The intersection of nature, culture, and the environment - highlighting the uncanny and ‘weird’ aspects of post-industrial and Anthropocene heritage

My doctoral research explores post-industrial and Anthropocene environments and the non-human agents that inhabit and shape these spaces. I delve into how these environments, marked by decay, abandonment, and human impact, challenge traditional understandings of life, heritage, and agency in the Anthropocene era: a period defined by significant human influence on the Earth's geology and ecosystems.

Exploring the lingering effects of industrialization employing symbols such as zombies, I contemplate how these ruined landscapes reflect uncertainties in a world transitioning from industrial to post-industrial phases. Focusing on pigeons as more-than-human agents in post-industrial settings, I highlight how these spaces are inhabited and transformed by non-human life, revealing new forms of ecological relations. I further examine the agency of plants in post-industrial or disturbed environments, showing how these organisms adapt to and even thrive in human-altered landscapes, contributing to the ongoing transformation of these areas.

By examining the ways in which the Anthropocene is reshaping our understanding of cultural heritage, and considering not just human contributions but also the roles of non-humans, we can gain insights into the implications of this new geological era for the future of our cultural heritage. Together, these themes emphasize the complex interplay between human history, non-human entities, and the environment in the Anthropocene, questioning the boundaries between nature and culture, life and non-life, and highlighting the uncanny and "weird" aspects of post-industrial and Anthropocene heritage.