Conference Agenda

The contemporary condition of our planet is indelibly marked by the residues of the Anthropocene, or as Donna Haraway (2016) suggests, the Chthulucene. At the heart of this epoch lies the paradox of plastic—a material born from intense Extraction, shaped by mass Production, and destined for a problematic Disposal. Yet, plastic is not merely a "waste" product; it has become a pervasive, "active material agent" (Liboiron, 2016) that has woven itself into the very fabric of our ecosystems. As it breaks down into micro-fragments or persists as monstrous monoliths, it does not simply disappear but enters into new, often unexpected, Entanglements with non-human life.  

This explorative workshop proposal, titled "Making Kin in a Plastic Terrapolis: Worlding with Multispecies Companions," invites participants to rethink our relationship with these synthetic remnants. We move away from the traditional perspective that views plastic as a problem to be "solved" through technical efficiency. Instead, we embrace the concept of Terrapolis—a speculative, multispecies "worlding" where humans are not the sole protagonists, but one of many companions (human and non-human, organic and inorganic) struggling to coexist on a damaged planet. In a Plastic Terrapolis, plastic actively participates in shaping bodies, ecosystems, and social systems. Making kin here is not about harmony, but about staying with complexity and responsibility amid plastic’s long-lasting and uneven effects. 

The workshop draws on multispecies ethnography (Kirksey & Helmreich, 2010) and cospeculative design (Lohmann, 2018) practices grounded in sympoiesis (Haraway, 2016)—practices of “making-with.” Through embodied, hands-on activities and futures-making strategies, participants explore alternative ways of knowing and practicing kin-making, collaboratively imagine multispecies futures, and develop shared, transformative actions. These practices will extend to citizen scientists and local communities, fostering participatory observation, raising awareness of multispecies entanglements, and cultivating collective responsibility.