Lucy Whelan. Review of "Out of Breath: Vulnerability of Air in Contemporary Art"  by Caterina Albano.

Whelan, Lucy

doi:10.3202/caa.reviews.2022.72

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Breathlessnesswhether considered physically, psychologically or figurativelycan be understood as an embodied acquired response to oppression and as an attempt to lessen its stronghold by figuratively withdrawing from air. It can also be regarded as a sign of anxiety, suggesting the hypervigilance caused by trauma (Albano 2022). Breathlessness further stands for the undermining of notions of freedom and expression that are commonly associated with breath, and for the disruption of ways of inhabiting air.…”

Section: Inhabiting Toxic Cloudsmentioning

confidence: 99%

To ‘Hold In-Common’ in the Midst of Clouds’ Drift

Albano¹

2021

Performance Research

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To 'hold in-common' in the midst of clouds' drift 'There is no doubt that the skies are closing in. But we hold in-common the universal right to breathe'. Achielle Mbembé, The Universal Right to Breathe, 2020 This epigram from Achielle Mbembé's essay 'The Universal Right to Breathe', published in April 2020, concludes the video work Cloud Studies (2020) by Forensic Architecture. A multidisciplinary research agency, including architects, artists, filmmakers, layers, software developers, and journalists based at Goldsmiths College in London, Forensic Architecture supports human rights groups and other agencies by applying architectural methodologies to investigate ecological and human rights violations (Weizman 2017: 9). Developed for the exhibition Critical Zones: Observatories for Earthly Politics, at ZKM, Center for Art and Media in Karlruhe (23.5.2020Karlruhe (23.5. -8.8.2021, Cloud Studies comprises eight investigations that, as the title suggests, focus on clouds or, more precisely, on toxic cloudswhether those produced by arson, the spread of herbicides, the deployment of chemical

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Section: Inhabiting Toxic Cloudsmentioning

confidence: 99%

To ‘Hold In-Common’ in the Midst of Clouds’ Drift

Albano¹

2021

Performance Research

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“…Large conglomerates increasingly scent our daily lives, and many of our olfactory memories mask histories of pollution, waste, and ecological extraction (Sonic Acts, 2022). In this regard, current publications within the field of environmental humanities and beyond have suggested the inevitable morbidity of breathing (Albano, 2022;Tremblay, 2022). This, seemingly paradoxical, proposition suggests that while breathing is vital for living systems, it also puts them in a vulnerable position.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Olfactory Entanglements: Syntactic Fragmentation & Scentimentality

Prochaska

2024

JoE

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This paper focuses on the entangled relationship of smell, affect, and environmental contamination. I show how olfactory memory mediates the relationship between breathing and the uneven distribution of respiratory risks from polluted air. To do so, I examine Cesar Majorana’s work “The Syntax of Smell,” which is performed in the context of an open laboratory. During the performance, Majorana engages with the audience, creating a scent based on their stories, bringing attention to the connections between their memories, their perception of artificiality, and pollution. This paper is divided into two sections focusing on syntactic fragmentation and scentimentality respectively. In the first section, I illustrate how “The Syntax of Smell” manifests both as the concepts of breathing and olfactory aesthetics. I demonstrate how the performance paradoxically criticises and utilizes bio- and necropolitical forces of smell production. In the second section, I explore the affective qualities of olfactory entanglements by zooming in on the relationship between affective responses and toxicity in relation to Michael Eigen’s concept of toxic nourishment as well as cognitive dissonance. Lastly, building on social psychological research, I show that the performance’s olfactory memory-triggering qualities might contribute to its effectiveness in increasing awareness of air pollution.

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Lucy Whelan. Review of "Out of Breath: Vulnerability of Air in Contemporary Art" by Caterina Albano.

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

To ‘Hold In-Common’ in the Midst of Clouds’ Drift

To ‘Hold In-Common’ in the Midst of Clouds’ Drift

Olfactory Entanglements: Syntactic Fragmentation & Scentimentality

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