Group Exhibition: 'More Human than Human' Curated by Moshumee Dewoo

ESCAP3 Gallery is delighted to present the Group Exhibition: More Human than Human Curated by Dr Moshumee T. Dewoo,  07 October - 21 November 2024.

Participating Artists Include: Sibenoxolo Foji, Daniël Hugo, Oscar Henning, Emma Kielczynska, Nina Kruger, Luan Nel & Nelis Singels (South Africa).

The group exhibition: More Human than Human features a spectrum of artistic expressions that deconstruct our obsession with idealised and often unattainable human forms as they have evolved from the symbolic exaggerations of prehistoric art to the hyperrealism of contemporary media, to shape our perceptions of beauty, worth, and identity.

The Evolution of Idealised Human Forms

The genesis of idealised human forms is rooted in prehistoric symbolic exaggerations, epitomised by the Venus figurines of the Upper Palaeolithic period like the Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Laussel, which were sculpted with pronounced breasts, hips, and genitalia, to reflect an archaic preoccupation with physical markers of life-sustaining potency.

As Palaeolithic societies evolved into ancient civilisations, these early idealised human forms were transmuted into divine and authoritative icons raised with strict proportionality and stylisations like the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt, the Chola bronzes in India, and the Olmec colossal heads in Mesoamerica, which elevated physical attributes to symbols of divine and royal authority. 

The classical era integrated mathematical principles to these icons, as seen in classical Chinese art like the Terracotta Army and Greek masterpieces like the Discobolus and the Venus de Milo, which epitomised a synthesis of naturalistic precision and idealistic perfection that solidified the notion that anatomical precision or physical excellence was synonymous with moral and intellectual virtue or human excellence.

The Renaissance marked a revival of Greco-classical ideals along unprecedented fidelity in the representations of human forms, driven by the belief that true humanness was found in the ideal synthesis of body and mind, as reflected in the craftsmanship of Michelangelo’s David and the geometric precision of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

Today, idealised human forms are championed as hyper-polished humanness by the digital entertainment and beauty industries through social media platforms, celebrity culture, and advertising, along ever-narrowing aesthetics that emphasise flawless skin, plump lips, symmetrical features, and sculpted bodies through filters, photo editing, curated online personas, cosmetic enhancement, fitness regimens, and plastic surgery, reflecting and reinforcing an environment where perfection is not only desired but expected.

Impacts of Idealised Human Forms on Society and Self

From the symbolic exaggerations of prehistoric art to the meticulously crafted representations of contemporary media, idealised human forms have elevated physical and moral ideals to the highest echelons of human possibilities, to show, without doubt, as some of the most extraordinary artistico-cultural celebrations of our collective inclination toward human perfectibility or an evolutionary imperative that ensures our survival as a species by continuously driving us toward enhanced physical and moral attributes. A compelling analogy is found in the seagull experiment (1), where seagull chicks showed a strong preference for a hyper-idealised form of their mother’s beak in the manner of a stick with pronounced markings, which then stood out as a more effective signal for feeding than the natural beak, so facilitating timely and efficient nourishment to enhance their chances of survival. We understand from this that our obsession with idealised human forms would have evolved as an adaptive mechanism to recognise traits conducive to our survival, guiding our perceptions of beauty, worth, and identity toward reproductive desirability – for the continuation and advancement of our species.

Still, beneath this veneer of celebrations is the more insidious reality that idealised human forms have also served enforce a culture of exclusion that has systematically undermined the rich diversity within humanness as they have established rigid criteria for who is deemed worthy of recognition and value. We read here that this culture has solidified harmful societal norms that prioritise and eventually foster an unhealthy obsession with unattainable physical traits and dehumanising moral ideals over intrinsic qualities, which unavoidably impact self-perception and societal expectations toward a pervasive sense of inadequacy and never-ending cycle of comparison and self-modification causing immense psychological distress as individuals strive to become perfect and so fit in, be included, often to the detriment of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Reclaiming Imperfection and Authenticity

More Human than Human celebrates our evolutionary inclination toward idealised human forms, acknowledging their essential role in our survival. However, this exhibition also showcases artworks that confront our obsession with these forms, inviting viewers to reconsider humanness in its richness and fullness, so fostering a more empathetic understanding of beauty, worth, and identity – for a more inclusive world.

Image Credit: Luan Nel l Tyna Webb, 77 l 2013 l Oil on canvas l 60 x 90cm