In the shadow of an environmental tipping point, the need for intellectual kincentric pluralism is undeniable. As David Abram, creator of the ‘more-than-human’ concept, suggests in The Spell of the Sensuous (1996), “it is not a matter of ‘going back,’ but rather coming full circle, uniting our capacity for cool reason [science] with more sensorial and mimetic ways of knowing.” This full-circle journey challenges the Enlightenment’s ego-centric rationalism, which severed humanity from eco-social narratives that unite humans with nature.
Knowledge systems across cultures offer distinct ways of comprehending reality. For the past centuries, scientific reason has been dominating the global discourse. Meanwhile, artistic research, Indigenous practices, and alchemical creativity have gained attention as methodologies to rewild our understanding of nature and connect us to the more-than-human world. Among these, eco-semiotics stands out as a framework for exploring the interconnected signs and meaning-making shared between humans, ecosystems, and non-human entities. It invites a reconsideration of how culture and nature co-create meaning.
This talk explores the intersections of rational science, artistic research, and Indigenous traditions, guided by a soil scientist, a bio-artist, and a researcher of Indigenous practices. With sensory-driven methodologies—observation, tasting, hearing, intuition, and feeling—they investigate the parallels and intersections in their practices. Accompanied by Indigenous knowledge three researchers aim to foster biodiversity conservation and enable interspecies communication.
Through eco-semiotic practices, the presenters ask: how can hybrid methodologies between art and science transgress disciplinary boundaries and transcend ego-centric ways of knowing? How might these approaches reveal ethical frameworks for living within, not above, the natural world? Rewilding sensorial comprehension becomes not only an ecological act but also an imaginative, cultural transformation.
Laura Elidedt Rodríguez Torres is a Mexican scientist and multidisciplinary artist based in the Netherlands. With a background bridging biotechnology and the arts, Laura holds a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico, a Master's in Molecular Biology from Skoltech Institute in Moscow, and a Master’s in Art & Science from ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Her work integrates living systems and new media to uncover hidden connections between species, fostering empathy and kinship through posthuman philosophies and speculative design. Drawing inspiration from Mexican folklore and cultural narratives, Laura explores themes such as decolonization, bodily identity, and interspecies connections.
Laura’s career spans notable achievements, including winning the Kuryokhin Contemporary Art Prize in Art & Science (2020) and being shortlisted for the Bioart and Design Award (2023). Her artistic journey has led to residencies at esteemed institutions like YEMAA Center in Kazakhstan, Metamedia in Croatia and V2_Lab in Rotterdam. She has exhibited her work internationally, with shows in the Netherlands, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mexico.
A dedicated educator, Laura has mentored artists and developed workshops and universitt courses bridging biology and art for institutions such as ITMO University. As a curator, she co-led projects like Staying with the Trouble and Pangardenia at Ars Electronica, focusing on ecological and speculative futures.
Currently working independently and as a member of the Earthlings art Community, Laura continues to merge her expertise in science and art to create thought-provoking projects and foster dialogues on environmental agency and bodily autonomy.
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