Biometric trails of nonhuman environments. Medical imaging of plants’ bodies in bio-artistic projects

Ewelina Twardoch-Raś

doi:10.26881/pan.2019.21.03

Abstract

The aim of the article is to introduce the problem of plants’ representations in the contemporary artistic projects based on medical imaging. The author analyses the problem in the perspective of posthumanistic philosophy, especially in reference to the theories of animal studies (Wolfe, Bakoff, Waldau). She also introduces the concept of Michael Marder, who builds his argument around the question of whether people are the only ones who have political, social and ethical rights. The second part of the article concerns strategies and method of plants’ bodies parametrization used in the selected artistic project. The author presents a few of them to show how artists investigate the problem of identity, autonomy and agency of non-human beings, with special regard to plants. The projects are analyzed in reference to various theories of connections between human and non-human beings, as well as to biopolitics’ strategies.

Highlights

Considering animals, plants or microorganisms as agential, subjective forces is very rare a field of reflection in contemporary humanistic studies
One of the leading philosophers of posthumanism, Carry Wolfe (2010, p. 99), expressed that the aforementioned problematics is a matter of fundamental doubt within the JEFBPGBOJNBMTUVEJFTBTBΉQBSUPGQPTUIVNBOJTUQIJMPTPQIZ'JSTUMZ UIFQPTUBOthropocentric perspective of critical posthumanism postulates to find those dimensions within a human being that belong to the nonhuman sphere, in the literal sense: for example, in reference to the biological dimension of coexistence with bacteria inhabiting the organism
The interior of a vegetable body is rarely shown in artistic practices, it does not appear as an element of design and it is absent in land-art projects

Summary

Introduction

Considering animals, plants or microorganisms as agential, subjective forces is very rare a field of reflection in contemporary humanistic studies. 99), expressed that the aforementioned problematics is a matter of fundamental doubt within the JEFBPGBOJNBMTUVEJFTBTBΉQBSUPGQPTUIVNBOJTUQIJMPTPQIZ'JSTUMZ UIFQPTUBOthropocentric perspective of critical posthumanism postulates to find those dimensions within a human being that belong to the nonhuman sphere, in the literal sense: for example, in reference to the biological dimension of coexistence with bacteria inhabiting the organism. Critical posthumanism explores the complex aspects of the co-existence of people with nonhuman life forms that are organized around the vital, affirmative and creative power of zoe, the biological life in itself Paul Waldau states that one of the main goals of animal studies is to shift the boundaries of the transdisciplinary field of reflection – from an area of interaction between people to complex relationships between humans and nonhuman animals, as well as between animals themselves As Waldau emphasizes, due to the fact that nonhuman animals are being ignored (and this is visible in every area of life), animal studies should include many other disciplines and everyday activities, in which further transformations should take place, such as: education, law, trade, policy of medical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies, mass media, etc. (Waldau, 2013, pp. 10-12)

Objectives

Conclusion