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Languaging the Umwelten, Formulating Interspecies Enkinaesthesia - Annon Zuo

session by Annan Zuo on Interspecies Enkinaesthesia - Mark Sullivan - 6-16

Published onJun 22, 2024
Languaging the Umwelten, Formulating Interspecies Enkinaesthesia - Annon Zuo

Languaging the Umwelten, Formulating Interspecies Enkinaesthesia - Annan Zuo

Recordings from Walk and Transformations of the Recordings

What we understand is often mistaken for the entirety of what can be understood. The Earth is a mosaic of sights, sounds, textures, smells, and flavours, along with countless other phenomena that the human sensory system is yet able to capture. Every creature navigates the world through its own sensory universe, accessing only a fraction of reality's fullness. The term "Umwelt," introduced by Uexküll in 1909, describes the specific portion of the environment that an animal can sense and interact with, essentially its unique perceptual realm. It's commonly believed that what distinguishes humans from other species is our use of language, which indeed enriches our Umwelt, making it remarkably expansive. While it's true that language extends the boundaries of our perceptual world, assuming that all reality is linguistic confines us within our own linguistic constructs. 

The academic discourse tends toward objectification and generalization, but there are phenomena that are not easily objectifiable and cannot be described in scientific language. Researchers study the sensory worlds of other animals to better understand human sensory mechanisms and to inspire new technologies. By objectifying and purposing subjective phenomena, we transform other species’ Umwelten into a different mode of existence - one that may not truly or faithfully represent their agency or the reality itself. Language not only shapes our perception but is also rooted in it. Animals are more than mere substitutes for human subjects or sources of inspiration; their existence is not confined to human perception and description. They have worth in themselves, and a language system that is solely built upon the human Umwelt is not able to reveal it. 

Language is not an external addition to the Umwelt but an integral component that reshapes it. The act of languaging, according to Humberto Maturana, involves establishing and maintaining "consensual domains”, thereby holding the promise of connecting the Umwelten of different species. Applying the concept of Enkinaesthesia - the common animal ability to perceive and be sensitive to the sensitivities of others, this session explores the process of languaging the Umwelten between humans and other species through empathetic entanglement and affective coengagement. Instead of employing “formal” scientific language, this session proposes an “informal” approach to understanding the Umwelten of other species through affection, empathy, and coaction. 

The session, taking place at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, integrated an academic presentation with participatory sound simulations. This session consisted of six chapters alternating between traditional speeches and collective sound simulations that amplify progressively. Throughout the event, participants were invited to capture the acoustic Umwelten of both themselves and the their intimate environments using smartphones. These sound samples were subsequently collected, edited, rebroadcasted and woven into a collective acoustic tapestry, creating a continuous auditory loop that enhances the collective Umwelt.

Best regard

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