I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I have had a tremendous response, over 500 visitors, looking at my article and podcast on saying "Goodbye to the Anthropocene and Hello Symbiocene" that I posted on Monday. Glenn Albrecht's in-depth but very accessible ideas, in his new book 'Earth Emotions: New Words for a New World' (2019), that map the atrocities of the Anthropocene to a more harmonious future where we prioritise the thriving of all beings -the Symbiocene, seems to have struck a chord with many. Today, I was particularly excited that another Irish artist I know has a keen sense of the Symbiocene in his backyard. Eoin is an old friend of mine, we both were in the same painting class at the National College of Art and Design many years ago. We were delighted to find we will be co-exhibiting at a small exhibition organised by Imelda Healy, that is running alongside a conference 'Art in the Anthropocene' being held in Trinity College, 7-9 June 2019.
Symbiocene
Good-Bye Anthropocene – Hello Symbiocene!
The first Irish signatory to #CultureDeclaresEmergency and eco-social artist, researcher and educator, Dr Cathy Fitzgerald, discusses the new era, the Symbiocene. The Symbiocene is the new epoch in human history, beyond the ecocide of the Anthropocene, in which emergent humanity celebrates and respects all life's diversity and develops new Earth-aligned intellectual and emotional features. Cathy's talk identifies that the Symbiocene can help cultural workers and others frame their work, especially ecological art practices situated in communities that help people envision new ideas, practices and values for a better, more just and beautiful world. Cathy uses the Symbiocene to help deepen understanding of her ongoing eco-social art practice: The Hollywood Forest Story - 'the little wood that could'. See hollywoodforest.com/portfolio/ongoi…d-forest-story/ Cathy was invited by Dr. Nessa Cronin, Irish Studies, National University of Galway and Professors Karen Till and Gerry Kearns, Maynooth University, Ireland to speak for the Art & Geography: Art, Activism and Social Engagement in the Age of the Capitalocene panel at the 7th EU Geo Congress in Galway, recorded 16 May 2019. Cathy wishes to acknowledge Dr Frances Fahy and Dr. Kathy Reilly (EUGEO Conference Co-Chairs and organisers for the bursary that she was awarded that enable her to attend the congress).
EUGEO 2019 Galway: Good-Bye Anthropocene – Hello Symbiocene: articulating eco-social art practices that promote ecoliteracy and agency to help us move beyond 10,000 years of ecocide
Next week is a busy time for me in Galway. I posted last week about giving a talk about my interest in the absence of cultural policy for the environmental emergency I'm giving next Tuesday 14 May. However, later in the week I was awarded a bursary to give a short paper also…Read more EUGEO 2019 Galway: Good-Bye Anthropocene – Hello Symbiocene: articulating eco-social art practices that promote ecoliteracy and agency to help us move beyond 10,000 years of ecocide