Investigating and imagining human-nature-technology relationships through dance

Authors

  • Julia Rijssenbeek Wageningen University and Research
  • Aafke Fraaije

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59391/fbbztk90

Keywords:

art-humanities-science collaboration, dance-based research, moral imagination, human-environment relationships, posthumanism

Abstract

An increasingly popular response to Western thinking about human dominance over nature is posthumanism. Rather than addressing the challenges of anthropocentrism by focusing on yet another grand perspective in response to it, we propose that environmental philosophers engage in arts-based research to reflect on how to relate differently to non-human life and our environment. This article explores how arts-based research, particularly dance-based methods, can enhance environmental philosophers’ moral imagination in rethinking human-environment relations. It discusses the dance film Cobalt (2024) as a case study to explore how embodied movement can explore the human-environment relationship beyond verbal discourse, leading to expressive and imaginative responses. Screenings of Cobalt in academic settings engaged participants in discussions that revealed diverse interpretations, demonstrating the film’s potential to challenge dominant perspectives on human-environment relationships and to foster the moral imagination essential for addressing current environmental crises.

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Published

2025-01-15