World of Matter

In light of the acute problems caused by human-induced transformation of the earth and its ecosystems we must reconsider at a fundamental level, and in slow, subtle and matter-of-fact ways how we understand and interact with the world of things. World of Matter, first a museum exhibition, developed into an international project investigating raw materials and the complex ecologies of which they are a part. The wide range of aesthetic and ethical approaches to the handling of resources in many world regions and post-national spaces that are presented in this book challenge the capitalistic assumption that the planet s materials are primarily for human consumption. By drawing connections between works that derive from artistic practice, journalism, philosophy, activism and other realms of research, World of Matter provides a place for ecological imaginaries. Contributions by Nabil Ahmed, Inke Arns, Mabe Bethônico, Ursula Biemann, Gavin Bridge, Lonnie van Brummelen & Siebren de Haan and T. J. Demos, among others.