Entangled solidarity : poetic gestures embody relational methods of with-nessing more than-human witnesses to the 6th mass extinction

This practice-led PhD explores being ‘with’ frontline sites of ecological disturbance as a witness, or ‘with-ness’ (Akomolafe 2020), connecting ethics with empathy by co-devising modes for embodied solidarity through creative encounters and co-authoring. By investigating connections between human and more-than-human agents and focussing on situational, relational ethics, this approach connects my body, the wounded bodies of ecosystems and the public/social body who find this artwork in the willing acknowledgement of ecological trauma or ecocide. Ecocide is defined as ‘unlawful or wanton acts committed with the knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and widespread or longterm damage to the environment being caused by those acts’ (Siddique 2021). Entangled Solidarity describes the experiential phenomena of art as a method to discreetly translate witnessed/with-nessed acts of ecological disturbance, highlighting interdependent, relational, creative disturbances that draw attention to ecological intimacies.

Entangled Solidarity is site and place-specific, conspiring together with places that have been wilfully disturbed by human activity. Experiences are translated into testimonial artworks using experimental media; immersive and participatory installation and philosophical fieldwork. Collaborating with samples and elements foraged from these vulnerable places, Entangled Solidary embodies a sensitivity to, and presence with, inherent codified origin stories of materials. This thesis investigates research-creation as studio practice, gallerybased outcomes, and happenings – Poetic Gestures and field philosophy. These Poetic Gestures are contextualised alongside the practices of contemporary artists whose work demonstrates active engagement between artist and site/material relationships and considers political and ethical relationships as processes. The emergent compositions become integral to the viewer’s construction of meaning and ability to hold multiple viewpoints. This work seeks to reconfigure the artist/site/material/audience towards an awareness of Entangled Solidarity.

Phenomenology as a method, alongside ecofeminist, post-human theories and First Nations knowledge systems, new materialism, field philosophy and queer theory, scaffold and give depth to these Poetic Gestures and creative propositions. This research-creation process and the artefacts developed over the course of this thesis serve as testimonies that evidence new strategies for engaging with ecocide/ecological trauma sites with sincerity and care. Entangled Solidarity can provide a framework for a relational ethos and site-responsive creative practice, integrating the liveliness/animacy of materials as a relational presence for applying convivial ethics as research-creation.