The Movement for the Rights of Nature (2021), Jaime Serra

The movement for the rights of nature – whose origins can be traced back, at least, to the middle of the 20th century – has gained momentum over the last decade, particularly since the approval of the Constitution of Ecuador in 2008: the first legal text to take a biocentric approach and recognise non-human life forms as legal subjects.

The installation The Movement for the Rights of Nature (2021) by Jaime Serra, produced by the CCCB for “Science Friction” exhibition, is based on the selection of Teresa Navas and Maria Ptqk, bacterial culture by Rubén Duro. This evolution is shown here on a map and a timeline, both produced through collective research. The map shows the current geographical distribution of the rights of nature: their mentions in constitutions, laws and other regulations; the recognition of specific natural features, including rivers, valleys, mountains and ecosystems, accepted as the subjects of court rulings; and a selection of militant, activist initiatives, which are not legally binding but have a strong political and social impact. The timeline Time-Life-Time brings a historical perspective to the rise of biocentric thinking throughout the 20th century with a selection of key works, people, organizations and events.

Related to Science Friction

3 October 2021