Metaphysics of Mixture

Metaphysics of mixture is a performative lecture that evokes the intrinsic, collective longing for plants as living archives of the elementary connections that life can establish with the world. Seen from different cultures and subjectivities, the Institute for Postnatural Studies’ presentation narrates a hidden and esoteric cultural history of botany, seed displacements and spore currents, mapping and mixing different accounts of movement, migration, and fragmentation. The narrative emerges from a text conceived for two parallel voices, unveiling a magical imaginary through pictures and musical sequences that allude to beings and bodies of different kinds, channelling their power into new performative currents. Through theory, poetry, and sound experimentation, the spectator is guided through pathways of colonialism, regenerative medicine, bio-capitalism, shamanism, and immortal vegetal creatures.

The Institute for Postnatural Studies (Madrid, ESP) is a center for artistic experimentation from which to explore and problematize postnature as a framework for contemporary creation. Founded in 2020, it is conceived as a platform for critical thinking, a network that brings together artists and researchers concerned about the issues of the global ecological crisis through experimental formats of exchange and the production of open knowledge. From a multidisciplinary approach, the institute develops long-term research focused on issues such as ecology, coexistence, politics, and territories. These lines of investigation take different shapes and formats, including seminars, exhibitions, and residencies as spaces for academic and artistic experimentation. The Institute for Postnatural Studies works at the intersection between Spain and international practices and debates. From its headquarters in Madrid, a 300m² warehouse with a workshop, residency spaces, and shared workspaces, invites artists, researchers, and cultural agents to create dialogues with alumni and the broader public. In parallel, the Institute has created the publishing platform Cthulhu Books.

Duration:
Approx. 40 minutes

Research & Video:
Institute for Postnatural Studies
Lorenzo Zerbini

Lecturers:
Gabriel Alonso
Yuri Tuma