Each Time Unique: The Poetics of Extinction
Each Time Unique: The Poetics of Extinction
Wolfe’s chapter takes up the question of species extinction in relation to a particular example, that of the Passenger Pigeon. Focusing primarily upon an art installation titled “Requiem: Ectopistes Migratorius” by Michael Pestel, Wolfe explores the poetics of extinction that are exemplified in the various elements of Pestel’s work, as well as related issues, from the technology and mass killings that led to the extinction of the species to the present discussion of “de-extinction” projects stemming from revived DNA. Installations such as Pestel’s help us to recognize species as “spaces” rather than codes or scripts, in which systems and environments—like the performances and performativity within the installation itself—continue to evolve and change.
Keywords: species, extinction, passenger pigeon, systems theory, performativity, Michael Pestel
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