To think the Anthropocene takes putting into question our relationships to all things and beings, from nature to technology. It means to realign and to readapt – to set humankind into new proportions. If ‘nature’ was the first colonized object of modern European thinking and conquering, then the concept of the Anthropocene may demand us to leave the humanistic scope of Western thought. But how do you propel yourself into a new mindset?
In order to map the bio-geo-chemical as well as the imaginary and spiritual state of things, the Blackmarket for Useful Knowledge and Non-Knowledge assembles a multitude of experiences – from scientific research to children’s books, from political activism to artistic exploration, from utopian speculation to critical reflection.
The term Anthropocene refers to our time as a new age in earth history in which the impact of human activities on the environment has become as severe as a geological force, and its traces will still be visible millions of years from now. Though the concept has been widely used in scientific discourse as well as in political and cultural debate, it still awaits official recognition. The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), a geological scientific body in charge of keeping the global geologic time scale, is expected to publish its final judgement on this matter in 2016.