The Poetics of Survival
“The Poetics of Survival” seeks to understand endangered species through their own eyes. To achieve this, a series of preparatory seminars and workshops were held in 2022 and 2023. During these meetings, participants learned about the unique characteristics of rare species, explored various interpretations, and searched for artistic and literary means to represent distant species. The workshops were attended by writers, artists, natural scientists, semioticians, and students interested in the subject, totalling 25-40 individuals. The seminars followed collaborative and investigative-creative approaches, with artistic and literary creation emerging through dialogue with scientists. These seminars were part of the curriculum of the University of Tartu’s semiotics program course “FLSE.00.331. Umwelt Analysis and Animal Representations.” Scientists (Villu Soon, Nelly Mäekivi, Silver Rattasepp), well-known artists, and writers (Jane Remm, Margus Lattik, Uku Sepsivart, David Hartley) shared their experiences in the workshops and seminars. As a result of these sessions, poetry, short prose, paintings, installations, and digital art pieces were created, addressing themes of extinction, survival, and protection in various ways.
The project is associated with the Estonian Research Council’s grant “Meanings of endangered species in culture: ecology, semiotic modelling, and reception.” As part of the Prima Vista festival, a discussion on the poetics of survival will be held, along with presentations of the best literary and artistic works created.
The project is a part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme.