news 05 feb 25
The Art & Spatial Praxis research group gather monthly with the Plot(ting) research group to discuss theoretical and material manifestations that align with Sylvia Wynter’s concept of the plot. In January, the reading group examined Demonic Grounds by Katherine McKittrick.
In Chapter 1 of Demonic Grounds, McKittrick introduces and expands on the concept of "demonic grounds," establishing the theoretical foundation for analysing how the spatial experiences of Black women challenge dominant geographic narratives. Subsequent chapters extend Sylvia Wynter’s ideas into broader geographic and feminist frameworks.
Chapter 5 provides an in-depth exploration of Wynter's influence on McKittrick's thinking. The reading group engaged with these two chapters in connection with their December readings and revisited sections from the "Afterword: Beyond Miranda's Meanings," where Wynter situates Caliban’s woman within demonic grounds. In Beyond Miranda’s Meanings: Un/silencing the ‘Demonic Ground’ of Caliban’s ‘Woman’, Wynter interrogates the silencing and erasure of marginalised voices. She reclaims the term "demonic," traditionally associated with the monstrous or subhuman, as a space of subversive potential. This site of negation, which has rendered specific human experiences invisible, simultaneously offers a foundation for emerging new epistemologies and ways of being.
During our discussion, we explored potential connections between Wynter’s concept of "demonic grounds" and Suzanne Césaire’s ideas of "cannibalism" and "Plant-man." These links resonated with our previous readings from October (see reading list below).
January 2025 Readings:
McKittrick, K. (2006). Demonic Grounds: Black Women and the Cartographies of Struggle. University of Minnesota Press.
Chapter 1: "I Lost an Arm on My Last Trip Home: Black Geographies" (pp. 1–35)
Chapter 5: "Demonic Grounds: Sylvia Wynter" (pp. 121–141)
In connection with December readings:
Wynter, S. (1990). "Beyond Miranda’s Meanings: Un/silencing the ‘Demonic Ground’ of Caliban’s ‘Woman.’" In C. B. Davies & E. S. Fido (Eds.), Out of the Kumbla: Caribbean Women and Literature (pp. 355–372). Africa World Press.
And October readings:
Césaire, S. (1941). "Leo Frobenius and the Problem of Civilizations." Tropiques, (3).
Césaire, S. (1942). "A Civilization’s Discontent." Tropiques, (8–9).
Césaire, S., & Maximin, D. (2012). The Great Camouflage: Writings of Dissent (1941–1945). Wesleyan University Press.
Stamm, G. (2019). "Cannibal Plants: Tropiques and Martinican Aesthetics." Women in French Studies, 27, 131–142.
Chapter 5 provides an in-depth exploration of Wynter's influence on McKittrick's thinking. The reading group engaged with these two chapters in connection with their December readings and revisited sections from the "Afterword: Beyond Miranda's Meanings," where Wynter situates Caliban’s woman within demonic grounds. In Beyond Miranda’s Meanings: Un/silencing the ‘Demonic Ground’ of Caliban’s ‘Woman’, Wynter interrogates the silencing and erasure of marginalised voices. She reclaims the term "demonic," traditionally associated with the monstrous or subhuman, as a space of subversive potential. This site of negation, which has rendered specific human experiences invisible, simultaneously offers a foundation for emerging new epistemologies and ways of being.
During our discussion, we explored potential connections between Wynter’s concept of "demonic grounds" and Suzanne Césaire’s ideas of "cannibalism" and "Plant-man." These links resonated with our previous readings from October (see reading list below).
January 2025 Readings:
McKittrick, K. (2006). Demonic Grounds: Black Women and the Cartographies of Struggle. University of Minnesota Press.
Chapter 1: "I Lost an Arm on My Last Trip Home: Black Geographies" (pp. 1–35)
Chapter 5: "Demonic Grounds: Sylvia Wynter" (pp. 121–141)
In connection with December readings:
Wynter, S. (1990). "Beyond Miranda’s Meanings: Un/silencing the ‘Demonic Ground’ of Caliban’s ‘Woman.’" In C. B. Davies & E. S. Fido (Eds.), Out of the Kumbla: Caribbean Women and Literature (pp. 355–372). Africa World Press.
And October readings:
Césaire, S. (1941). "Leo Frobenius and the Problem of Civilizations." Tropiques, (3).
Césaire, S. (1942). "A Civilization’s Discontent." Tropiques, (8–9).
Césaire, S., & Maximin, D. (2012). The Great Camouflage: Writings of Dissent (1941–1945). Wesleyan University Press.
Stamm, G. (2019). "Cannibal Plants: Tropiques and Martinican Aesthetics." Women in French Studies, 27, 131–142.
The Art & Spatial Praxis research group gather monthly with the Plot(ting) research group to discuss theoretical and material manifestations that align with Sylvia Wynter’s concept of the plot. Over the past month, they delved into three powerful texts that engage with the intersections of race, gender, memory, and the politics of silence.
The Art & Spatial Praxis research group continues with the Plot(ting) research group format and is pleased to announce the addition of four new members: Tabea Nixdorff, Philip Coyne, Moosje M Goosen and Harriet Morley. They gather monthly to discuss theoretical and material manifestations that align with Sylvia Wynter’s concept of the plot.
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Art & Spatial Praxis
Art & Spatial Praxis
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Plot(ting)
Plot(ting)
