The Anthropocene is a concept that is frequently discussed in relation to the "great acceleration" — a term that underscores the rapid intensification of human activity in the late 20th century, particularly in terms of economic growth, technological advancement, and ecological degradation. However, this framework often overlooks the significant role of urbanization, which has been a driving force in shaping both the physical environment and the broader socio-political landscape. The term Urbanocene, as explored by scholars such as Geoffrey West, Massimo Palme, Agnese Salvati, and Daniele La Rosa, offers a more focused lens, repositioning this accelerated transformation within the context of urbanization. The Urbanocene highlights how cities and their complex processes of growth, development, and environmental impact are integral to understanding the contemporary challenges of ecological crisis, climate change, and sustainability.

This workshop seeks to engage with the ways in which contemporary artists are responding to and intervening in the Urbanocene—the intersection of urban life and environmental change. Artists working in urban public spaces often use these sites to question, critique, and reimagine our relationship with the environment, the city, and the non-human world. In doing so, they create powerful spaces for introspection, advocacy, and resilience. By analyzing these interventions, we aim to explore whether these artistic practices possess the potential to catalyze collective action and generate a deeper ecological consciousness within urban communities. Ultimately, we are interested in understanding how these artistic interventions may promote a vision of symbiosis between the city and the broader ecosystem, challenging dominant models of urban development and environmental exploitation.

This conference provides an interdisciplinary platform for examining the transformative potential of art within the Urbanocene. We aim to analyze a range of artistic practices—ranging from installations, murals, and public art to digital media, performance, and theater—while critically exploring their function as vehicles for ecological discourse and social transformation. In particular, we will focus on how these forms of artistic expression can:

• Advocate for a radical ecological imagination that confronts climate change and environmental degradation.
• Foster an awareness of multispecies coexistence, recognizing the interconnectedness of human and non-human life.
• Promote biodiversity conservation as a central aspect of urban planning and public policy.
• Advance climate justice by addressing inequalities in environmental impact, particularly in marginalized urban communities.

Key Themes for Exploration:

The Urbanocene Paradigm: Exploring how the Urbanocene paradigm reshapes our understanding of urban spaces, ecosystems, and the political economy of cities. This theme invites reflection on the environmental consequences of urban growth and how these transformations are represented and challenged in artistic practices.

Artistic Strategies for Ecological Engagement: How do artists address ecological crises within the urban context? This theme explores the methods and strategies artists employ to raise ecological consciousness, challenge environmental destruction, and foster sustainable practices in urban communities.

Mobilizing Collective Action through Art: What role can art play in mobilizing collective action for sustainability and ecological justice? This theme critically examines the potential and limitations of art in fostering collective engagement and advancing societal change toward more sustainable futures.

Case Studies of Artistic Interventions: Drawing on examples from cities around the world, this theme will focus on transformative artistic interventions that have reimagined urban spaces and engaged with issues of ecology, justice, and community. Case studies may draw on the principles of new materialism, posthumanism, or other contemporary philosophical frameworks to interrogate the relationship between art, the environment, and the city.

The conference aims to foster rich and nuanced discussions that connect the theoretical and the practical, the local and the global, the individual and the collective. We invite artists, scholars, urban planners, activists, and practitioners from diverse fields to contribute their perspectives and expertise.

Submission Guidelines:

We invite paper proposals (500 words) that engage with the themes outlined above. Proposals may reflect interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating fields such as art history, urban studies, environmental humanities, sociology, philosophy, and other relevant disciplines. Proposals should be submitted in either English or French, accompanied by a short CV (maximum one page).

Please send your proposals to Tijen Tunali at tijen.tunali@univ-rennes2.fr by January 15, 2025. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by the end of February 2025.

Organisation Comitee:

Tijen Tunali, Université de Rennes 2, PTAC

Nicolas Thély, Université de Rennes 2, PTAC

Xhensila Lachambre, Université de Rennes 2, BIENVENUE

Scientific Comitee:

Tijen Tunali, Université de Rennes 2

Nicolas Thély, Université de Rennes 2

Eleni Gemtou, National and Kadodistrian University of Athens

Johannis Tsoumas,Art History, University of West Attica

Hauke Ohls, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Anna Dempsey, University of Massachusetts