Who Owns the Means of Regeneration?

How do law, anthropomorphism and historical ideas shape our relation to nature? In this workshop, led by the artist collective terra0, we will playfully explore the relationship between nature and society to ask ourselves: Should nature be recognised as a legal entity?

Focusing on the question of what it means to "own" nature in the 21st century, and the political and social challenges this idea poses, participants will receive fictional environmental profiles and assume the role of legal representatives for their designated ecosystem. Collectively, they will decide on an intervention strategy, spanning from preservationist approaches (including complete human exclusion models) to technological interventions (such as geoengineering and assisted ecosystem restoration). In this way, they will be examining the implications of extending personhood and legal standing to non-human entities. 

The workshop concludes with an open discussion delving into the theoretical and practical challenges of translating ecological needs into legal discourse, exploring precedents in environmental law and the tensions between human-centered legal frameworks and ecocentric approaches to environmental governance.

Note: Our reserved seats have now all been taken – thank you for the great interest! But not to worry: we always keep a number of seats available for spontaneous guests. So even without a reservation, you’re very welcome to come along. And if you’d like to be notified when a spot opens up, you can sign up for our waiting list.