Anthropocene Narratives

Catalog description

What, when, and who is the Anthropocene? We are living in a dramatic period in which we are re-thinking how Nature and culture relate to one another. The geological metaphors, entangled histories, situated narratives, ecology, science studies, art, literature, science fiction, and bioinformatics that combine in Anthropocene conceptions both link and divide the Global North and South. In this course, we consider the historical background of the Anthropocene concept, why the debates over when it started are so vitriolic, and what it means in contrast to the many other ’–ocenes’ proposed (Capitalocene, Chthulucene, Plantationocene, Anglocene, etc…). Using books by Anna Tsing such as The Mushroom at the End of the World and Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet, Facing Gaia by Bruno Latour, and Staying with the Trouble by Donna Haraway as guideposts we will explore ways of envisioning the natural world and its intersection with human culture. In particular, we will frame our individual perceptions of water, energy, fossil fuels, and plastics in light of contemporary discourses. This class is partnered with the ‘Art of the Anthropocene’ course taught by Prof. Eugenia Kisin. We will combine cohorts for shared field trips and guest speakers and will work together to build toward an art-science exhibition that will be shown on Governors Island in the WetLab house in Fall 2022.