Join the first session of the Reading Group. Through readings by Donna Haraway, Roger Caillois, and Elizabeth Bishop, we will explore new ways of living together in today’s more-than-human world, and learn languages that support them. Sign up at re@rietveldacademie.nl. This session is open to public.
When: Tuesday 30 May, 16:00–18:00 hrs
Where: Room 621 BC
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Human animals are not the only creatures populating planet Earth. However, their behavior, past and (still all too often) present, doesn’t show an awareness of this simple fact. Other relationships between human and non-human animals have to be forged, acknowledging a collective engagement with the world. But how can one do that? And what are non-human animals’ desires, wishes, and needs? Or: ‘What would animals say if we asked them the right questions?’ (Vinciane Despret)
Readings:
Haraway, “Chicken” (6p)
Caillois, “Imagination (Octopus)” (25p)
Bishop, “The Fish” https://poets.org/poem/fish-2
About the Reading Group
Faced with a planetary ecological crisis that is both extremely close and too large to fathom, this Reading Group speculates on ways of living together otherwise in today’s more-than-human world. We read and discuss texts together, varying from essays to books and short stories, poems, snippets of film or sound that help us in our quest: new ecologies that are more sustainable than the one we’re currently living are to be found, that much is certain. Patterns and behaviors deemed healthy and beneficial for too long have to be unlearned. But what does another rhythm of living entail? And what is a ‘good life’ today anyways? According to whom? For and with whom?
Reading, talking, being silent and listening together, we want to not only collectively explore more sustainable ways of living life on planet Earth, but also learn languages that support them. To that end, each session is dedicated to a theme that familiarizes us with specific questions and vocabularies. The first get-together focusses on ANIMALS (NON-HUMAN); the second one on PERSPECTIVES.
The various writings will be delved into in Real-Life gatherings. Besides that, this Reading Group is working towards a digital archive that assembles the material we’ve worked with. Ours is a cry for alternative voices, urgent & urgently different perspectives, new languages and (their) readings in a precarious & fragile world. Please feel free to join!
Sign up for the Reading Group by sending an email to re@rietveldacademie.nl. You will then receive the texts by Donna Haraway, Roger Caillois and Elizabeth Bishop. The second session will take place in the first semester of next academic year.