From seeing to becoming : posthuman artistic perspectives of avian life in Malta

Abstract

This practice-based research investigates how artistic exploration of avian life can contribute to rethink anthropocentric perspectives, particularly within the ecological and cultural context of Malta. Guided by the research question How can the artistic exploration of avian life rethink anthropocentric views? The study integrates posthuman theory with multimedia artistic practice to explore relationality between humans and birds. Drawing on key concepts such as John Berger’s active seeing, Donna Haraway’s becoming-with, and Deleuze and Guattari’s becoming-animal, the project evolved from observational photography to immersive, multisensory artworks. Fieldwork across various Maltese sites - culminating in a focus on Wied Għollieqa - revealed the limitations of human-centred modes of representation and prompted a shift toward embodied and speculative methods, including video, audio, painting, and ultraviolet visual editing. Influenced by artists such as Joan Jonas, Richard Mosse, and Giacomo Balla, the final work proposes an interspecies mode of perception that challenges fixed hierarchies between species. By translating scientific insights on avian perception into artistic form, the study contributes to broader discussions on posthuman ethics, ecological awareness, and multispecies coexistence. The outcome is a reflective curatorial practice that invites viewers to reconsider their perceptual and ethical relationship with the nonhuman world.