Reception for Modest Forms of Biocultural Hope

A person dressed in armor made of woven grass, including a voluminous mantle made from seaweed and other undistinguishable natural materials.

Date and Time

Wed Oct 3, 2018 5:00pm

Part of the Exhibition

Reception

Light refreshments and a live Forest Warrior will be on hand to sustain you. Complimentary parking is available in 17G, but please consider carpooling or using alternative modes of transit - your choice will become an interactive part of the exhibition...

About the Exhibition

Can species thrive together? Can we learn from nature to remediate environmental problems? Is hope possible in the Anthropocene?

Western Gallery’s fall exhibition focuses on these questions as well as creative efforts to address ecological concerns. The exhibition runs through December 8. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

The exhibition title—“Modest Forms of Biocultural Hope”—comes from an essay by the artist and ethnographer Eben Kirksey. While powerful forces have tried to appropriate the idea of hope, equating it to human-centered blanket “solutions” to global warming and extinction, Kirksey has argued for a multispecies approach. Rather than focusing on individual species, he explores the intersections of all lifeforms, searching for clues in their entangled relations.

Practical and concrete acts of interspecies care can serve as anchoring points for collaborative action, he suggests, if they are grounded in biocultural possibilities and open-ended pursuit of livable futures. To Kirksey, even in the blasted landscapes of ecological disasters, toxic specters can be transformed into figures of hope.

Events and exhibitions are free and open to the public unless stated otherwise. Visitor information