Aesthetics and Transformation by Monica Uribe-Flores

Aesthetics and transformation is an informal lecture that comments on a project developed during a course for undergraduate students, most of whom studied philosophy. The project consisted in observing and drawing plant roots; it was necessary to avoid the use of words. The initial purpose of this class project was to realize how much we can observe before making any attempt to understand and explain. Roots were chosen because we never see them, they are unknown to most of us. This is why they offered a new, fresh experience, not fully constrained by previous knowledge. The outcome exceeded my expectations and showed a subtle change in the students’ perception and understanding of plants. I am convinced that this is one of many possible occasions to form and transform our sensibility, and our way to interact with/in the world. In this lecture I briefly present the main theoretical claims for an exercise like the plant project: a) Teaching, studying, and thinking aesthetics has meaningful practical consequences; b) Aesthetics practical consequences would be, at least at some point, related to transformation. I would be thankful to receive any comments and even discuss a question that moves me deeply: “How might teaching aesthetics be relevant for changing the world?"

BIO: Mónica Uribe-Flores (b. Mexico City, 1968) is Professor of Aesthetics at the University of Guanajuato, Mexico. Aside from book chapters and articles, she has published the books La interpretación estética como experiencia del arte; Addison. Los albores de la estética moderna; and Descartes.