Kingdom of the Ill

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the fragility of the human body painfully perceptible. Through essays and contributions from international artists and activists, this anthology poses the question of how and by whom a body is defined as healthy or sick. At the intersection of ecology, economics, and technology, Kingdom of the Ill investigates a shift in the relationship between health and illness, contamination and purity, care and neglect. How are climate change and pollution affecting our well-being? Given the collective state of exhaustion, looming economic hardships, public healthcare cuts, and the dissolution of the boundaries between online and offline, how can one actually stay healthy and well?

Following Techno Globalization Pandemic, Kingdom of the Ill – curated by Sara Cluggish and Pavel S. Pys – is the second chapter in the long-term research program TECHNO HUMANITIES launched in 2021 by Museion Bozen’s Director Bart van der Heide.