Monthly Archives: December 2014

Only Human? and what of autonomy?

This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

Thom Van Dooren quotes (p. 141) Val Plumwood saying,

When we hyperseparate ourselves from nature and reduce it conceptually, we not only lose the ability to empathise and to see the non-human sphere in ethical terms, but also get a false sense of our own character and location that includes an illusory sense of agency and autonomy. (Plumwood 2009:117)

Van Dooren is seeking to challenge the idea of human exceptionalism – that we stand above nature. He highlights aspects of the philosophical tradition particularly referencing Heidegger, though the trajectory is at least 400 years (Descartes would be another figure, but wouldn’t we need to go back to the Greeks) – Western philosophy has insistently sought the distinction between man and animal.

But for a moment I want to focus on the artistic tradition, and in particular Val Plumwood’s word ‘autonomy.’

In the modern tradition, artists’ autonomy has been linked with criticality and has authorised the artist (across artforms but for the purposes of this argument thinking through visual art) to reflect on society, whether that is Manet, Picasso, Kaprow or Jeremy Deller. In the practice of art this autonomy, this ability to reflect, comment and critique society through art is important, but in broader cultural terms we might want to question whether the artist becomes the poster child or flag bearer that has contributed to a wider idea of human autonomy?

Thinking of Van Dooren’s long history of human exceptionalism, Giorgio Vasari‘s construction of Michelangelo’s life might be a key point, in parallel with the philosophical tradition. Vasari asserts Michelangelo’s genius as being so great that he can break any rule,

So Michelangelo produced a design of incomparable richness, variety, and originality, for in everything he did he was in no need of architectural rules, either ancient or modern, being an artist with the power to invent varied and original things as beautiful as those of the past. (p.397)

That this genius could surpass nature,

To be sure, if the enmity that exists between fortune and genius, between the envy of the one and the skill of the other, had allowed this work to be completed, then art would have demonstrated that it surpassed nature in every way. (p.369)

That Michelangelo releases artists from limitations,

In this all artists are under a great and permanent obligation to Michelangelo, seeing that he broke the bonds and chains that had previously confined them to the creation of traditional forms. (p.366)

And finally that the artist is categorically exceptional,

Moreover, he [God] determined to give this artist the knowledge of true moral philosophy and the gift of poetic expression, so that everyone might admire and follow him as their perfect exemplar in life, work, and behaviour and in every endeavour, and he would be acclaimed as divine. (p.325)

Perhaps in questioning human exceptionalism, artists need to question the way their autonomy reads as part of wider dominant Western cultural assumptions? Perhaps criticality needs to be turned on autonomy and exceptionalism? There is a long history to our culture which now finds itself extinguishing so much with so little thought.

Van Dooren reframes the situation through mourning (p.144),

In this context, mourning with crows is about more than any single species, or any number of individual species, but must instead be a process of relearning our place in a shared world: the evolutionary continuities and the ecological connectivities that make our lives possible at all.

Join us on Sunday 16 November for Thom Van Dooren‘s session 12.30-14.00 James Arnott Theatre, Gilmorehill Halls, part of the Only Human Glasgow programme.
References:

Van Dooren, Thom, Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction, Columbia University Press, 2014

Vasari, Giorgio, Lives of the Artists, Penguin 1982/1965

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.

It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.

Go to EcoArtScotland

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Green Tease Reflections: Guddling About

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

A few weeks ago our monthly Green Tease group gathered in the cosy surroundings of Tchai Ovna teahouse in Glasgow’s west end to talk about water. We were joined by artists Minty Donald and Nick Millar who led the group in a session around our current understandings of water and how we might develop new ‘tactics’ for engaging with this dynamic non-human force.

In 2013 Minty and Nick travelled to Calgary, Canada to undertake a residency with the city’s Water Services department. In the context of a flood that swept the city in June that year, costing £5 billion worth of damage and repairs, the artists were plunged into a complex context in which to respond to the city and its inhabitants’ changing relationship with the Bow River in Calgary.

Bringing it back home, the artists invited Green Tease to undertaken a series of performative experiments on the nearby River Kelvin which they had devised in Canada named ‘guddling about’. This term, Minty explained, was chosen for its onomatopoetic qualities as well as its reference to a playful, childlike activity which they hoped to achieve through the series of actions.

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As the light faded we stomped down to varying points along the riverside to undertake the experiments instructed to us on a series of white cards:

#1 Water Carry,

#2 Water Borrow,

#3 Where Water Goes

Each experiment asked us to perform a different action – carrying the water in our palms for as far as possible; transferring the water of one puddle to another (using a turkey baster); and throwing degradable materials into the river to watch them float away. These seemingly simple acts on paper became more complex when we were confronted with the wet weather, the rushing pace of the Kelvin after heavy rainfall and the lack of easy entry points to the river from the park. This contrast of written instruction versus the lived experience served to highlight what Minty and Nick call ‘vital materialism’ – unveiling the agency of non-human entities such as water, weather and the climate.

Back in the teahouse we heard more about the Calgary residency and some of the key issues it raised for the artists. One area which caught their attention was the politics around the representation of water and natural resources more generally in Canada. Nick highlighted the global perception of Canada as a country boasting an abundance of clean resources and energy sources. In his understanding, however, the cleanliness of the Bow River in Calgary, in which the city and its residents prided themselves, was partially sustained by energy income generated through Alberta’s tar sands industry.

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The evening’s discussion finished with the question of what role, if any, Minty and Nick saw themselves playing as artists in relation to moving towards a more sustainable society. Minty emphasised that their approach is to set out to try and understand stuff rather than necessarily being ‘effective’. Nick added to this, stating his cynicism towards some of the ways in which environmental issues are currently tackled. He identified the important role of questioning which artists can play when faced with the challenges of resource depletion or climate change, rounding off the session with an open-endedness which chimed with the unpredictable and dynamic qualities of the evening’s early activities.

