Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, Angelika Hinterbrandner, Gustavo Ciríaco, Sepideh Karami

The present shows us that the reality of the world can change drastically. Even though the environment has always been dynamic, climate change predates the Industrial Revolution, or poverty, totalitarian regimes, and misinformation are repeated throughout history, we are now witnessing their intensification. Human and non-human relationships are being tested and the meaning of concepts such as humanity and democracy are put to the test. The immaterial structures, such as religion, the economy or the great cultural narratives, in which human coexistence has been shaped, have become autonomous systems for maintaining the status quo and collective control. In this context, the Matéria Incomum [Uncommon Matter] performance-conference aims to imagine responsible practices that enable the occurrence of new meanings of coexistence, coliving, and community.

Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos is an artist and writer, professor of law and theory at the University of Westminster and founder of The Westminster Law & Theory Lab. Angelika Hinterbrandner is a professor at ETH Zurich and researches housing policy and the climate crisis in the built environment. Gustavo Ciríaco, choreographer, works between performing arts, architecture, and anthropology. Sepideh Karami, architect and professor at the University of Edinburgh, at the intersection of architecture, performing arts, literature, and geology, with the ethos of decolonisation.