Son[i]a #423
José Luis Espejo
José Luis Espejo (Madrid, 1983) is a curator and researcher whose work has for years revolved around the relationship between art and the culture of listening. In his most recent research, Espejo has broadened his scope to encompass media archaeology and materialism in deep time, revealing a complex and uncharted web of relationships.
Under the generic title Evil is Always Human, Espejo’s explorations invite us to discover unexpected connections between primitive capitalism, the evolution of cetaceans over millions of years, and the physical transformation of their bodies into an energy source.
In this podcast we talk to José Luis Espejo about the unusual progression of his academic immersion, but above all we focus on the key role played by the blubber of toothed cetaceans at different points in recent human history. A descent into the hidden layers of early modernity that connects biology, chemistry, economics, military engineering, and lighting technology. We talk about sperm whales and dolphins, about boats, lamps, and trade treaties, and about the echoes of this history, which resonate in the midst of the current climate crisis. But mostly we talk about blubber, about our relationship with ecosystems, and about the unsustainable exploitation of marine, fossil, and human resources.
Sound sources:
ermine, “WATRWave_Kimmeridge Bay waves on pebble beach 2018-09-02 9:46“
IanFSA, “Sea & Waves Gordons Bay“
kevp888, “R4_00677_FR_Waves_on_pebble_beach“
newlocknew, “AMBLake_Waves Are Hitting Concrete Blocks.River City Reservoir Pond.Close_EM“
tim khan, “seattle bay waves“
tim khan, “bay of fundy 03“
tim khan, “WATRWave_small waves breaking at deadman’s cove_TK_SASSMKH8020”
tim khan, “WATRWave_medium waves breaking at deadman’s cove_TK_SASSMKH8020”
tim khan, “mediterranean_sea_porticcio”
With the support
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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