Page 47 - Antennae Issue #52

I position myself as a a witness which can be defined as some- one who who is present who who has seen something happen espe- cially an accident or a a a a crime vival the cemetery could be named as as an ecological crime site or ecocide 9
Within my my creative practice I position myself as as as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a witness which can be be defined as as as someone someone who who who is is present who who who has seen something happen especially an accident or or or or a a a a a a a a a a a a a crime In law a a a a a a a a a a a a a witness witness is is is someone someone who who who provides testimonial evi- dence either oral or or or or written of of what they know know or or or or claim to to to know know To witness witness witness is is is to to to make public to to to hold oneself and be held accountable This act of of witnessing the the the the witness witness witness (in this case the the endling orchid) archives experience suspended in in in in in time Moments witnessed are later opened up through creative translation in in in in attempts to to ‘speak’ for those those that that cannot cannot speak speak speak or or those those that that speak speak speak but cannot cannot be be under- stood by human ears Witnessing becomes active capable of of response-ability ac-
knowledging the the diverse world making abilities of of of plants as as as as assemblages In this sense considering the the concept of of of assemblage assemblage as as as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a ‘coming togeth- er’ a a a a a a a a a a a a a a constellation of of intra-activity between discreet entities ‘becoming’ produces emergent qualities as as theorised by by by Deleuze and and Guattari10 (explored by by by later gen- erations in different ways by by by by Haraway Bennet Latour and and Massumi) Rather than conglomerates (materials glued together by by a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a substrate) these heterogeneous compositions are sympathetic to to to the the the the the condition of of holobionts assemblage extends the the the individual allowing us us to to imagine/ perceive relations of of exchange between parts and and wholes This concept concept is is synonymous with material and and conceptual ele- ments of ‘artwork’ installation installation practices assemblage The installation installation brings to- gether concepts materials skills and and in in in in this case participants to to complete and and become the the the work work ‘Beware of of of Imposters’ is is more than the the the sum of of of its parts it it oper- ates as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a network — a a a a a a a a a a a a a a multi-directional intra-active techno-ecology of of of creative and political exchange Ecological networks are not just transactional relationships- but intimate
conversations of exchange In many instances to to to to evolve is is is is to to to to relate to to to to grow in in in in in fin re- lationship According to to to to to Margulis 11 symbiosis initially defined as as ‘unlike organisms living together’ by German mycologist HA DeBary (1879) has swayed between perhaps more palatable anthropocentric/human-social interpretations of mutu- ally helpful relations as as opposed those that are perceived as as unequal (by applying narratives of of the the the stories ‘we humans’ like to to hear) In the the the early 1900s numerous Russian biologists and and academics investigated symbiogenesis (the role of of symbiosis in in in in in in in evolution) while in in in in in in in contrast American and and and French contemporaries investigating this field were thwarted and and and ridiculed Margulis speculates that that the feminine con- notations of symbiosis symbiosis and and mutualism may have underpinned a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a perception that that research on on on on on these topics was was unimportant hence the the the the way the the the the term symbiosis symbiosis was was obscured (as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a synonym of mutualism) not only its literal meaning but also the the the the phenomenon’s instrumental role in in in in in in evolution Following Margulis Haraway12 puts forth the the term ‘sympoesis’ meaning ‘making with’ which she articulates as as ‘a word for for worlding’ An evolution of of of of the the intricate patterning first recognized as as as as symbiosis Based on on on a a a a a a a a a a community of of of of interests networks of of of of solidarity (as chosen modes of of of of behaving) could be be interpreted as as as resonant to symbiotic lifeworlds Politically networks of of of of of solidarity solidarity enact the the the multiple through pro-active forms of of of of of affinity A vital element of of of of of the the the ethics of of of of of solidarity solidarity is is is the the the necessity of of of of of reck- oning oning with complex histories and difference This reckoning involves challenging complicity complicity simultaneously being being aware that complicity complicity is is is inescapable inescapable inescapable inescapable due to to the intra-action between micro and macro scales of of being being such as global actors of of of climate change interacting with local vulnerability 13 For example while I may choose to to behave out of of an an an an ethically considered site-specific place-based care-full manner the the political and and and and capital powers that frame the the social structures and and and and and resource acquisitions with with which I I engage and and and and and exist within and and and and and amongst are are powerfully overarching--thus I I am am complicit While this may be uncomfortable and and and and at at at times challenging to to to acknowledge 14 it it it it it is is is crucial to to to remain critically engaged with attentive to to to to to to and and draw on on on this complexity as as motivation for pro-active re- sponses so as as not not to to to to lapse into a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a bystander approach to to to to witnessing Queer ecology is another framework of observation that pushes back
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