A good deal of speculative fiction begins with the admission that the catastrophe was looming somewhere in the distance; however, the protagonists decided to ignore scientific warnings and go on in the old way. Something similar can be said about the pandemic that overtook Earth at the beginning of 2020, although all of our knowledge about the consequences of exploiting planetary resources had instructed us that something of the kind was practically inevitable. When animal habitats and ecosystems are destroyed, climatic and living conditions are changed; and so, animals change their habits and their microbiomes close in upon us. Inspired by post-humanist theses that illuminate the world beyond human perception and making use of the technology that enables this, many contemporary artists are bringing into the light of day various forms of planetary connectedness and collaboration of trans-species: from the work of bacteria in the human microbiome to attempts at understanding the relations of the various agents that make up complex hyper-objects (Timothy Morton) like climate. Following up the theory of Symbiontics of curator and theorist Caroline Jones – herself inspired by the ideas of Margulis and Haraway – this film programme endeavours to delve into the world of the interaction of the invisible agents in and around us, which can inspire us to a feeling of community with our diverse physical and planetary ecosystems. Evolution Passes Through the Stomach attempts to digest anthropogenic ideas about the world and offer a post-humanist idea of the world that is based on solidarity and the common work of trans-species.
Mirna Belina (Sonic Acts)