Strategies for empathy among & between species: Critical considerations & artistic experiments from an MA process at ViCCA

Abstract

This master thesis is an attempt to exploring possibility in enabling empathy between human and human and also human and non human agencies in various cultural context. Empathy might not be the most important things in the world but it could be helpful in which it could bring us closer to justice and equity in our society. As an art student who has a concern in different kinds of injustice and inequity among species, this thesis means a great deal for me. The main intention of the paper is not meant to propose the solution of any issue rather other possible ways to send on empathy to indifferent entity regardless of race, gender, age and species particularly in the time we are all facing various dilemmas.

In this thesis I choose to approach empathy by analysing my own artistic practice alongside conceptualising “openness”. To do that, I will introduce three artworks which I have worked on during an MA Process at ViCCA, Aalto University. The artistic form of these artworks are various and mixed with different concepts but they are all considered to be artistic intervention that intend to work and engage with people in public spaces and also associate with the definition of openness in different ways.

Furthermore, I will explore the possibility in utilising the concept of “openness” for bringing empathy in the subject of anthropocentric relationship in Thai context. The subject that I aim to work with is a group of student in the faculty of Animal Science and Agricultural Technology of Silpakorn Universty in Thailand. This target is chosen because there are numerous layers of relationship overlapping each other from students, teachers, livestock animals, farm and factorial labors and also agribusiness owner. In the end, I manage to map a power-relationship between these agencies and creating the speculative ideas bringing about empathy to the scene.

by meaning of “openness” in my own artistic practice. Part of the attempt, there is an intention to u While half of the thesis has to do with finding possibility in enabling empathy between species in Thai contemporary society by working with the meaning of “openness” I created in the first half of the thesis.