106th metaPhorest seminar
Thursday, February 20th, 2025, 19:00–21:00
106th metaPhorest seminar by Dr. Perig Pitrou
This event will be primarily in English, but questions and comments in Japanese are also welcome.
The next metaPhorest Seminar will welcome Dr. Perig Pitrou, a cultural anthropologist from France affiliated with CNRS and the Collège de France.
Date and Time/Location
Thursday, February 20th, 2025, 19:00–21:00 Waseda University Research Facility for Advanced Biomedical Sciences (TWIns), 3rd Floor, Seminar Room 2
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wy23SqPPMo3P7V8JA
ONLINE
This seminar can also be held online. Zoom Link
Dr. Pitrou's work explores the complex relationships between humans and other living beings through the lenses of anthropology and philosophy. He has also actively engaged with practitioners of bioart and biodesign, making him one of the most important scholars working at the intersection of life sciences, humanities, and artistic practice.
During his visit to Japan for a philosophy workshop in Kyoto, he has kindly agreed to join us for this seminar. Dr. Pitrou is known for his openness and generosity in discussion, and we anticipate a stimulating exchange of ideas. The lecture will be delivered in English. Simultaneous interpretation will not be available, but questions in Japanese are welcome.
What Humans Do with Life
Dr. Perig Pitrou
(Anthropologist, CNRS, Collège de France, PSL University)
Across the world, humans perceive life as a force that exerts its influence over living beings, driving processes such as growth, reproduction, aging, and death. In response, they develop techniques to domesticate living organisms, attempt to create artificial life forms, and establish social structures to interact with them. This talk, while introducing the field of the anthropology of life, will explore how these interactions with living beings and the forces of life are central to the practices of bioart.
Perig Pitrou
Perig Pitrou is Permanent Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and based at the Maison Française d’Oxford. He is also Director of the Anthropology of Life research team at the Collège de France, PSL University.
His research investigates how humans conceptualize, engage with, and intervene in living processes across different cultural contexts. Through his work in anthropology, philosophy, and interdisciplinary collaborations with artists and designers, he has contributed significantly to contemporary discussions surrounding life, agency, and the relationships between humans and other living beings.