Vivien Tauchmann

Co Esistere
2022

In a spirit of radical solidarity with nature.

The French philosopher Michel Serres claims that language anaesthetises the senses. Hence if we are truly interact and understand the world in which we live we must find ways to elevate the senses, to be embodied. In this age of climate change and continued ecological crisis, we need to come to our senses; we continue to talk about nature but we are not interested to talk with nature, to find new ways to communicate and interact with it in a spirit of solidarity. If we are going to design ‘solutions’ for our growing ecological crisis then we need to first carefully design ourselves and the tools we use before we can attempt to design the world around us.

During the workshop we explored how we can move beyond words and concepts that have become empty jargon when talking about nature, climate change and the continued ecological crisis. Instead we focused on the body and movement as the basis to create deepened relationships with nature, design via the senses, and foster empathic interactions that dislocate ossified ways of thinking of, and living with, nature. Conducted in the field of the culturally and ecologically rich region of Pennabilli (IT), the experimental course featured sound, touch, performance, movement and listening as as both materiality and design tools.

The result of the week was a piece consisting of 4 acts immersing the audiences bodies and elevated alternative forms of communication and inter-relationality with the more-than-human world.

The workshop was conducted in collaboration with design sociologist Michael Kaethler in Pennabilli (IT) and was part of the workshop series “Contamin_azioni Erranti” by Università di San Marino, Department Design and Paesaggi Migranti.