Saturday, 30 April 2022, 2.30 pm, diffrakt | centre for theoretical periphery
Workshop with
Camila de Caux | Eric Macedo
Ailton Krenak is an activist and thinker from the Rio Doce Valley in Minas Gerais, an area severely affected by the mineral disasters of recent-day Brazil. Today, Ailton is one of the most prominent voices in indigenous and intersectional struggles against capitalism, coloniality, and the destruction of human and nonhuman environments, and his writings are increasingly translated into languages across the world.
Importantly, Ailton Krenak’s critique of the logics of extractivism is almost always accompanied by a sense of hope, not for a future, but for life. Speaking from the experience of so many ends of the world, he puts forward ideas to (at least) postpone the end of some world. “The future is an invention that fits very well into the logic of the West: it is a promise that doesn’t need to be kept. Life is here and now. If you promise me something outside this here and now, that promise is a bet: it may happen, it may not happen. Life, on the other hand, is a constant production of meaning, not a promise.”
In this workshop, we will approach the thought of Ailton Krenak by way of his contribution to a perfect storm, “Earth’s Fever”, and we will draw on further writings in order to develop an understanding of the struggles and perspectives of indigenous critical thinking from, in this case, Minas Gerais.
Participation in the workshop is limited. To register and receive the reading materials, please send a brief message to mail@diffrakt.space.
Pandemic: The event will be held in accordance with current COVID-19 regulations. The room is equipped with air filtration devices, but given the persistent viral situation, we would also like to ask you, if possible, to test yourselves with a rapid test ahead of the event.
