Bienal de Pontevedra

This is one of Eva Koťátková's best-known works, in which she introduces empathy as a tool that connects us to each other and to the world around us. This large-scale installation features an inclusive space where humans, animals, plants and objects interact as equals. This performative space opens to storytelling based on compassion and care by serving as a refuge for those who feel excluded. Through activities rethinking social norms, Machine for Restoring Empathy invites visitors to explore new ways of seeing the world and strengthening our connections. Besides her artistic side, Koťátková is co-founder of the Institute of Anxiety, a collaborative space for artists, thinkers and activists that see anxiety as a result of social, political and economic factors. She believes that both structural and critical change can be achieved not only by fighting against the system, but also through everyday actions that involve community building and sharing.