Common Bread Sauna - Monstrosity and Systems of Preservation

'Monstrosity and Systems of Preservation' examines Dutch colonial history from the perspective of port city Rotterdam, with specific focus on the colonization of Brazil. The work draws connections between documents from the Rotterdam City Archive, colonial systems of violence and exploitation, and personal frustrations, thereby illuminating patterns of dehumanization.

On 9 October, a monster is summoned to investigate the question: what would monstrosity be without its systems of preservation?

Jô Amorim Páscoa Borher is a Brazilian multidisciplinary artist, curator and researcher based in Rotterdam. Their work focuses on visual cultures and symbolic anthropology, revolving around the study of representation systems, their relationship to social structures and their impact on lived experience.