In this post-global, or rather, 'glocal' era, we find ourselves caught in a web of paradoxes. The more connected we become, the more we yearn for 'authenticity'; the more digital our lives, the more we crave tangible experiences. It's within this context of information overload that "Back to Basics" emerges – not as a nostalgic retreat, but as a radical re-examination of our contemporary condition.

Three artists – Elmer Blåvarg, Luis Romero, and Li TangTing – each products of Düsseldorf's artistic crucible, yet carrying distinct cultural DNAs, converge in this exhibition. Their works embody what we might call a "floating identity", a concept increasingly pertinent in our age of fluidity. They navigate the interstitial spaces between global and local, tradition and innovation, materiality and virtuality, challenging our often binary perceptions of these supposedly oppositional forces.

The exhibition's triptych focus – geology, time, and language – is itself a provocation against the spectacle-driven narratives dominating today's art world. In an era of perpetual acceleration, geology reminds us of 'slow violence' – the gradual, often invisible devastation of our planet. As we're bombarded with demands for instant gratification, reconsidering time becomes an act of resistance. And in a world where AI and big data threaten to colonize our linguistic landscape, returning to the essence of language is a reaffirmation of our humanity. This "Back to Basics" gesture is not a retreat but an advance. It prompts us to question: in our increasingly fragmented reality, what is truly essential? The artists create what I call "micro-utopias" – not as escapist fantasies, but as laboratories for reimagining our world.

The exhibition introduces a conceptual "switch"  – a device for toggling between the global and local, the real and virtual. This is not a simple either/or proposition, but a dialectical relationship reflecting the complexity of contemporary existence. It challenges our notion of "presence": in a world simultaneously hyper-connected and deeply divided, how can we be truly present?" Back to Basics“ doesn't seek utopian solutions. Rather, it offers a platform for renegotiating our relationship with the world. Art here transcends the realm of aesthetic objects, becoming a form of social practice, a means of intervening in reality.

In a global art world often seduced by spectacle, we neglect the seemingly mundane yet profoundly essential questions. By refocusing on the "basic," we're reminded that true innovation often springs from revisiting fundamental issues. In the context of the Anthropocene, "Back to Basics" takes on a new urgency. It's not merely an artistic experiment, but an existential one. Here, the confluence of Eastern and Western philosophies, the dialectic between global forces and local realities, and the interplay of tradition and innovation all coalesce into a rich, complex tableau.

Ultimately, this exhibition poses a crucial question: in these uncertain times, what role can and should art play? The answer lies in those most basic, most essential inquiries. Through "Back to Basic," we're not evading complexity, but confronting it head-on, seeking new possibilities within the very fragments of our fractured world.