Non/Living Queerings, Undoing Certainties, and Braiding Vulnerabilities: A Collective Reflection

The ongoing global pandemic of Covid-19 has exposed SARS-CoV-2 as a potent non-human actant that resists the joint scientific, public health and socio-political efforts to contain understand both virus illness. Yet, such narrative appears conceal more than it reveals. seeming agentiality novel coronavirus is itself but one manifestation continuous destruction biodiversity, climate change, socio-economic inequalities, neocolonialism, overconsumption anthropogenic degradation nature. Furthermore, focusing on – an entity holds ambiguous status between ‘living’ ‘non-living’ brings into question issue non/living matter. While story viral potency seems get centre stage, overshadowing complex perverse entanglement processes phenomena which activated these potentials in first place, also becomes prism sheds light issues environmental violence; social injustices; more-than-human agentiality; ethico-political responses present situation may mobilise. This article serves written record conversations artists researchers working group ‘Non/Living Queerings’ formed part online series events ‘Braiding Friction’ organised by research project Biofriction. strives capture collective effort braiding weaving variety situated perspectives, theoretical toolboxes, knowledges experiences against background pandemic. In particular, text focuses crisis, ‘amplification effect’, agency changing notions humanity.