pekünlü, Bik van der Pol, Roee Rosen, Romm Lewkowicz, Artur Żmijewski. Participating scholars: Chiara Bottici, Ayse Cavdar, Amir Engel, Alexander van der Haven, Gil Hochberg, Yolanda Jansen, Pawel Maciejko, Savas Matsas, Dina Ramada.