To learn more about Green Tease click here. If you wish to be added to our Green Tease mailing list please email gemma.lawrence@creativecarbonscotland.com.

The post Green Tease Reflections: Guddling About appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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Emergence Releases Arts and Sustainability Report

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

“Encouraging, example-packed and comprehensive this gets to the heart of the question ‘why arts and sustainability?’ This report articulates both the need and the possibility for embedding sustainability in the arts, which it becomes clear are the same need and possibility for embedding the arts in society. Just like art, sustainability is not something to add to our lives, it is inherent in our lives.” -Ben Twist on Culture Shift

The report draws attention to how a growing number of artists are leading a paradigm shift in values and relationships around access to future resources, with the aims that the work conducted by these artists will be able to inform the future of policy-making. Working as a comprehensive review of innovative research as well as a call to action, Culture Shift is a valuable resource for redefining the possibilities of art as a major social influencer.

More information is available on the Emergence website. Click to view the report in both English and Welsh.

The post Emergence Releases Arts and Sustainability Report appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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Culture(s) in Sustainable Futures: theories, policies, practices

This post comes to you from Cultura21

International Transdisciplinary Conference

May 6-8, 2015 | Helsinki, Finland

Is culture the fourth pillar of sustainability alongside the ecological, economic and social aspects? How does culture act as a catalyst for ecological sustainability, human well-being and economic viability?  What would our futures look like if sustainability was embedded in the multiple dimensions of culture?
This landmark conference explores the roles and meanings of culture in sustainable development. The new ideas generated in the conference will inform and advance understandings of sustainability with cultural studies and practices, and vice versa. The invited speakers of the conference are internationally well-known scholars and actors in this field:http://www.culturalsustainability.eu/helsinki2015/speakers
Find out more about the sessions planned

A session of particular interest will be the session Artistic urban interventions: A sustainable heritage?

This session was organized by the Centre for Regional Science at Umeå University (CERUM), Sweden (a, b); Institute of Sociology and Cultural Organization (ISKO) at Leuphana University, Germany (c).

This session will address urban culture(s) in sustainable futures, with hindsight on a heritage of artistic urban interventions. How do artists problematize public space, private space and urban commons? Which experiences of place do artistic interventions bring? Which potentials do artistic interventions hold for relating urban cultural practices to the ecological, social, economic and cultural dimensions of sustainability? Where are the limits, risks and potential perverse effects of artistic interventions addressing issues of (un)sustainability?

Papers from scholars and practitioners are invited, who focus, investigate and problematize the heritage of artistic interventions into urban cultures, and who address future policy orientations. What do we know about the effects and impact of such interventions? Do they remain as monuments, as traces, as memories, as visions, as heterotopian islands, or as drivers for sustainability transformation?

CALL FOR PAPERS

Call For Papers open October 20 to December 5, 2014

The organizers are inviting proposals for paper presentations in 19 sessions within the following four thematic streams:
THEORIES, CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES AND METHODOLOGIES

  • Linking cultural and natural: Cultural ecosystem services, biocultural diversity, capabilities
  • Framing culture(s) in sustainable development: Breaking the boundaries
  • Developing assessment tools for measuring culture in sustainable development: Theoretical and practical approaches
  • Landscape as heritage: A central idea for the role of culture in sustainability?
  • The role of participative and perceptive maps in building and preserving sustainable culture(s)

INCORPORATING CULTURE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

  • Operationalizing culture in the sustainable development of cities
  • Culture and politics of development: Ethical challenges
  • Cultural and creative industries and sustainable development: Miracle or myth?
  • The role of cultural policy/ies in sustainable development
  • Governing cultural heritage – Governing the future? The role of cultural heritage in sustainable development

CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS

  • Values in place: The interior dimension of sustainability
  • Local movements in sustainable transitions
  • Local museums and heritage sites: What roles in community transitions?
  • The roles of design in the quest for sustainable futures
  • Cultures of using and disposing

CRAFTING AND GRAFTING URBAN AND RURAL ENVIRONMENTS

  • The nature-culture nexus for more sustainable and just protected areas
  • Strategic gardening: Mobilizing cultural aspects of gardening in sustainable development
  • The transformative potential of cultural and artistic endeavours for sustainable rural futures
  • Artistic urban interventions: A sustainable urban heritage?

For further information about the individual sessions within these thematic streams, please see:
http://www.culturalsustainability.eu/helsinki2015/sessions-1
Proposals from all disciplines will be considered, provided they make an original academic contribution to the study of culture and sustainability and explicitly analyse multiple dimensions of culture in sustainable development. The abstracts (250-300 words) should be submitted through an online submission system.

SEE ALSO:

  • Call for transdisciplinary panels for debates on a specific theme among scientists, policymakers, and practitioners.
  • Call for contributions for posters, artistic expressions and performances to explore the relationship between culture and sustainability through different presentational forms, employing the methods of science and/or arts.

For further information, please see:
http://www.culturalsustainability.eu/helsinki2015/Call-for-proposals

Selected full papers and other contributions will be published in conference proceedings and in a book within the recently launched book series “Routledge Studies in Culture and Sustainable Development.”
The conference is organised by the COST Action “Investigating Cultural Sustainability” (www.culturalsustainability.eu) and hosted by the University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy.
Submit your proposal and join the dialogue!

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Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21′s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in Lüneburg, Germany) and Rana Öztürk (based in Berlin, Germany)
– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)
– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)
– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

Go to Cultura21

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