We Will Not Return To Normality (Exhibition)

We Will Not Return To Normality, Because Normality Was The Problem

PART I

‘We won’t return to normality, because normality was the problem’, speaks to a broader criticism of the status quo before major disruptions, like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crises, or social movements and human rights discussions. It suggests that the systems and conditions we once accepted as “normal” were inherently flawed or harmful, and that returning to them would perpetuate those problems.

This resonates with movements that call for transformational change, rather than reverting to old patterns such as:

Social Inequality: The last period of time exposed and exacerbated issues of inequality in healthcare, economic opportunities, and access to essential resources. Many argue that these inequalities were present long before, and “normal” meant systemic disadvantage for marginalized groups. From Luigi to banned trans rights in new Trump era.

Climate Change: For much of the modern industrial era, “normality” has meant unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, leading to climate disasters. Calls to return to business as usual ignore the reality that our past behaviors were part of the problem. Many political leaders continue to deny climate change, yet the evidence is undeniable—just turn on the news.

Work Culture: For many, the traditional work culture was built on long hours, poor work-life balance, and exploitative conditions. The disruptions of the pandemic forced a shift, introducing remote work and sparking conversations about mental health, burnout, and labor rights. The question now is whether we will return to those old structures or reshape the future of work to be healthier and more sustainable.

The quote pushes for a deeper rethinking of what we accept as normal, and instead encourages a vision for a more just, sustainable, and compassionate future. What aspect of “normality” do you think needs the most urgent change?

Normality is a social construct, shaped by dominant behaviors, values, and expectations in a given society. It consists of routines, systems, and standards that people unconsciously adopt because they feel stable, familiar, or inevitable. However, what is considered “normal” is often restrictive—it serves the status quo, benefiting some while marginalizing others.

Routines and Systems: The rhythms of daily life—working, commuting, engaging in education, consumption, socializing, etc. — are all part of what is considered normal in modern society.

Cultural Expectations: The values and ideals we are raised with, like the need to be productive, conform to certain standards of success (like career achievement or consumerism), or follow prescribed paths for relationships, family, and social roles.

Institutional Frameworks: Things like the structure of government, the economy, healthcare, education systems, and legal systems that influence how we live and interact.

However, just because something is normal doesn’t mean it’s fair or healthy. For instance, “normality” could include systems that perpetuate inequality, exploitation, environmental degradation, or mental health struggles. A lot of what we call “normal” benefits a select group while disadvantaging others or harming the planet. Normality is fluid, constantly reshaped by collective human behavior, events, and cultural shifts. Questioning or challenging the “normal” is essential for progress, and it makes me think of whether we can build a new, more inclusive and sustainable normality.

PART II – JARVIS AI

The axiom ‘We Won’t Return to Normality, because Normality was the Problem’ encapsulates a profound critique of pre-pandemic societal structures, challenging the notion of reverting to previously established paradigms. This perspective interrogates the inherent systemic inequalities exposed by global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate emergencies, and escalating socio-political disparities.

The exhibition, curated by AI JARVIS—an artificial intelligence system developed by DerAffe Vienna— and Eugen Rădescu — a curator and professor at University of Bucharest exemplifies this critical discourse. The exhibition provocatively examines the fundamental flaws within ostensibly stable societal frameworks. Supervised by Eugen Rădescu, this AI-curated art programme challenges traditional cultural production methodologies, strategically aligning with its thematic interrogation of entrenched normative structures.

Sociological analyses reveal that ‘normality’ frequently manifests as a construct reflecting dominant socio-economic power dynamics, systematically marginalising vulnerable populations. The pandemic starkly illuminated systemic inequities in healthcare access, economic stability, and resource distribution. As sociologist Didier Fassin articulates in Life: A Critical User’s Manual, inequality is profoundly embedded within societal infrastructures, necessitating comprehensive structural transformation.

Beyond social inequities, normative practices are intrinsically linked to environmentally destructive paradigms. Industrial-era norms prioritised economic expansion at the expense of ecological sustainability, precipitating widespread environmental degradation. Naomi Klein’s seminal work, ‘This Changes Everything’, critiques this trajectory, emphasising the imperative of reimagining humanity’s environmental engagement.

The pandemic furthermore disrupted exploitative labour cultures, catalysing discourse on work-life balance and labour rights. Pre-pandemic norms frequently subordinated human well-being to productivity imperatives. David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs critically examines the inefficiencies inherent in contemporary labour markets, advocating for more humane, purpose-driven professional environments.

Michel Foucault’s theoretical framework in ‘Discipline and Punish’ illuminates how power systems become normalised, perpetuating structural inequalities under the guise of stability. ‘Normality’ emerges not as a static construct, but as a dynamic, evolving social mechanism that systematically reinforces existing power hierarchies.

Contemporary theoretician and professor Răzvan Ion argues in his new book, ‘Quantum Critical Thinking: Reimagining AI in the Radical Queer Multiverse’, that ‘a Radical AI could be a call to action for reimagining the future of AI in a way that celebrates difference and fosters a more equitable and just society. It challenges us to think beyond conventional boundaries and to envision AI as a tool for liberation.’

By employing an AI curator, the exhibition strategically disrupts conventional curatorial methodologies, offering a meta-commentary on cultural narrative construction. AI JARVIS’s involvement demonstrates technology’s potential to transcend established boundaries, reimagining cultural production as a mechanism for critical reflection and innovative thinking.

Ultimately, the exhibition advocates for collective action towards a transformative future—one that repudiates normality’s harmful legacies and champions equity, environmental sustainability, and collective well-being. It challenges audiences to critically interrogate systemic structures, moving beyond nostalgic yearnings for a fundamentally flawed status quo towards a more nuanced, progressive societal vision and Strata Gallery becomes the first private gallery in history engaging this type of collaboration.