Air It

In season one of Air It, we touched on many current topics that are widely debated around the world. But in the season finale, we look at what might be the most pressing challenge humanity is facing collectively at the moment: climate change. Roux Vosloo, master's student in English Studies, writer, and Jana's brother, guides us into a deep and profound conversation about what constitutes home, how embracing solastalgic feelings can lead to loving our environment (solophilia) and the power of emotion to move us to transformative action. 

In episode 8 we do an informal film analysis of 'Mother!', by Darren Aronofsky, as a perfect representation of the nauseating feeling of solastalgia- an emotion Roux argues we are avoiding by obsessing over the perfection of our houses, and by indulging in consumer behaviour. In 2019 it became a global discussion that dealing with climate change has become unavoidable, yet chaotic global politics, a pandemic, and a year later we are still not on the same page as to how much our societies need to change for 'nature' to be restored. It is therefore urgent that we openly and honestly engage with the future of our habitat. This emotional and strangely spiritual conversation is one way we are contributing. 

Check out Roux's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rouxvosloo/

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCKDOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.

In this episode, we discussed the philosophical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for our broader understanding of consciousness with our guest, Fabio Tollon – who is a philosopher of technology.   For our cultural text, we analysed the sci-fi film Ex Machina (2014) to draw out themes surrounding creation, embodiment, programming gender and machine ethics. Who knows what our future holds, but this conversation bringing together ideas about sexbots, automatic art, nuclear weapons and human desire illustrates just how important it is to critically consider our collective destiny.  

Our guest, Fabio Tollon:

"I am a philosopher of technology. I believe that the development of AI, as a nascent and disruptive technology, will fundamentally change our moral landscape. It is therefore essential that we have a robust meta-ethical grounding in our approach to the ethics of AI. Without rigorous conceptual apparatus we will be lost in our ethical analysis of these emergent and ubiquitous artificial systems."

Read more about Fabio and access his publications here: https://ftollon.wordpress.com

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCKDOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/airitpodcast?fan_landing=true

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.

In this cheerful, yet critical episode, we asked the question: what does it mean to queer religion and/or spirituality? Together with our phenomenal guest, Ashwin Afrikanus Thyssen, we delved into the various ways in which queer theory can help us to broaden our understanding of the concept of God, the church, and spiritual practice in general.  Amongst many things, we spoke about the pervasive influence of the western canon (i.e. white Jesus), notions of shame and the church, the tension between queer utopia/dystopia, and why Jesus would probably be a transgender black womxn today. Hit play and let us know what you think! 

Ashwin Afrikanus Thyssen is a theologian and PhD candidate, studying at Stellenbosch University.  He identifies as ontologically black, existentially queer and spiritually Christian. Ashwin is also an active member of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. 

Read more on his blog: https://ashwinthyssen.wordpress.com/

Follow (or DM) him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashwinthyssen/ 

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCKDOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you would like to get a short email from us sharing resources, related content and other fun stuff that we don't share in the podcast, subscribe at www.nbcollective.space/air-it

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.

In this episode, feminist philosopher and writer, Azille Coetzee helps us to think through White Afrikaner Femininity and how the constructs set up before and during Apartheid around this identity has persisted post-Apartheid. We touch on the complicated colonial history of South Africa, gender roles, class enclaves, Afrikaner patriarchy and how all of this is related to the politics of the everyday. We read poems by Antjie Krog and Ronelda Kamfer, and even drew on examples from the household magazine, Sarie. We shared our personal experiences as white Afrikaans women, and considered how this heteronormative identity is still present in our private homes today.  This conversation stimulated questions around alternative ways of being, and how to subvert outdated ideas protected by private Afrikaner spaces.  

Azille Coetzee is the writer of In My Vel: ‘n Reis (2019), a memoir exploring white Afrikaner identity, national belonging, immigration and love. She is a postdoctoral researcher at the South African Research Chair for Gender Politics, Stellenbosch University. She recently completed a PhD at the Vrije University of Amsterdam and Stellenbosch University. In her work she explores the relationship between gender and race in colonial logic, and the role of gender liberation in the project of decolonisation. Her research is published in various international feminist journals and she often writes for local South African publications like Vrye Weekblad, Litnet and Rapport.

You can find her on Instagram at @azille_coetzee. Her book is available on many platforms including as e-book on Takealot: https://www.takealot.com/in-my-vel-ebook/PLID54968008

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCKDOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

For this episode’s list of resources and extra notes, visit our website: www.nbcollective.space/air-it

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you would like to get a short email from us sharing resources, related content and other fun stuff that we don't share in the podcast, subscribe at www.nbcollective.space/air-it

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.

