Toxic Temple: An Artistic and Philosophical Adventure into the Toxicity of the Now

by Anna Lerchbaumer (editor), Kilian Jörg (Editor)

In this era of catastrophe, can a cosmic connection be achieved through a cult of pollution? Toxic Temple is an artistic-philosophical quest to understand the current parlous state of the world. We offer our inner contradictions and destructive lusts as objects of worship. We enter wastelands instead of new territory, leaving space for artifacts, expressing solidarity with the factual. We encounter colorful assemblages of things that connect the known cosmos, tread the shaky ground of novel divinity, inhale pungent odors that transport us to the sublime. Garbage dumps are the new temples. In a mania of sadistic composure we breathe in the here and now. Transformative forces are released, free radicals; rituals that expose the chaos that lurks beneath the surface.

208 pages, Hardcover

Published June 30, 2022

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd collection of poems, essays, and photographs all connected to the Toxic Temple, a philosophical art installation that utilises trash as its central focus. The collection grapples with our relationship with trash in a world impacted by climate change. Like most anthologies, some essays worked for me, some didn't, but overall I think this was a very interesting project and I'm glad I found this while I was browsing the library.