2026 Wounds Fears plus Healing

Curator Essay

Wounds, Fears + Healing

Exhibition Catalog — Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2026

In the first quarter of the 21st Century, we have experienced a series of wounds to persons, nations, and the whole planet. We live in a world where violence, hate, and wars prevail. Our planet is in peril as climate change is impacting all nations of the world. To say otherwise is to deny the reality around us.

This exhibition focused on Wounds, Fears, + Healing and was derived from an exhibition by Joseph Beuys entitled "Show Your Wound." Beuys believed that: "Every man is wounded, and every wound can be healed through creativity." His work was exhibited as a sculpture.

A wound is a sight of pain or truth that we often avoid. Wounds can be physical, psychological or spiritual. They can be personal or social. Moreover, fear can hide the wound. There is a tendency to resist facing a wound. Resistance, avoidance, and repression help protect us from our wounds. Healing can occur when we face our wound despite fear. Confronting a wound encourages healing through social revelation.

Artists in this exhibition created work that addressed an expanded version of Beuys' concerns. Thus, artists examined themselves to find wounds that they wanted to address. Most artists in this exhibition addressed an emotional wound. Others addressed a social wound that was local, regional, national, or international. Others focused on the "fear" surrounding their wound, or the healing process that they had undergone to overcome the wound's effects.

This exhibition helped artists examine the question: What is your wound? Hopefully, those who viewed the art pieces at the Nova Hram Gallery, or in this catalogue, gave pause in their own lives and reflected on their own wounds.