In this impromptu episode, we talk about the concept of "allyship". We discuss why "6 easy steps on how to be a good ally" might not be enough and delved a little deeper into some of the assumptions regarding the definition of allyship. Our conversation also took a turn towards the notion of "performative allyship", the infamous "black block" example, and social justice activism on social media.  As a cultural text, we briefly explored the "human shield" that was formed during #FeesMustFall as a perceived example of "allyship" in South Africa. 

This episode was recorded as an informal conversation between two white women/ friends. While anyone is welcome to listen, we specifically aim this conversation towards people within a privileged position who might also benefit from pondering the concept of "allyship" more extensively. This episode is also informed by  Jana's reflections on her academic research and master's thesis that is on the topic of allyship. 

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCKDOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

For this episode’s list of resources and extra notes, visit our website: www.nbcollective.space/air-it

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you would like to get a short email from us sharing resources, related content and other fun stuff that we don't share in the podcast, subscribe at www.nbcollective.space/air-it

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.

In our third episode, we welcome our very first guest, Olivia Bevan, to discuss how the concepts of design, space, and power can help us to rethink the South African education system. With the phased reopening of schools in South Africa following the Covid-19 lockdown, Oliva provides some valuable insights, as an art teacher, on the role of discipline and design as a barrier for learning. By contrasting a series of visual and conceptual examples such as the Panopticon and the Rorke's Drift school in South Africa, we were able to reflect and brainstorm together on the ways in which power can be used more productively to promote curious and compassionate learning. We covered a whole spectrum of fun examples to help us "air out" this conversation, so if you would like to hear more about how the philosopher Michel Foucault wants to eroticise knowledge, how Cas Holman's "design for play" can prevent "closed ideas" or how printmaking can serve as a powerful symbol for process work, hit play and imagine with us!    

More details about our guest:

Olivia Bevan is a Cape Town based artist, currently working as a teacher. She asks this of the teaching trade: Where do you even begin to envisage an education that is not enclosed by barriers? How can creative learning be accessible and what could this look like? And speculates that printmaking can possibly afford some insight as to how to change our systems to allow for more flexibility:

“Printmaking allows for a removal from the artist and their mark in varying degrees and with this removal from direct mark making, endless discoveries can be made.  Printmaking or methods of transference enable a process-based learning that is creative and adaptable to individuals. This type of creative skill and process learning creates space that leads to creative thinking."  

Find out more about Olivia and her work by following: https://instagram.com/oliviabevanart?igshid=mygk9bjblxry

and https://instagram.com/create_space_art_sessions?igshid=cw4xq7xma39t

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCKDOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

For this episode’s list of resources and extra notes, visit our website: www.nbcollective.space/air-it

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you would like to get a short email from us sharing resources, related content and other fun stuff that we don't share in the podcast, subscribe at: www.nbcollective.space/air-it

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.

In this episode Nicolene and Jana unpack the general questions around the relevance of art and philosophy and investigate the important role these disciplines can play in times of crisis. Specifically considering COVID-19 and its impact on society, Jana and Nicolene draw on the historical reliability of artistic and philosophical practices and unpack how these modes of thinking can help with “making real” and move people into action. Touching on abject theory, masking, and humans’ perpetual vulnerability our hosts bring the hard questions about mortality and the body closer in this discussion of Penny Siopis’ The Shame Series.

DISCLAIMER: ISSUES THAT RELATE TO THE ABUSE OF WOMEN ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE. PLEASE LISTEN WITH CAUTION.

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCK-DOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

For this episode’s list of resources and extra notes, visit our website: www.nbcollective.space/air-it

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you would like to get a short email from us sharing resources, related content and other fun stuff that we don't share in the podcast, subscribe at: www.nbcollective.space/air-it

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.

In this episode Nicolene and Jana air their intentions behind starting a podcast and introduce their respective research lenses. They touch on embodied protest as an undeniable part of their studies, creativity, and how it is linked to happiness and freedom, and the interesting relationship between what is deemed private and what is deemed public. Very evident in this conversation is our hosts’ passions for their research and their conviction that more art and philosophy would make the world a better place.

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE RECORDING DURING LOCK-DOWN. PLEASE EXCUSE ANY HOME NOISES OR TECHNICAL GLITCHES.

For this episode’s list of resources and extra notes, visit our website:

www.nbcollective.space/air-it

We are so grateful that you listened to the public airing of our thoughts. If you haven't subscribed to our podcast yet, please do so. Rate and review us if you enjoy our content– this way you help us by making it easier for other listeners to find us.

As always, we would love to hear what you think about the concepts, theories, texts, and practices discussed in this podcast, so please reach out:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airit_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airitpodcast/?hc_location=ufi

Email: [email protected].

If you would like to get a short email from us sharing resources, related content and other fun stuff that we don't share in the podcast, subscribe at:

www.nbcollective.space/air-it

If you are interested in supporting this project: www.nbcollective.space/air-it.

Post production and editing by Jana Vosloo and Nicolene Burger. Music by Thabo Krouwkam.