The Strangest Species

This year’s edition of PhEST festival in Monopoli, southern Italy, revolves around one main question: what does it mean to be human today?

Cover Photo by Hanne van Der Woude

The festival offers an interdisciplinary look at culture, nature and relationships, through psychology, philosophy and anthropology. Authors like Koos Breukel, whose body of work “Me We” is a 30-year-long personal diary through phases of life, or Lisa Sorgini and Elinor Carucci, focusing on family, are exhibited alongside Phil Toledo, whose most recent work is created with AI.

The intention is triggering a debate. Art director Giovanni Troilo stresses how in recent years a vast field that we thought was central and exclusive to humans has been shrinking, while Stefano Mancuso reflects on the fact that, if we go extinct for the consequences of our own choices, we might be much less “smart” than most of other living species. Considering that species on this planet survive on average for 5,000,000 years, we have 4,700,000 years to test ourselves.

The exhibitions of Ph EST, a festival directed by Giovanni Troilo and curated by Arianna Rinaldo, will be on view in Monopoli, southern Italy, until November 1st.