The inspiration for this seminar comes from two sources: the exhibition by artist Lin May Saeed (1973–2023), presented at the Sapieha Palace, and the Breakthrough in Educational Research program project “Paradigm Shift of Environmental Perspectives in Education: Lifelong Learning of Educators in the Anthropocene” implemented at Vilnius University. Lin May Saeed was a German-Iraqi artist based in Berlin. Her work, which often features Styrofoam sculptures and wall-based reliefs, as well as steel gates, silhouettes and drawings, addresses human-animal relationships. Through her distinctive imagery, which weaves together recognisable motifs from Eastern and Western cultures, Saeed explores narratives of animal subjugation and autonomy. The exhibition at the Sapieha Palace will be open from October 3.
The seminar also closely connects to the Breakthrough in Educational Research program project, carried out at the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University. The project seeks to rethink human relationship with the environment. It focuses on paradigm shifts that enable a move away from control-oriented education and relationships with nature towards educational practices that seek to actively create an ecological–environmental field.
Central to the seminar is an exploration of animal autonomy and subjugation, approached from interdisciplinary perspectives, including, but not limited to, philosophy, life sciences, education studies, and the arts. Beyond examining human–animal relations, the seminar addresses broader human–nature interconnections, encompassing the concept of the planetizen.
Listeners will also be able to engage with Lin May Saeed’s exhibition and participate in reflective discussions.
The seminar combines theory and practice. It will be held in Lithuanian and is free to attend.
Presenters and presentations:
Mintautas Gutauskas (Institute of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University). The Origin, Structure, and Prospects for Overcoming Anthropocentrism
Simona Bekeraitė (Institute of Geosciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius university). A Strange Ugly Fish: What Is the Place of Homo sapiens in the Tree of Life?
Lilija Duoblienė (Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University). Becoming-Animal and Becoming-With-Animal: A Childhood Perspective
Sandra Kairė (Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University). Children of the Anthropocene and Their Relation with Animals
Indrė Liškauskaitė (Vilnius Academy of Arts). Play with a Dog as an Artist’s Practice
Rūta Gajauskaitė, Iveta Silova, Victoria Desimoni, Dilraba Anayatova, Suzana Schwertner (Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University; Arizona State University). Planetizen: More Than Human Belonging to the Planet