State of the Art Network

A Multidisciplinary collaboration facing the Anthropocene

Initiated and hosted by Isop (formerlyThe Independent Air)
Curated by Erich Berger/Bioart society, Marietta Radomska/The Posthumanities Hub, Andrea Pontippidan/Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology and Line & Sissel Thastum/Isop
Funded by Statens kunstfond, Nordic Culture Point and Nordisk kulturfond.

How can Nordic and Baltic photographic art, literature, researchers, cultural organisations and institutions deal with the Anthropocene Epoch? How can we work with the subject and how can we collaborate across national borders, disciplines and artistic methodologies?
With these questions in mind we would like to gather a group of Nordic and Baltic players from different arts and knowledge areas that work with, or interested in the subject, for a seminar where we can discuss opportunities, challenges and goals for how we can jointly benefit from each other's work and together make a difference.

In October 2018 a group of Nordic and Baltic artists, writers, researchers and art organisations came together in Silkeborg, Denmark to share their practice, inspire each other and discuss the role of art and multidisciplinary collaborations in the light of the current global ecological crises.

Participants: Veronika Geiger (DK), Maija Annikki Savolainen (FI), Tinna Grétarsdóttir & Pia Lindman // Chill Survive network (IS), Ananda Serné (IS/NL), Sissel Thastum (DK), Stinus Duch (DK) & Line Thastum // Isop, Pauliina Leikas & Robin Everett // Mustarinda Association (FI), Erich Berger // Bioart Society (FI), Lotte Fløe (DK), David Breida (FO/SE), Jonas Gren (SE), Andreas Vermehren Holm (DK/NO), Silja E K Henderson (DK), Janna Holmstedt (SE), Jan van Boeckel (NL/ES), Christian Danielewitz (DK), Ingrid Storholmen (NO), Cecilia Åsberg (SE) & Marietta Radomska (SE/FI/PL) // The Posthumanities Hub, Andrea Pontoppidan // Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology (DK).

The Ability to Respond - The ‘We’ of the Anthropocene - presentations, dialogues and responses between disciplines Who is the ‘we’ of the Anthropocene? How can art, theory, science and activism allow us to engage with the complexity and relationality between the current ecological crises and different forms of oppression, discrimination and injustice towards both human and nonhuman others? Artists/presenters: Cecilia Åsberg and Janna Holmstedt Moderator: Marietta Radomska / The Posthumanities Hub

The Ability to Respond - Language - presentations, dialogues and responses between disciplines How can we re-learn to listen to this “nature” that is not just an “event” that takes places “outside” the human individual, and instead understand it as a common bond between what is us, the other?

The Ability to Respond - Deep Time - presentations, dialogues and responses between disciplines Can an understanding of deep time lead to an understanding of the present for a liveable deep future? Artists/presenters: Erich Berger/ Bioart Society and Christian Danielewitz Moderator: Sissel Thastum Guest artist: Veronika Geiger