Reflections linked to experiences, grounded in ecofeminist references, have gained increasing representation through methodological and conceptual expressions that manifest in proposals that address approaches between the body and space. Transforming oneself into territory is one of the possibilities put forward. Thus, in this session, we propose a discussion of the book The Vegetarian (Han Kang) and the short video performance Uýra Sodoma, which will be shown during the meeting.

Han Kang’s book The Vegetarian is a story in which the narrative practically does not belong to the protagonist, except for the rare moments when she recounts her dreams. Yeonghye is a woman considered to be absolutely ordinary, whose trajectory is narrated by people supposedly close to her. However, to everyone’s surprise, the life of the protagonist and those around her changes dramatically from the moment she makes a firm resolution: to become a vegetarian after a nightmare that touched her deeply, in an effort to reject the brutality of consuming animal products. This decision leads her to break with social conventions and reveal unexpected facets of the world, which leads the character to a surprising ending.

Uýra’s video performance was part of the public programme of the shared artistic experience “Ponto Final. Ponto Seguido”, as part of the exhibition: “Amazonia: A BioCreativity Hub”, held in Washington, D.C., in 2024. The intense and powerful collective artistic participation addresses the resurgence of nature, immersed under the asphalt, but also under layers of colonial materialities and imaginaries. The Brazilian trans indigenous artist, who is a biologist and art educator and holds a master’s degree in ecology, uses her own body to weave plots that entangle the struggles and victories of marginalised populations, in favour of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon and LGBTQI+ communities.

Activity within the scope of the research project ECO - Animals and Plants in Cultural Productions about the Amazon River Basin (ERC Consolidator Grant No. 101002359) and the working group ECOSOC/CES  - Ecology and Society Lab.