Towards multispecies justice: non-anthropocentric ecocritical methods and practices

Tsionki, Marianna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7770-2076 (2024) Towards multispecies justice: non-anthropocentric ecocritical methods and practices. HOLOTIPUS. ISSN 2704-7547 (In Press)

Abstract

This article examines contemporary artistic practices that challenge entrenched Western binaries such as nature/culture and humanity/animality, aiming to create new frameworks for perceiving the more-than-human world. Through four case studies—The Embassy of the North Sea, Gustafsson&Haapoja’s The Museum of Nonhumanity, Ursula Biemann's Forest Mind, and Kyriaki Goni's Data Garden—the article explores how these works foreground nonhuman agency and present alternative ways of engaging with ecological crises. Drawing on frameworks from eco-criticism, posthumanism, and ecocritical aesthetics, the article situates these artistic practices within a broader discourse that critiques the limitations of anthropocentric thinking. By engaging with concepts such as ‘natureculture’ (Haraway, 2003), the essay explores how these works challenge dualistic Western epistemologies and propose a more entangled understanding of human and nonhuman relations. Goni’s Data Garden, for instance, imagines hybrid plant entities that communicate through human language, while Biemann’s Forest Mind integrates Indigenous epistemologies to foreground alternative ways of knowing and understanding the environment. Central to this discussion is the role of aesthetics in shaping political consciousness and action. Building on T.J. Demos’ (2014) argument that artistic practices participate in a wider realm of aesthetic experience, establishing ecocritical discourse, and Jacques Rancière's (2013) concept of the ‘distribution of the sensible,’ the essay argues that these works do not merely represent ecological issues but actively intervene in political structures by challenging what is seen, heard, and deemed valuable. Through their aesthetic strategies, the artists create spaces for critical reflection and action, particularly concerning ecological justice and the environmental impacts of human activities. The Embassy of the North Sea and the Museum of Nonhumanity, for example, operate as critical interventions into legal and ethical frameworks, questioning the rights and roles of nonhuman entities. These works encourage audiences to engage with questions of ecological justice, interspecies ethics, and the rights of nonhuman beings, opening up new avenues for political and ethical reflection. In conclusion, this article highlights how the case studies presented contribute meaningfully to contemporary discussions surrounding the Anthropocene and ecological crises. By weaving together aesthetic and political concerns, these works offer crucial critiques of anthropocentrism and deepen our understanding of human/nonhuman interdependence. They invite audiences to envision a more equitable and symbiotic future for all entities within the ecological system.

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