Hvor er nødutgangen? Spekulativ kunsthistorie i antropocen

Abstract

In case of a catastrophe, an EXIT-sign mounted in an exhibition at MoMA in 1972 would lead the audience to safety. How can this sign be studied? Is it possible to empirically approach this sign based on different ontology? The geological era of the Anthropocene—in which human presence and impact on the world is now an irreversible matter of fact—will inevitably have vast ontological implications. This article will draw on recent developments within posthumanist tendencies in both anthropology and philosophy, in order to make a theoretical argument for a rethinking of art historical methodology.