IN CONVERSATION
All stories have a beginning, usually more than one, but not necessarily an ending. Much less a happy ending. But, who needs a happy ending? Certainly not the ones who need to practice the arts of living on a damaged planet. For such a mundane and difficult task, we need stories of ongoingness, connection, articulation, becoming; like the ones Donna Haraway calls “multispecies stories”— tales narrated by many hands, pawns, spores, tentacles, told in a myriad of languages.
We need to practice storytelling as a methodology for making other worlds probable, because stories are like the mycelium, those invisible threads that connect trees in the forest through an underground network, transporting the stuff of living, knitting life together.
About the participants
Join us! IN CONVERSATION
on Wednesday 7th February at Metàfora Studio Arts, Carrer de Papin 29, Barcelona
Join us for an evening in conversation with artist and environmentalist Paula Bruna and researcher Helen Torres at Metàfora Studio Arts. We’ll talk about some of Paula’s main art projects, such as the “Plantocene”, “The other residents” and “Embolismo por soleá”, and how Donna Haraway’s tentacular thinking has inspired and informed her work. Come and share stories about how art can help us live and die well on Terra.
Paula Bruna holds a Ph.D. in Fine Arts and is an environmentalist, a postdoctoral artistic researcher in the Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology, and Ecology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Her work addresses issues of political ecology from non-human perspectives, aiming to move away from current anthropocentrism. To achieve this, she employs a combination of scientific foundations, speculative fiction, and artistic practice.
She has exhibited in art centers such as Kunstraum Lakeside (Klagenfurt, Austria), MEIAC (Badajoz), La Capella (Barcelona), Arts Santa Mònica (Barcelona), and Can Felipa (Barcelona), among others. Paula has also participated in festivals like Proyector (Madrid), Panoràmic (Granollers-Barcelona), and Art i Gavarres (Girona). Her projects “El Plantoceno,” “Compañeros incómodos,” and “La Forêt Noire” have received research grants from Guasch-Coranty (UB), ICUB (Generalitat de Catalunya), and CREA (Barcelona City Council). Recently, she was awarded a Leonardo grant for researchers and cultural creators (BBVA Foundation) for her project “Embolismo por soleá.”
Helen Torres is a versatile professional, encompassing roles as a social scientist, translator, author, and educator. Her primary area of expertise revolves around the intersection of language, arts, and politics. As an independent researcher, she conducts seminars, delivers lectures, and facilitates workshops.
Influenced by the ideas of Donna Haraway, whom she has skillfully translated into Spanish, Helen has forged a comprehensive theoretical framework. Her work spans various domains, including exploring the experiences of women with functional diversity, crafting geographically anchored audio narratives, creating interactive installations, contributing to collaborative publications, and engaging in speculative writing.
For more information, visit her websites:
- helenatorres.wordpress.com
- narrativasespaciales.wordpress.com
You can also connect with her on Instagram: @helenlafloresta.
