Workshop »Metabolic Futures«

What does industrial farming have to say about the state of today’s planet? What is the relevance of material change in food systems for our lives? And why should we be concerned about the generation and circulation of waste in cities and the wider countryside?

Cutting across society and economy, science and art, »Metabolic Futures« will initiate a much-needed conversation of how to understand and inhabit an altered planet. It takes the concept of metabolism – the biochemical transformation of substances, the utilization of organisms for productivity, and the circulation of materials in bodies, cities, and the environment – as a starting point to address pressing issues such as the health and climate crises.

Through lectures, film screenings, walks, a cooking class, and concerts, we aim to rethink the economic in light of ecological change and collectively explore the question: What makes a livable future when a third of the Earth’s surface is used for animal feed and the biomass of livestock exceeds that of humans on our planet?

The event is part of the art, science & business program, in collaboration with Künstlerhaus Stuttgart and Raupe Immersatt e.V., with kind support from the ERC Horizon 2020 Starting Grant (Urban Ecologies, Grant No. 759239).