Neganthropomorphosis 
Unlearning the Human-centered




Neganthropomorphosis denotes a process of de-anthropomorphizing the way nature is perceived while simultaneously decolonizing the gaze directed at marginalized human communities. Rooted in the broader critique of the Anthropocene’s and Capitolocene`s entropic tendencies, it aims to counteract the human-centered distortions embedded in knowledge production and artistic representation. The concept operates as both a critical tool and a creative method, challenging the ways in which human perspectives have historically shaped and constrained the understanding of nonhuman entities.  




Neganthropomorphosis involves:  

• Reversing anthropocentric visual and conceptual paradigms, allowing nonhuman beings and ecosystems to exist beyond human-imposed meanings.  
  
  
• Subverting traditional anthropomorphism, not by removing nonhuman presence but by integrating it in ways that do not reduce it to human likeness or utility.  
  
  
• Critiquing established epistemological structures, exposing how the separation of human and nonhuman worlds has been historically maintained to uphold hierarchies of power and knowledge. 

• Imagining speculative and unexpected solutions to real-life problems, mostly inspired by biomorphic forms and functions.

• Recognizing the inherent, transcorporeal agency of materials, independent of their intended use following political decisions.

• Empathizing with the otherized forms of life including oppressed humans and nonhumans.

Neganthropomorphosis denotes a process of de-anthropomorphizing the way nature is perceived while simultaneously decolonizing the gaze directed at marginalized human communities. Rooted in the broader critique of the Anthropocene’s and Capitolocene`s entropic tendencies, it aims to counteract the human-centered distortions embedded in knowledge production and artistic representation. The concept operates as both a critical tool and a creative method, challenging the ways in which human perspectives have historically shaped and constrained the understanding of nonhuman entities.  




Neganthropomorphosis involves:  

• Reversing anthropocentric visual and conceptual paradigms, allowing nonhuman beings and ecosystems to exist beyond human-imposed meanings.  
  
  
• Subverting traditional anthropomorphism, not by removing nonhuman presence but by integrating it in ways that do not reduce it to human likeness or utility.  
  
  
• Critiquing established epistemological structures, exposing how the separation of human and nonhuman worlds has been historically maintained to uphold hierarchies of power and knowledge. 

• Imagining speculative and unexpected solutions to real-life problems, mostly inspired by biomorphic forms and functions.

• Recognizing the inherent, transcorporeal agency of materials, independent of their intended use following political decisions.

• Empathizing with the otherized forms of life including oppressed humans and nonhumans.

Dr. Mousehelm Attari: A Manifestation of Neganthropomorphosis  


One embodiment of neganthropomorphosis is Dr. Mousehelm Attari, a conceptual persona introduced through performance-lectures. This character operates as an intermediary figure, bridging human and nonhuman identities while unsettling fixed ontological categories.  

Dr. Mousehelm Attari’s key characteristics include:  

• A Nonbinary and Multi-Species Identity: The persona incorporates attributes of various nonhuman entities—mice, fungi, subterranean life—blurring distinctions between species and problematizing rigid human identity constructs.  
  
  
• A Critique of Anthropomorphic Thinking: Rather than attributing human qualities to animals, this approach repositions human perception through nonhuman perspectives, emphasizing alternative modes of existence.  

• A Mythopoetic and Subterranean Framework: Inspired by tentacular and underground life, the character draws on hidden ecologies and neglected histories, advocating for an expanded awareness beyond dominant anthropocentric narratives. 
   
  
• A Symbol of Regeneration and Resilience: Drawing from biological insights, the persona references the regenerative properties of neonatal mice—particularly their ability to heal heart tissue—as a metaphor for ecological and social restoration.  

• Intertextual and Conceptual References: The name “Attari” is an intentional allusion to both “Of Mice and Men’’ (highlighting themes of displacement and marginalization) and Felix Guattari’s work on creative assemblages, positioning the persona within an intersection of literature, philosophy, and bioethics.  

Neganthropomorphosis challenges ingrained ways of seeing and interpreting the world, advocating for a fundamental shift toward posthumanist, multispecies perspectives. By dismantling the privilege of the human gaze and unsettling anthropocentric hierarchies, it offers a pathway toward more nuanced and inclusive ways of relating to the nonhuman. Figures like Dr. Mousehelm Attari serve as conceptual instruments for this transformation, enabling an imaginative and critical re-engagement with the ecological and epistemological landscapes of the present.