Hox Zodiac

Hox Zodiac

Our planet’s environmental crisis is intensifying at an exponential rate. As air pollution, waste disposal, climate change, and the greenhouse effect drastically worsen, it is imperative that we reflect on the sources of these issues. This environmental degeneration can be attributed to decisions made by humans at both a small and large scale. Whether it be the small action of tossing a recyclable can in the waste bin, the habitual partaking in fast fashion trends, or the poor decision making of those in leadership positions, all of these factors can be traced back to the root of our environmental crisis: egocentrism. To begin to heal the Earth, we must first change the way we understand and relate to it. Humans are not the only organisms to live off of Earth’s natural resources. We are only one of the species in this multi-organismal world. During the Hox Zodiac event, various artists and neuroscientists spoke on horses, and the human relationship with them as companions, food, and lab experiments. 

Hox Zodiac

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the insight and anecdotes that Linda Weintraub shared. She spoke about the important role the horse has played in mythology and civilization as a symbol of power; specifically citing their role in transportation and war. 

               

 Horse Drawn Chariot with Figures                              War Horse

She also spoke to their energy. She expressed that in her own personal interactions with them, she’s felt uncomfortable. Upon further reflection, she mentioned that this feeling might be attributed to the fact that their true energy is concealed beneath their domesticated surface. The human relationship to animals in general is largely defined by the ways in which they benefit us, whether it be through companionship, food, or experimentation. When this relationship is examined through the lens of HOX genes, the set of genes that define the basic body plan of all animals, including humans, our sense of entitlement to capitalize on their existence can be clearly seen as a manifestation of egocentrism. 


Works Cited

Gottlieb, Roger. (2019). Morality and the Environmental Crisis. 10.1017/9781316493083. 

Plys, Kristin & Lemert, Charles. (2021). Capitalism and the Environmental Crisis. 

10.4324/9781003198291-40. 

Ramakrishnan, Siddharth & Vesna, Victoria. (2015). Games of Chance: Explorations into Our 

Animal Selves. 10.1007/978-981-4560-52-8_17-1. 

Vesna, Victoria & Ramakrishnan, Siddharth. (2012). Patterns, bodies and metamorphosis: The 

Hox Zodiac. Technoetic Arts. 10. 197-206. 10.1386/tear.10.2-3.197_1. 

Vesna, Victoria & Ramakrishnan, Siddharth. (2022). Hox Zodiac—Spinning the Wheel of 

Interspecies Collaboration. 10.4324/9781003169109-27. 


Images

D. Lyndsay. Horse and Stretcher Transport, World War I. <a 

href="https://wellcomecollection.org/">Wellcome Collection</a>, JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.24740877. Accessed 5 Jun. 2022.

“Hox Zodiac.” ARTSCI, UCLA Art, 2022, https://artsci.ucla.edu/node/1390. 

Unknown artist, Chinese. Horse Drawn Chariot with Figures. Color rubbing. Binghamton 

University Art Museum, Binghamton, New York, JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.28148870. Accessed 5 Jun. 2022.


Event Screenshot


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