Art, Ecology and Activism (Bulbul Tiwari) If meteorological data shows us that climate change is underway, art invites us to explore what this imminent change will mean for our collective human life. In this course, we will examine how creative narratives help us understand planetary change in the future, while also shedding light on the human condition in the present. Through visual media, images and writing, we explore the vital ways environmental issues intersect with gender, race and nation. Themes will include: wilderness; violent settler colonialism; masculinities; militarization; Indigenous knowledges; AI and virtual worlds; spiritual narratives and political strategies for change. Our approach will be comparative: what kind of story about climate change can a science fiction novel about a dystopian future tell, and how is this story different than, say, that of an art installation made of melting blocks of Arctic ice? Why do different media tend to emphasize different aspects of the ecological crisis? How do different global communities think about the planetary future? Why is climate change a religious topic? Readings and discussions will introduce us to some of the ways that humanities scholarship is contributing to climate change research. Together we will consider the differences between, and the potential imbrication of, critical/theoretical and imaginative responses to seemingly insurmountable challenges to the biosphere and their outsized effects on underserved communities. Ultimately, the course will ask participants to conduct their own, local climate research and present their conclusions as a creative project or climate action. This final project, based in Paris, can be a work of visual art, a research piece, a podcast, an essay or more. Detailed guidelines will be provided.