The Lucifer Effect: Encountering Evil

From October 14th 2011 – January 2nd 2012, the Dox Center for Contemporary Art presents The Lucifer Effect: Encountering Evil. This exhibition, inspired by the book of the same title by Philip Zimbardo, a leading American psychologist wants to show how normal people can surprisingly turn evil. The exhibition presents the landmark psychology experiments from American universities in the 1960s and 70s, art work by Hans Haacke, Jenny Holzer, Harun Farocki, Antoni Muntadas and the bureau d’etudes group is presented alongside work by the Czech Pode Bal group and Magdalena Jetelová. These works help to demonstrate the corrupting effects of too much power, the relation between politics and organized crime, and much more. The exhibition also presents shocking data and disturbing information from recent Czech and world history. The exhibition also has an open call for entries to complement the exhibition (Dox is looking for appropriate street art or short videos, all of which will be included in an end of show production). To skip to the other side of extreme human behavior, the exhibition also offers another project by Philip Zimbardo that deals with heroic deeds by ordinary people, who are the heroes in waiting in society. According to Zimbardo, Václav Havel is one of such heroes.