PRACTICING COEXISTENCE Entanglements Between Ecology and Curating Art Essi Vesala ___________________________________________________________________ Department of Culture and Aesthetics at Stockholm University International Master’s Programme in Curating Art, including Management and Law VT 2019 Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Art History 106 91 Stockholms universitet 08-16 20 00 Supervisor: Mårten Snickare Title and subtitle: PRACTICING COEXISTENCE: Entanglements Between Ecology and Curating Art Author: Essi Emilia Vesala Author’s contact information: [email protected] Essay Level: Master’s Thesis Ventilation semester: VT 2019 ABSTRACT: This thesis formulates ecological thinking in curatorial practices, as a way to act against neoliberal values, far-right politics and find ways to work in a sensitive way in a time of accelerating ecological crisis. The current socio-political landscape, and its oppressive forces, influence profoundly the art world and whole societies at large. This thesis starts by looking how those forces affect artistic and curatorial practices, and suggests, that a counter-action for these threats could be a practice, that is informed by ecological thinking. Different, ecologically motivated curatorial practices are discussed with curators Jenni Nurmenniemi and Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, as well as collective Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology. Some additional examples are drawn from the work of Mustarinda association. What comes clear, is that ecological thinking is much more than thinking about the environment or sustainability, but rather, it has connection points with theories of new materialisms, post-fossil experimentation and decolonial thought, all of which are also interconnected and entangled. This thesis gathers a praxis, that is informed by said ecological thinking, which functions both as a thinking and a doing. Ecological thinking is about radical coexistence and entangled in the materialities of the more than human world. Ecologically informed practice, then, could mean paying attention to material dimensions of practices, slowing down and rethinking exhibition formats. Keywords: curatorial, neoliberalism, slow institutions, soft values, new materialisms, ecological thinking, coexistence, post-fossil fuel society 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 6 Aim ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Research Questions .................................................................................................................... 8 Method & Material ..................................................................................................................... 8 Jenni Nurmenniemi .............................................................................................................. 10 Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez .................................................................................................... 11 Elena Lundquist Ortíz from Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology................................... 11 Mustarinda Association........................................................................................................ 12 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................ 12 The Post-Anthropocentric Turn ........................................................................................... 13 New Materialisms ................................................................................................................. 14 Post-fossil Paradigm ............................................................................................................ 16 Terminology ............................................................................................................................. 17 Ecology ................................................................................................................................. 17 More-than-human................................................................................................................. 17 Previous Research .................................................................................................................... 18 Art in the Anthropocene ....................................................................................................... 18 New Materialisms in the Arts ............................................................................................... 20 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 23 Delimitations ............................................................................................................................ 24 Thesis Structure ........................................................................................................................ 24 CHAPTER I. OPPRESSIVE CLIMATES & INSTITUTIONAL ECOLOGIES .................... 26 The Late Capitalist Order & Neoliberal Institution ................................................................. 27 Climate Crisis & the Fossil Institution ..................................................................................... 30 3 Other Political Distress............................................................................................................. 33 Towards Softer Institutional Models ........................................................................................ 34 CHAPTER II. CURATORIAL PERSPECTIVES ON ECOLOGY ........................................ 36 Jenni Nurmenniemi .................................................................................................................. 36 Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez ......................................................................................................... 39 Laboratory for Aesthetics & Ecology ...................................................................................... 42 Mustarinda Association ............................................................................................................ 43 Formulating the Ecological Thought........................................................................................ 44 Language Without Nature .................................................................................................... 45 New Materialisms ................................................................................................................. 46 Decolonialism....................................................................................................................... 48 Post-Fossil Paradigm ........................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER III. FORMULATING PRAXIS: ECOLOGICAL CURATING ........................... 52 Rethinking Exhibitions & Biennials ........................................................................................ 52 Material Dimensions ................................................................................................................ 53 Post-fossil Paradigm and Degrowth ......................................................................................... 57 Flying and Alternative Ways of Transportation ................................................................... 58 Post-Fossil Experimentalism................................................................................................ 59 Slowing Down, Finding Time .................................................................................................. 61 Curating as a Situated Practice ................................................................................................. 63 CONCLUDING DISCUSSION ............................................................................................... 66 Limitations ............................................................................................................................... 69 Further Research ...................................................................................................................... 70 Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 70 4 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................... 72 APPENDIX 1: Interview Questions 5 INTRODUCTION This thesis looks upon ecological thinking in curatorial practices, as a way to act against neoliberal values, far-right politics and find ways to work in an ecologically sensitive way in a time of accelerating ecological issues. The current socio-political landscape, and its oppressive forces, influence profoundly the art world and whole societies at large. We are witnessing, not only a rise, but more visible presence of far- right politics, with oppressing and neoliberal agendas. Another threat that our planetary being is facing is climate change, which is the burning issue of our time. However, political and ideological tendencies towards far-right and neoliberalism only accelerate the crisis. The critical state of our planetary coexistence is articulated as three distinctive, but interrelated threats: climate change, neoliberalization and the rise of far-right politics. These threats