RALUCA ILEANA OANCEA
Abstract
In the age of the Anthropocene we have to face problems such as the precarious quality of life or the impact of pollution and global warming on Earth’s climate and all life forms, asking ourselves how artistic practice or Social & Human Sciences are able to deal with them. Is art still capable to produce alternate visions of the future in the face of the disruption of globalization? Can theory face the age of advanced capitalism? Do the views of artists and theorists still have an impact on society? Is man the “savior” of Nature or just a careless consumer? Is technology a functional instrument or an intruder in our everyday life? What meaning does the concept of Nature still have? In this context, a new post-human view is desired together with a thorough reconsideration of nature as nature in itself, and with a firm acknowledgement of an independent animal phenomenology and animal Umvelt (typical environmental world). Thus, one should notice the inevitable turn to a posthuman aesthetics that no longer follows the modern decree that everything is to be understood in relation with the human. A redefinition of Social & Human Sciences (ecology, anthropology, human geography, urban planning, and environmental studies) as an interdisciplinary field together with a reconsideration of such concepts as “human”, “subject” and “life” is also to be noticed. In conclusion this paper aims to present an analysis of recent concepts and themes of the posthuman paradigm, together with the application of these concepts in the artistic field (both international and Romanian art scene will be in focus) and their influence on contemporary life and politics.