The first image of the earth in 1968 has forever changed our ways of thinking about our planet:  its fragile beauty became the icon of the environmental movement, and its dispersed wholeness in photographic reproductions must remind us of the binding condition between humanity and nature in the age of the Anthropocene, if not back then: life is ecological, and has to be perceived, imagined, and reflected as “ecological.” 

With the raised awareness of the ecological exigency in today’s world, this reading group joins in the collective endeavor to rethink the ecological condition of human beings by addressing the key question: how have arts and humanities––as representations––contributed to a historically evolving vision of the ecological (as in the case of the image of the blue marble)? What new modes of representation are being called upon to bring about the urgency as well as potential of ecologizing our Anthropocentric way of living? We contend that to be ecological does not simply mean to be at one with nature (a localized, romanticized, or idealized one-worldism), but to look at the concrete mediations––be it collaborative, complementary, or antagonistic––within the matrix of interconnection. Hence, ecology is first and foremost an issue of “representing,” and to represent ecology becomes a double challenge at the level of both form and content.

Following this line of inquiry, this reading group will engage with a variety of artistic and scholarly works from around the world, examining how these works reflect and reshape our relationship with the planet. As laid out, our discussions will not only focus on how ecological themes are represented but also on how these representations can foster an ecologically integrated mindset, encouraging a shift from anthropocentric narratives to perspectives that include a wide array of regional-ecological interactions.

With this, we also aim to consider and connect the universal and particular aspects of ecological representation, fostering a richer and more nuanced understanding across traditions and cultures (for instance, European and East Asian). While the conceptual claim of ecologizing should be universal, the mode, process, and result of representation have to remain cultural- and regional-specific, so that the scholarly and activist nature of this enterprise can be combined to contribute to a potential rethinking of our place within the global ecosystem. We are confident that our meetings will serve as a vibrant forum for sharing insights, challenging established narratives, and collectively exploring effective pathways to enhance our ecological consciousness and responsibility on a global scale.

Fall Schedule:

• September 18, 2024 (Wed), In-person, 4:30 - 6:00 pm - Introductory meeting
• October 9, 2024 (Wed), East Pyne 012 & Zoom, 4:30 - 6:00 pm - What is nature and how do we deal with it? (Gernot Böhme, Timothy Morton & Rachel Carson)
• November 6, 2024 (Wed), East Pyne 012 & Zoom, 4:30 - 6:00 pm - Re-thinking Art and Ecology (Jason A. Hoelscher & Hanneke Grootenboer)
• December 4, 2024 (Wed), East Pyne 012 & Zoom, 4:30 - 6:00 pm -  Interconnective Politics: Theorization (Daniel Mathews, Greg Thomas & Catriona Mortimer-Sandilands)

Spring Schedule: (TBD)