In the exhibition Horses and Angels, British artist Maeve Brennan sets the short human timespan in relation to the vast time frame of Earth’s history. Through manifold constellations of microcosm and macrocosm, she questions a way of thinking in which humanity sees itself as the centre of system Earth. The artist explores the interconnectedness of science, extraction and energy framed by the Anthropocene.

The term Anthropocene1 is used to describe the period in Earth’s history since the 18th century in which the use of fossil fuels has fundamentally changed living conditions on the planet through human activity. Geology, which emerged at the end of the 18th century, laid the foundation for the extraction of crude oil through the exploration of rock strata. Today, the consequences of the exploitative treatment of the Earth are becoming increasingly apparent in the form of climate damage, soil contamination and species extinction.