Ineffable absences, irrefutable presences

Area of Science:

• Environmental Humanities
• Material Culture Studies
• Anthropocene Studies

Background:

• The Anthropocene highlights human impact on Earth's systems.
• Material artifacts from everyday life hold narratives of ecological change.
• Museum exhibits can serve as platforms for exploring extinction and loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine extinction and de-extinction through quotidian objects.
• To explore the concept of absence signified by material artifacts.
• To envision a "Museum of Extinction" as a framework for understanding loss.

Main Methods:

• Interdisciplinary analysis of everyday objects (e.g., dolls, calculators, soda cans).
• Drawing inspiration from museum exhibits of artifacts from the Jones Falls River and Chesapeake Bay.
• Speculative essay writing and contemplation of futuristic visions.

Main Results:

• Material artifacts serve as tangible remnants of vanished species and ecological damage.
• Objects embody stories of extractive practices, cultural erasure, and consumption.
• Creative engagement with artifacts can act as testimonials to absence and motivate interventions.

Conclusions:

• A definitive "formula" for de-extinction is unattainable.
• Poetic and creative engagements with artifacts deepen understanding of ecological entanglements.
• Writing about objects can transform into a reflective practice, catalyzing change and care for the world.