In 2022, the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Art (ICMA) at the George Enescu National University of Arts, Iași (UNAGE Iași), in partnership with ElectroPutere Gallery, Craiova, published the English-language volume Is History OK? by German artist Johannes Hugo Stoll, the inaugural publication in the 1/1 Collection, edited by Adrian Bojenoiu and Cristian Nae. Developed in conjunction with the exhibition of the same title, curated by Adrian Bojenoiu, the publication examines the historical, political, and social implications of the COVID-19 pandemic through an artistic investigation that combines historical enquiry, microbiological research, and critical reflection.

The 1/1 Collection presents individual artistic research projects developed by contemporary artists in collaboration with the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Art (ICMA). The selected projects seek to generate alternative forms of knowledge through intersectional methodologies while imagining micro-histories that challenge dominant heteronormative, colonial, capitalist, Eurocentric, and anthropocentric discursive practices.

Johannes Hugo Stoll, working under the name Future Grandpa’s Secret Recipe, explores contemporary social realities, public health policies, and global decision-making processes. His work seeks to illuminate the cognitive mechanisms, decision-making strategies, and power dynamics that shape humanity as a whole.

The exhibition, entitled Is History OK? and curated by Adrian Bojenoiu, situates the socio-political and economic transformations precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic within a broader historical context. By critically examining the present through the lens of the past, the project interrogates the intersection of history and contemporary challenges. Stoll introduces significant historical figures, such as Emperor Wilhelm I, into the pandemic discourse — not merely as thought experiments, but as symbolic and scientifically contextualised agents within his artistic inquiry.

To this end, the artist employs an innovative and provocative methodology: he collects microbial samples from the nasal cavity of the statue of the King of Prussia, sculpted by Adolf Heer in 1897 and located in the centre of Karlsruhe, Germany. These samples are analysed in a specialised microbiology laboratory, with the results presented as a large-scale printed poster. Through this interplay of science, symbolism, and historical resonance, Stoll invites viewers to reflect on the enduring connections between historical narratives and contemporary realities.

Editorial Series: 1/1 Collection

Edition: English

Editors: Adrian Bojenoiu and Cristian Nae

Curator: Adrian Bojenoiu

Authors: Cristina Moraru, Cristian Nae, Adrian Bojenoiu, Johannes Hugo Stoll

English Translation: Daniela Rogobete

Photography: Johannes Hugo Stoll

Graphic Design: Timo Grimberg / arc gestaltung

Paper: Mondi Maestro Print

Printing and binding: PIM

Published by: Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Art (ICMA), ElectroPutere Gallery

Publishing House: Artes

ISBN: 978-606-547-511-3