Exhibition: Human-Nature Entanglements: Explorations in Creativity Beyond Human, by Isabel Correa

In times of ecological unraveling, Human-Nature Entanglements: Explorations in Creativity Beyond Human looks into biodesign as a creative space to reimagine humans’ relationship with nature. The exhibition presents an array of material explorations in shape, texture, and color resulting from an entanglement with mycelium (the underground networks of mushrooms), technologies, bioplastics, waste, and other materials. By blurring the boundaries between the practices of making and growing we are invited to interrogate sharp distinctions and hierarchies between humans and non-humans, culture and nature, artificial and organic. Instead, we examine the ways in which all material bodies are intertwined and constantly giving form to each other through pressure, friction, breath, growth, decay and ongoing material transformations by which all forms emerge. 

Isabel Correa is a designer, doctoral student, and research assistant at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on understanding creativity particularly in education, and involves the development and study of playful tools and practices for children to make sense of the world around them and build alternative worlds. Working at the intersection of design, learning sciences, and biology her dissertation explores creativity across species through the development of biodesign practices that invite learners to reimagine humans’ relationship with nature. 

This exhibition was made possible through the generous support of the Myers Foundations. The pieces displayed in this exhibit are part of Isabel Correa’s dissertation research on Interspecies Creativity with the advice of Dr. Nathan Holbert, and developed in collaboration with Snow Day Learning Lab’s members Maria Lopez-Delgado, Ayse Unal, Uttarika Shetty, Yuxi Huang, and Blake Danzing. It was produced in collaboration with Trisha Barton, lead designer of the Gottesman Libraries.

Also be sure to visit the Everett Cafe book display, The Entangled World of Fungi, which invites us to unravel the kingdom of fungi in the search of meaning, connectedness, possibility, and life amid environmental decay. 

Where: Offit Gallery, 12/16-3/18

Opening Talk: Thursday, 12/16, 5-6pm

Panel Talk: Thursday, 2/17, 5-6pm

Workshop: Thursday, 3/31, 5-6:30pm

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