Hyperhidrosis

The group exhibition Hyperhidrosis: Sweating Together explores sweating as both a biological and symbolic process, highlighting the fragile balances that govern human society and the natural environment. Through this original metaphor, the exhibition creates a dialogue with the monument of the Bath House of the Winds, drawing attention to the philosophy of the Ottoman public bath as a model of social and environmental ecology and inclusion, where the body and the community co-exist in an ongoing cycle of care and resilience. Sweating connects all living organisms. Through this basic thermoregulatory function, the human body avoids overheating, while in plants, the corresponding process, transpiration, helps manage water and heat. It’s no coincidence that NASA refers to this process as the “sweat” of plants in its ECOSTRESS research, which examines how plants respond to heat and water scarcity. This shared function reveals the deep interdependence of all organisms and underscores the need to maintain a delicate balance in nature. When these regulatory processes are disrupted – whether due to climate change or human interventions – societies face new challenges. Today, artificial intelligence requires vast amounts of water to cool its infrastructure, following a process similar to human sweating. However, this constant draining of natural resources often goes unnoticed in sustainability discussions, even though it contributes to worsening environmental and social inequalities. The Ottoman baths offer a different example of sweating – a process connected to health, care, and collectivity. In these spaces, corporeality became a means of social negotiation, creating a shared place of care. This tradition informs the exhibition, which explores sweat not only as a natural phenomenon but also as a political commentary on the relationships between individuals and the society, humans and the environment, the biological and the artificial. Inspired by Sara Ahmed’s “sweaty concept” (Living a Feminist Life, 2017) – an idea that sweats, embodies effort, change and transformation – the exhibition opens a dialogue around the concept of balance. In a world where natural resources are depleting, while social and technological tensions are increasing, following questions arise: How can we maintain balance between humans, plants and machines? What does it mean to “sweat together?” What social and political dimensions does sweating acquire as a collective experience? Through the works of Ileana Arnaoutou, Eleni Bagaki, Panos Charalambous, Despina Charitonidi, Sarah Ettlinger, Martha Panagiotopoulou, Marios Stamatis, and Elektra Stampoulou, sweat is transformed into an artistic language.