Is history ok?

Johannes Hugo Stoll, working under the conceptual framework of Future Grandpa's Secret Recipe, explores contemporary social realities, public health policies, and global decision-making processes. His work seeks to illuminate the cognitive mechanisms, decision-making strategies, and power dynamics shaping humanity at a collective level.

The exhibition, titled Is History OK? and curated by Adrian Bojenoiu, situates the socio-political and economic transformations precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic within a broader historical context. By critically examining the present through the lens of the past, the project interrogates the intersection of history and contemporary challenges. Stoll introduces significant historical figures, such as Emperor Wilhelm I, into the pandemic discourse—not merely as mental exercises but as symbolic and scientifically contextualized agents within his artistic inquiry.

To this end, the artist employs an innovative and provocative methodology: he collects microbial samples from the nasal cavity of the statue of the King of Prussia, sculpted by Adolf Heer in 1897 and located in the center of Karlsruhe, Germany. These samples are analyzed in a specialized microbiology laboratory, with the results presented as a large-scale printed poster. Through this interplay of science, symbolism, and historical resonance, Stoll invites viewers to reflect on the enduring connections between historical narratives and contemporary realities.

Editors: Adrian Bojenoiu, Cristian Nae
Translations: Daniela Rogobete
Graphic design: Timo Grimberg / arc gestaltung
Paper: Mondi Maestro Print
Printing and binding: PIM
© 2022 by the artist, the authors and their legalsuccessors
© 2022 ICMA, Iasi and ElectroPutere Gallery,
Published by: Artes

ISBN 978-606-547-511-3