Poligonal Nº5: An Encounter Inviting Us to Expand Perceptions of Nature Through the Senses

This fifth edition of Poligonal, organized by Fundación Mar Adentro (FMA) in collaboration with Centro Cultural de España (CCE) and the Futures of Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) hub, brings together prominent figures from the arts, natural and social sciences, and humanities. The event seeks to foster dialogues tied to diverse experiences and ways of perceiving nature, integrating sensory, dialogical, and experimental themes and approaches.

Through a variety of reflections and interventions, attendees will engage with sound presentations, transdisciplinary knowledge, scents, tastes, and an editorial station. By activating the senses, concepts, and imagination, the event aims to delve into nature conservation amid the climate crisis, urging us to understand mechanisms of coexistence and collective cooperation.

“This is an invitation to think about nature conservation from a transdisciplinary perspective, creating a space that gathers  diverse audiences and interests, and encourages exchanges that resonate with our representations and imageries  of the natural environment. The invitation is to conceive of nature conservation from  multiple perspectives and reflect on the idea that there is not a single way of envisioning and interacting with nature,” says Maya Errázuriz, Director of Arts and Publications at FMA.

Traversing Imaginaries: Dialogues and Sensory Spaces

The event will feature two main sessions.

Block I will be hosted by the CCE, featuring a dialogue on food sovereignty, biocultural knowledge, and technological mediations. At 12:00, the panel Sobremesa II, A Gesture that Pauses will address intersections between technology and food sovereignty, inspired by artist Estefanía Santiago’s creative process in Chiloé. Discussions will explore shifts in food production due to automation and AI, as well as open-source agroclimatic proposals. The panel includes ecosocial researcher Adrián Almazán (Universidad de Madrid) and will be moderated by the cultural manager Ana Escariz Pérez.

Natasha Pons, CCE’s Visual Arts Coordinator, highlighted, “The intersection of Poligonal Nº5 and the second iteration of our Sobremesa residency, curated by Ana Escariz, represents an opportunity to expand a network of cultural initiatives that promote connections between nature and art through a transdisciplinary lens.”

Block II begins at 16:00, presenting a program that sparks curiosity about centuries of relationships between species, territories, and landscapes, as well as changes in natural and scientific phenomena. “It’s a critical dialogue on how we can conceive a geography shared with others, fostering new relational approaches rooted in diverse perspectives, origins, and sensory experiences,” explained Bernardita Pérez, FMA’s Head of Art Projects and Alliances.

The first presentation, Constelación Sonora, will be led by Brazilian media artist Yuri Tuma (Co-Founder of Institute for Postnatural Studies).

This is then followed by Imagining Multinaturalism, a dialogue that will bring together notable experts to exchange knowledge and expand notions of sociocultural imaginaries surrounding ecology. Topics include romanticized views of nature, biocultural memory, ancestral knowledge, and critiques of standardized depictions of landscapes such as deserts, forests, and mountains. Participants include artist-researcher Gabriel Alonso (Co-founder of Institute for Postnatural Studies), agronomist and environmental anthropologist Tomás Ibarra (Universidad Católica), and archaeobotany specialist Virginia McRostie (AFOREST). The session will be moderated by communicator Carolina Delpiano.

Simultaneously, an Intergenerational Experimentation Lab led by dancer and psychomotricity expert Patricia Jaramillo will feature immersive imagery stations, games, light interactions, sounds, and scents, inviting participants—especially children ages 3 to 12 with their guardians—to explore diverse natural environments.

Closing Activities
Before the event concludes, Mapuche artist Eli Wewentxu will perform PITXANTU – Sound Archives, a live concert composed of auditory images. This performance acts as a political-sentimental memory and protest against the ongoing threat of native forest disappearance due to large-scale pine and eucalyptus monoculture projects in Wallmapu, Mapuche territory.

The evening will wrap up with a food tasting experience titled Hambre Quimera, led by Sigue la Corriente (created by María Apparcel) alongside El Borde, La Cooka, Pampi Vela (muralist), KoKo Clay (ceramics artist), and SONDA (musical performance). The activity aims  is to bring vegetable  gardens into the city, harmonizing seasonal foods with artistic expression. An editorial station will feature readings on ecology, philosophy, and science, with contributions from Alma Negra Librería, Cthulhu Books, Endémico, Libro Verde, and Saposcat.

Program:
Block I
12:00-13:30 Dialogue: Sobremesa II, A Gesture that Pauses
Participants: Estefanía Santiago (artist), Adrián Almazán (researcher, Universidad de Madrid). Moderator: Ana Escariz

Block II
16:15 Welcome
16:30-16:50 Constelación Sonora by Yuri Tuma
17:00-18:30 Dialogue: Imagining Multinaturalism
Participants: Gabriel Alonso, Tomás Ibarra, Virginia McRostie. Moderator: Carolina Delpiano
17:00-19:00 Intergenerational Experimentation Lab with Patricia Jaramillo (children ages 3-12 with guardians)
18:45-19:15 Sound Performance: PITXANTU by Eli Wewentxu
19:15-20:00 Food Experience: Hambre Quimera + Editorial Station