The Living Dying Body: Arriving at the Awareness of All Life’s Interdependencies through a Video Artwork

Authors

• Raisa Foster University of Eastern Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54916/rae.126189

Keywords:

death, ecosocial approach, ecosocialization, more-than-human world, mortality, the paradox of tragedy, video art

Abstract

In this article, I ask how an artwork handling mortality can address human belongingness to the rest of nature. I develop my argument from my video work, which I discuss through the concepts of ecosocialization and the "paradox of tragedy." The orientation of curiosity in artistic experiences may aid in generating a more welcoming relationship with the diverse affects of life's complexities and vulnerabilities. As a result of my artistic journey, I propose that art can help us abandon our aspirations of refuting human mortality and separating humans from the rest of nature and aid in recognizing all life's interdependencies vital for adopting the ecosocial life orientation.