Material cultures for interspecies cohabitation

Human-made objects often exclude other creatures as users - they cannot interact with these objects. At the same time, most artifacts that humans use on a daily basis have made it more difficult for us to interact with other life forms. This project wants to contribute to reshaping human relations with other species by designing objects that also include ways of life other than human. Through design proposals, the project investigates alternative ways of interacting with specific species. Ecosemiotic analysis also examines how meaning-making by several species is fundamental to the understanding of ecological systems and their resilience. The project is based on ecosemiotic theory.

Funded by The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)
Project manager: Martin Avila, professor, Konstfack
Project period: 2023-25