Natureculture Lab
Info
This hybrid international workshop brings together experts in the fields of art and cultural heritage conservation, along with nature conservation. Recognizing the complexities of both domains, it focuses on the interplay between human and non-human influences on items and sites, labeled as natureculture hybrids. The workshop acknowledges that while traditional art conservation has emphasized human intentions, the materials used in artworks are also subject to change and decay beyond human control. Similarly, nature conservation has evolved from ideas of pristine wilderness to embracing human involvement in ecosystem dynamics.
During the workshop, participants will delve into important questions regarding how conservation practices can be redefined in response to unavoidable changes in materials and environments. Discussions will address how emerging theories in conservation, particularly those influenced by contemporary art, can reshape traditional approaches that prioritize stability. The aim is to explore who has the authority to determine the direction of conservation efforts, considering the historical sidelining of various voices in both cultural heritage and ecological restoration.
The current global climate and environmental challenges underscore the urgency for collaboration between art and nature conservation sectors. These fields must develop alternative perspectives and inclusive decision-making models that question the conventional role of experts. This workshop fosters dialogue, not with the expectation that one discipline has all the solutions, but to promote mutual learning in facing shared challenges.
CONTRIBUTORS
Ravi Agarwal, Lotte Arndt, Jacob Badcock, Marjolijn Bol, Sven Dupré, Josephine Ellis, Noémie Etienne, Rodney Harrison, Hanna B. Hölling, James Kuboja, Felicity Lunn, Emilie Magnin, Daniel Margoscy, Laura Martin, Julia Robles de La Pava, Christian Rosset, Munyaradzi Elton Sagiya, Friederike Schäfer, Anna Schäffler, Maartje Stols-Witlox, Aga Wielocha, Jerylee Wilkes Allemann and Glenn Wharton.
ORGANIZATION
The workshop is scheduled from Monday, January 27, through Wednesday, January 29, and will be conducted in English. If needed, discussions will also be facilitated in German and French. Participants are welcome to join in person or online at no cost. A link for online participation will be provided to registered attendees prior to the start.
It is organized by Hanna B. Hölling (HKB Bern Academy of the Arts) and Sven Dupré (Utrecht University/University of Amsterdam) with backing from various educational and scientific grants.
For inquiries, please contact natureculturelab@gmail.com.
SCHEDULE
DAY 1
Monday, January 27, 12:30-19:00
12:30-12:45 Arrival, with coffee and fruit. HKB Aula, Fellerstrasse 11, Bern
12:45-13:10 Welcome: Sebastian Dobrusskin, Hanna Hölling and Sven Dupré. HKB Aula
PUBLIC LECTURES AND Q&A
13:10-14:00 Laura Martin: “Restore / Rewild: Collaborating with Non-Human Species,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Sven Dupré. Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
14:00-14:50 Maartje Stols-Witlox, Sven Dupré and Glenn Wharton, “Inspired by Nature: Reflections on Cultural Heritage Conservation Through Restoration Ecology,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Hanna B. Hölling. Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
14:50-15:40 Ravi Agarwal: “Rethinking Nature— From Fishing Communities to More-than-Human Relations,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Jerylee Wilkes Allemann. Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
15:40-16:30 Break, with snacks
NON-PUBLIC DISCUSSION GROUPS
16:30-17:30 Three working groups will address three key questions:
- How do we deal with change?
- Who decides where and how conservation occurs?
- Who is considered an expert?
These discussions will be guided by Glenn Wharton, Anna Schäffler, and Sven Dupré.
17:30-18:00 Convenience break
18:00-18:50 Group leaders will provide feedback followed by a plenum discussion. Moderated by Hanna Hölling and Sven Dupré. HKB Aula
18:50-19:00 Concluding remarks for Day 1 and overview for Day 2. HKB Aula
DAY 2
Tuesday, January 28, 12:45-19:00
12:45-13:00 Arrival, with coffee and fruit. HKB Aula
PUBLIC LECTURES AND Q&A
13:00-13:50 Lotte Arndt “Bees, Bugs and Beyond,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Anna Schäffler. Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
13:50-14:40 Daniel Margoscy “The Challenge of Conservation: Worms, Timber and Deforestation,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Christian Rosset. Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
14:40-15:30 Break, with snacks
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
15:30-17:20 Moderated by Felicity Lunn
Julia Robles de La Pava: “Beyond the Culture of Reason in Conservation: Art and Eco-Cosmology in the Patagonian Wetlands,” [16:00-16:30] Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
Anna Schäffler, “Preservation in the Atomic Age: Practices Anticipating Artistic and Environmental Futures,” [15:30-16:00] Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
James Kuboja: “Community Based-Conservation in Tanzania: Its Efficacy and the Position of Culture,” [16:30-17:00] Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
Rodney Harrison: “Beyond Natural and Cultural Heritage: Rethinking Heritage Conservation Practices in the Carbocene,” [17:00-17:20] Hybrid: HKB Aula and online.
17:20-17:45 Convenience break
17:45-18:45 Discussion with all speakers of the second block, moderated by Aga Wielocha followed by a Plenum. HKB Aula
18:45-19:00 Concluding remarks for Day 2 and preview for Day 3. Hanna Hölling and Sven Dupré. HKB Aula
DAY 3
Wednesday, January 29, 12:45-19:00
12:45-13:00 Arrival, with coffee and fruit. HKB Aula
PUBLIC LECTURES AND Q&A
13:00-13:45 Munyaradzi Elton Sagiya: “Beyond Wildlife: Re(imagining) conservation of protected areas in Zimbabwe,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Christian Rosset. HKB Aula and online.
13:45-14:30 Jacob Badcock: “’Conserving ‘Sodom and Gomorrah:’ Nature, Urbanism, and Technology,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Noémie Etienne. HKB Aula and online.
14:30-15:15 Josephine Ellis: “Situating the Conservation Object, or the New Object of Conservation,” public lecture and discussion. Moderated by Emilie Magnin. HKB Aula and online.
15:15-16:00 45-minute break, with snacks
NON-PUBLIC DISCUSSION GROUPS
16:00-17:30 Three working groups will continue to discuss key questions, following a similar model as Day 1. Facilitators include Glenn Wharton, Anna Schäffler, and Sven Dupré.
17:30-17:45 Mini convenience break
17:45-18:30 Plenum with all participants for feedback and further discussions. HKB Aula
18:30-19:00 Workshop conclusions and planning for future writing retreats. Group leaders, with Hanna Hölling and Sven Dupré. HKB Aula
For more details and to download the complete program including abstracts and bios, participants can access the link: https://tinyurl.com/33fnut5c.
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