Skin or bark? An extraterrestrial form or the bodily interior? The similarity of tissues may cause them to be indistinguishable. Even so, distinguishability loses its relevance. Instead, coexistence and commonality of life—sharing water and air, joint feeling—grow even more significant. The works featured in this exhibition are not merely skin-deep, as they either peel back the layers to look inside or go right through. In their practice, the artists affiliated with Poznań’s Szczur Gallery and those invited to contribute to the show navigate the territory of dark ecology to show its bright sides. They are interested in the equality of all beings, in their relations, the sensual attraction and the possibility of experiencing one another. The perspective of extreme close-up makes one realize the potential unity at the cellular level; the extremely long shot, on the other hand, sees us as one organism: infinite, co-sensing skin. 

The skin is the largest human organ. It is usually overlooked, not being perceived as distinct from the body as a whole. It has multiple functions, but first and foremost it protects the inside and provides the contact surface with the environment, regulating temperature. It is through skin that we receive stimuli, it is first to signal pain and feel pleasure as well. It enables us to understand ourselves and connect with the other. By enveloping the organs, it links them together. The concept of shared skin highlights the interconnectedness of all tissues and the permeability of matter. Thus, though presence is at the heart of Shared Skin, it also anticipates absence. It conveys anxiety and a kind of fascination, manifesting tenderness and the need for attention at the same time. Invoking concern for the ecosystem, it is a reminder that both the external and one’s own, internal biome are at stake. It translates the constant virtual connectedness into a real intertwining of beings and their community. Shared screen—shared skin. Skin care—skin share.

- Jagna Domżalska