At the core of "Vita Activa" lies Arendt's intricate distinction between the vita activa, or life of action, and the vita contemplativa, or life of contemplation. She delineated three primary activities that compose the vita activa: labor, work, and action. Labor encompasses the biological processes essential for sustaining life, such as eating and sleeping. Work pertains to the creation of durable objects that outlive the labor process, including buildings, tools, and artworks. Action, the pinnacle of human engagement in Arendt's schema, encapsulates the realm of speech and deed, where individuals converge to shape the common world through collective deliberation and political participation.

As action requires public space to distinguish it from the private realm of oikos, it requires the gathering within the public space of the polis. The polis is not to be understood as the Ancient Greek city-state, as a physical location or even an institution, but as Arendt formulates: “in the widest sense of the word, namely, the space where I appear to others as others appear to me”. Thus, the polis can be understood as an event, forming a concrete and autonomous zone of artistic freedom for the individual’s capacity for action and speech. Following this train of thought, when displays, exhibitions and texts initiate public discussions these formats must be considered political, propelling the space of the gallery in the political realm of action. 

Through a diverse array of artworks, "Beyond Existence" endeavors to explore the significance of these activities in contemporary society. From the mundane routines of daily life to the grand narratives of history and politics, the exhibition offers a multifaceted exploration of human engagement in all its complexity.

Moving between issues like the political dimension of womanhood (I.), to the human ability of introspection and self-reflection(II), from the relationship of inner to outer landscapes(III.), to permeable and fluent identities (IV), from the ontological need for spirituality (V.) to the exposure to pain and trauma (VI.), all the way to intrinsic prerequisites for togetherness like speech and writing (VII.) to coming to grips with a present and future determined more and more by technology (VIII.), the overarching program of “Beyond Existence” attempts a comprehensive approach to understanding what makes us human. The concept aims to contribute to ongoing conversations about the nature of human existence, agency, and collective responsibility in the contemporary world.