Care
Natureculture refers to the entanglement of multispecies histories (Haraway, 2003). This synthesis between nature and culture recognizes the inseparability of the biophysical and social relationships. Care in this sense is attending to this incongruous world, that encompasses our bodies, ourselves, and our environment, “all of which we seek to interweave in a complex, life-sustaining web” (Tronto, 1993 in Puig de la Bellacasa, 2011).
Over the past decade, the “crisis of care” has grown more evident in our society. It is endemic to neoliberalism (Miller & Coombs, 2022), as we forgo our basic needs to care for ourselves and others in exchange for a stronger economy. Even in the business of caring, we keep turning back to hierarchical dominative dualism of the powerful over the subordinate. This condition we face as artists and designers in the midst of society and its problems is not all that unlike from this position.
This sub-theme is interested to explore new and old ways in which we create methods and apparatuses to break the boundaries of disciplines and neoliberal paradigms to care for our biophysical and social space and sphere:
- How do art, craft, and design contribute in identifying problems of care for society and/or nature?
- What methods or tools can we use to encourage sustainability in the practice of care?
- What are the roles of art, craft, and design in growing the culture of care?
- How can we creatively respond to problems that hinder societal cohesion, individual well-being, and/or ecological balance?
Scope: Art & design for well-being, community-based projects, environmental art, ecodesign