A panel discussion featuring artists, scholars and writers on the subject of "thingness." What are the political and ethical implications of considering all objects—whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, even whether animate or inanimate—equivalent and thereby interchangeable?
Moderated by Katherine Behar, sociologist Noortje Marres, media scholar Shannon Mattern and urban designer David Turnbull discuss how this kind of perspective changes the conversation around sustainability as well as human interaction. What happens when technology reaches the scale of cities? Can an object bear responsibility that has previously been reserved for humans? Beginning with the artist's sometimes contentious relationship to material presence as a platform for the examination of these questions, this panel considers the constellation of disciplines including architecture, ecology, global geography, urban studies, and anthropology that are tackling these questions.
New York City, NY; NYC