Dancing with the force majeure

Our conversation with Josh Harrison and Daniel Christian Wahl explores the intersection of art, science, and ecological thinking through the work of Helen and Newton Harrison.

We discuss:

• The Center for the Study of the Force Majeure, founded by the Harrisons, with a mission to reintegrate humans into regenerative patterns of life
• The Harrisons' journey from technological art to ecological work, starting with experiments like the brine shrimp piece and growing crabs in captivity
• Their development of a "synthetic poetic language" to describe ecological processes and relationships
• The Harrisons' approach of provocation, conversation, and implementation, exemplified by their work in the Netherlands on the Green Heart Vision
• David McConville's work with immersive environments, using data visualization to illuminate the dynamics of Earth as a living system within cosmic ecosystems
• The connection between the Harrisons' work and Buckminster Fuller's ideas about comprehensive thinking and planetary-scale processes

This was part of the Hawkwood x RSA Conversations that Matter series.