Journal | Lagoonscapes
Monographic journal issue | 4 | 1 | 2024
Research Article | Somatic Arts and Liveable Futures
Somatic Arts and Liveable Futures
Embodying Ecological Connections
Abstract
Based on the author’s practice-based ecosomatic research, the article explores the role of the somatic arts in challenging the culture of separateness between humans and nature typical of Anthropocentrism. The aim is to enhance the debate on how to grow liveable futures in the face of ecological disaster. The author reflects on the possibility to re-activate our eco-consciousness through embodied practices of interconnectedness with nonhuman living beings and systems. Then he discusses the cultural conditions shaping the growing field of ecosomatic practices and evaluate their political implications as acts of caring, collaboration, and cultural resistance. The importance of awakening the memory of the body and grieving for anthropogenic ecological losses is foregrounded as a key passage towards regeneration. The concept of ‘Planthroposcene’ proposed by Natasha Myers is mobilised as an inspiration for envisioning the emergence of embodied alliances with other forms of life. Throughout the article, the reader is invited to engage with a series of somatic interactive processes offered as a pathway for challenging the widespread apocalyptic perception of ecological crises.
Submitted: May 28, 2024 | Accepted: June 22, 2024 | Published July 24, 2024 | Language: en
Keywords More-than-human ecologies • Critical embodied practices • Anthropogenic ecological losses • Apocalyptic thinking • Crisis of perception • Planthroposcene • Ecosomatics
Copyright © 2024 Raffaele Rufo. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/LGSP/2785-2709/2024/01/010
