“Technoshamanism: Symbiotic Techniques of Art and Healing” presented by Shanken

Symposium:

• ISEA2023: 28th International Symposium on Electronic Art
• More presentations from ISEA2023:  

• Other Cosmologies (short papers)

• Technoshamanism: Symbiotic Techniques of Art and Healing

• Symbiotic Imaginaries

• Edward A. Shanken

Venue(s):

• Forum des Images, Paris, France

• The term “technoshamanism” has been used to refer to a broad range of social and cultural manifestations, including healing modalities and spiritual rituals, rave culture and electronic dance music (EDM), and various digital arts practices. I take technoshamanism to join together a combination of traditional shamanic technologies with emerging technologies based in silicon (dry), biology (wet) and hybrid (moist), all in the service of healing and sustaining life. This paper explores how contemporary artists pursue expanded forms of consciousness by symbiotically combining technoscientific tools and shamanic techniques. As this area of artistic practice remains a nebulous and undefined proposition, I describe some key artistic monuments to help demarcate this amorphous arena. Today there is no greater artistic calling, no greater aesthetic necessity than helping to heal and preserve Earth’s biodiversity for posterity. Technoshamanism, I propose, is a potent strategy to move in that direction.

Category:

• Short Paper