The final week of dOCUMENTA (13), the leading European art-culture-politics gathering which takes place over one summer every five years in Kassell, Germany, includes a two-part conference, at which I am speaking.
On Seeds and Multispecies Intra-Action: Disowning Life
Part 1. Monday, September 10. 10:00 – 20:00 | Ständehaus
Participants: Cheto Castellano, Vinciane Despret, Tue Greenfort, Donna Haraway, Florian Hecker, Salima Ikram, Karel Jezek, Toril Johannessen, Chus Martínez, Lissette Olivares, Claire Pentecost, Beatriz Preciado, Tron Frede Thingstad
Part 2. Saturday, September 15: 10:00 – 20:00 | Ständehaus
Keynote lecture “Seed Freedom” by Vandana Shiva. Introduction and closing comments by Ayreen Anastas, Rene Gabri, and Jürgen Heß.
Participants: Maria Thereza Alves, Mark Dion, Jimmie Durham, Josefina Hepp, Amar Kanwar, George McKay, Nalini Malani, Christian Philipp Müller, Claire Pentecost, Asif Zaidi.
On Seeds and Multispecies Intra-Action: Disowning Life is a two-day public conference that takes as its starting point dOCUMENTA (13)’s perspective to build a global alliance between different forms of worldly research and knowledges. The discussion focuses on questions around food and seeds, water and land, energy and de-growth, as well as around humans as only one form of animal and biological life amongst many others. Notions revolving around seeding and the idea of multispecies intra-action are introducing new perspectives in eco-feminism that place the problem of difference or “othering” beyond gender. Inspired by and hoping to elaborate on the interrelated horizons of two main thinkers in these fields—seeds activist Vandana Shiva and multispecies biologist and cultural theorist Donna Haraway—this final conference of dOCUMENTA (13) gathers together some of the most rigorous scholars, artists, and activists in these fields with a range of committed new voices.
Part one opens on Monday, September 10, with a sound intervention by Florian Hecker, followed by lectures by Vinciane Despret and Beatriz Preciado, and a performative contribution by Lissette Olivares and Cheto Castellano. A recorded lecture by Donna Haraway introduces the afternoon session, followed by a presentation by Salima Ikram, a talk with Tue Greenfort, and contributions by Tron Frede Thingstad, Claire Pentecost, Karel Jezek, and Toril Johannessen. The day is introduced, moderated and summarized by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev and Chus Martínez.
The second part of the conference on Saturday, September 15, commences with a lecture by George McKay and an artists’ talk with Maria Thereza Alves and Jimmie Durham. A special lunch is provided by artist Christian Philipp Müller at the Karlsaue park. Vandana Shiva opens the afternoon session with a keynote lecture, followed by a talk by Asif Zaidi, a conversation with Mark Dion, and a presentation by Josefina Hepp, who is joined in discussion by Amar Kanwar, Nalini Malani, and Claire Pentecost. The day is introduced, moderated and summarized by Ayreen Anastas, Rene Gabri, and Jürgen Heß.