Decentralizing hegemonic knowledge in art practices

This article critically explores the modern hegemonic knowledge structures, focusing on their scientification, colonization and systematization through human-centred representational systems that prioritize rationality, objectivity and control. Drawing on decolonial studies and the ontological turn, the article investigates two art research groups – ACTlab (Brazil) and RAT (Finland) – which merge other-than-human entities, artificial intelligence, ecological systems and digital networks to propose non-hegemonic approaches to knowledge. The artworks Boreal Intelligence by Cesar and Lois and Laura Beloff’s Elementary demonstrate the critical potential of art to challenge human exceptionalism, fostering connections among living organisms, technology and ecological systems. These practices reframe knowledge as plural, dynamic and deeply embedded in the web of life. The re-evaluation of traditional human-centric perspectives is essential in addressing the poly-crisis of our time, providing new pathways for engaging with the web of life.