Questions: Daniela and Linda Dostálková, Marek Pokorný
Translation: Kateřina Danielová
Habima Fuchs answers questions about a good life, well-being and the conflicts this topic causes.
The artist participates in the exhibition Optimised Fables about a Good Life (22/9/2022–1/1/2023) at PLATO.
At the moment, my “free” and “not-free” time is like waves, alternating as needed. Activity and inactivity somehow balance each other out. I look out the window, at the computer screen, or imagine images. I dedicate my time to external and internal cleaning. Sometimes I go for a walk or meet someone. To comment on the quote, it occurs to me that when you don't care about the world (by caring about your inner world), you make room for the world to take care of you.
I haven't read a fable in a long time. It seemed to me more like an observation of animal nature, knowing that animals—on a certain level—unlike humans, did not deviate from their connection with their destiny. I understand that the image of an animal is used by man to be able to talk about himself and explore himself better. I consider the domination of man over animals to be an immature interpretation, an ingrained program that is unfortunately still very widespread and results in cruel practices that in turn reflect on man. But I see a difference between man and animal: man can develop his consciousness. I would write a fable about a fox who is a guardian and a messenger. Western culture has a rather negative perception of the fox, but isn't that because it can't tame it?
I consider the absence of joy and the presence of internal stress—a reaction to a challenging situation—to be very unhealthy rituals. Although I do see progress, there is still room for development…
I assume that everything is possible because we create the world ourselves, despite not being always and immediately able to manifest our desires on a physical level because we have not learned to use this potential. There is also strong collective energy we are connected to, and it can prevent us from doing so. For me, a good life is to break free from the shackles of laziness, to continually develop my consciousness and thereby develop the idea of peace and abundance in my life and in the world, to cleanse myself of karmic burdens, to disconnect from destructive collective agendas, to create a world where manipulation is not present, to admire the beauty of creation, to love all living things, to heal, and to “return” to paradise. I would also like a big garden on a hill and a blue Vespa.
I’d say we create it.
This question makes me think about the concept of privacy. I'm coming to the conclusion that privacy is when one is alone with oneself and is not involved in what's going on. It doesn't necessarily have to parallel the online/offline mode, sometimes these two blend. I spend a lot of time in front of a screen when no one is around, doing tasks, studying, and sometimes I overdo it: I watch movies, which is a form of withdrawal from the world because I join the reality of the characters in the story, but even in that process I continue to explore the principle of life. My phone is in offline mode, so there are gaps as I move through space. I have FB and Instagram, but I don't really enjoy them, so I don't pay much attention to them. I have no problem to forget about the screen. It's not controlling, it's more like spontaneously attaching and distancing yourself, while the ratio of these two definitely has the potential to be in a better balance.
I guess it depends on what your intentions are. When you try to optimize in relation to the demands of society, it can result in a form of slavery. If you develop your consciousness within the totality of creation, recognize your potential as a creator, and thereby optimize your living conditions and those of your environment, it can be liberating for you. I see the concepts of “efficiency, enough and right” as fluid. Evolving and “optimizing” is an important theme for me and sometimes even the driving force of the process.
When we become aware of the fact that man is a creator by nature, then “free activity”, in its various forms, becomes ideal for experiencing and exploring the principles of life. Yes, navigating the waves of uncertainty is not always easy and it can be exhausting when confronted with the rigid patterns of the system. What is important is the cooperation and mutual respect of everyone involved, whatever path they take. I use the word ‘work’ to get understood by others, otherwise, I try to ‘not work’ but rather to ‘do’ an activity. And I seek inspiration even in my “free time”.
There are many thoughts running through my head and some of them are carriers of shortcut reactions. Meanwhile, I know that escape is not an option. Evolution and transformation are possible, and so is to change your habits. Since the world is like an ocean that is constantly being formed, is there anything that is “inherent” to us?
It used to worry me. But the pressure on one or the other side is probably just as unhealthy. I try to keep things simple as much as I can. Indications of planetary collapse need to be investigated. Some of it may be manipulative and inaccurate. Unfortunately, there are still too many guns in the world and there is certainly a great need for humans to mature and understand the responsibility for their living space and begin to see themselves as part of it.
This only applies to a certain group of people on planet Earth. There are still places where this statement is not so relevant… I believe that “improving the world” starts with ourselves, and how we create our inner and outer reality. Whether we sit on a hard floor or roll around in healing mud while at it is probably not the determining factor…
Czech artist Habima Fuchs (b. 1977) spent many years in Berlin. She then took several treks in Europe to study its culture and mythology based on personal experience. Habima Fuchs' sculptures, drawings, performances and installations are the result of a sincere commitment to discover the fundamental phenomena of life. Through philosophical inquiry and personal experience, as well as through their intense engagement in religious and mythological iconography, Habima creates forms that erase the differences between material and immaterial ways of being, highlight the interrelationships between entities and their environment, and connect different cultural traditions. Habima Fuchs's exhibited work, The Field of the Creating Information, engages the physical body and encourages the imaginative process of making the invisible reality present and realizing the immeasurable power of the human being and its creative potential.