No other contemporary thinker has more forcefully and implacably pursued an understanding of humanity, its history, present and prospects with as much radical appreciation for its complexity, interdependence and incompleteness. From the canonic Cyborg Manifesto proposing a revolutionarily feminist understanding of pervasive technology, Haraway’s social(ist) commitments have broadened to embrace the beings entire biome. Her thinking carefully and compellingly weaves scientific insights with interpretations of ancient philosophy, cutting analyses of contemporary techno-industry with rich accounts of the lives of the critters of the earth, transversal accounts where nothing is fully autonomous, least of all anthropos, and all transfused by the legacy of technology.

In this series, following the structure initiated for the Spinoza Circles series, we will read Donna Haraway together, opening up her dense, multi-dimensional and often prsimatic language to explore their relevance for the conditions we experience today. These readings will be accompanied by readings of other thinkers from today and from the past who have engaged in the complexity and enmeshedness of the technological condition of their times with Harawayan feeling for exigency in difficulty.

Each session will begin with an introductory exploration of the days theme elaborating key concepts through various authors. This is followed by the circle taking turns reading from Haraway out loud, breaking to elaborate uncertainties, ideas and emergent curiosities. The session concludes with a synthetic discussion and an Haraway-inspired introduction to one of the projects which is currently on display in the exhibition spaces at West.

The sessions are convened by Baruch Gottlieb and will be held on the last Sunday of each month. The Haraway reading circle is open to anyone who would like to read Haraway regardless of previous experience. Main language of discussion will be English. Texts will be provided online to participants a week before the events.