Chapter (8)
~ Entre espaces sauvages et urbains

Nature/Culture immersion in Naples with ArTec / 2019-2021


As part of my Master's program at ArTeC, I embarked on an Erasmus stay in Naples during one of the lockdown periods. Deprived of the typical academic experience, I wandered, somewhat haphazardly through the city, aiming to integrate this experience into my research. Its focal point revolved around our connections with the other species and what we call « nature ». The Naples experience opened up an exploratory field on how these connections manifest within our urban ecosystems and reveal our complex position within the broader ecological context of Earth.

In the urban landscape, other species are either perceived as parasites (pigeons, rats, cockroaches, wasps, "undesirable" plants), as aesthetic ornaments that need to be controlled and organized (flowers, trees), or as useful tools to use (beehives). Nevertheless, the city remains our quintessential territory. What is our role in the environment we have labeled as nature, within the few spaces we have not domesticated for our own needs? Do we serve any purpose?

https://carnet.eur-artec.com/author/pascale-desenarclens/