The Microbiology of Presence

On the Art of Anna Zagrodzka

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47456/rf.rf.2234.53358

Keywords:

resilience; adaptation; arts of attention; Anna Zagrodzka; Polaroid photography

Abstract

This article analyzes Anna Zagrodzka's project Alternaria alternata, relating genocide, ecocide, and the conservation of Nazi extermination camps. Through an analysis of the artist’s photographs and frameworks from laboratory humanities and multispecies ethnography, it demonstrates how the art highlights processes of life’s adaptation and contributes to reflections on future scenarios amidst environmental and human crises.

Author Biographies

  • Ewa Domańska, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

    Full Professor of Humanities at the Faculty of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, and a corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS). Since 2002, she has been a visiting professor at Stanford University (spring semester). Her teaching and research interests include the theory and history of historiography, comparative theory of the human and social sciences, environmental humanities, and studies on ecocide and genocide. His recent publications include: Knowledge in the Shadow of Catastrophe (co-edited with Katarzyna Bojarska, et al., Brill, 2024); History Beyond the Human, organized by Taynna Marino and Julio Bentivoglio (FGV Publisher, 2024); “Prefigurative Humanities” (History and Theory, vol. 60, n. 4, 2021); “Unbinding from Humanity: Nandipha Mntambo’s Europa and the Limits of History and Identity” (Journal of the Philosophy of History, vol. 14, 2020); and Nekros. Wprowadzenie do ontologii martwego ciała [Nekros: An Ontology of Human Remains] (Warsaw: PWN, 2017).

  • Taynna Marino, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Laboratory for Research and Extension in the Arts, Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo

    Holds an M.A. (2020) and a B.A. (2017) in History from the Federal University of Espírito Santo. Holds a Ph.D. (2025) in History from Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznań, Poland). Her research interests encompass the theory and philosophy of history, environmental humanities, public history, and studies on the Anthropocene and the climate crisis. His recent publications include “Empathy beyond the human: anthropomorphism and anthropocentrism in animal history” (History of Historiography [forthcoming]), “Empathy at the End of the World” (Intra/Sections. Towards Post-Anthropocentric Concepts of Multiplicity, edited by Jenny Haase-Knöpfle and Kathrin C. Thiele, Brill/Fink, 2025); “How Should Historians Empathize?” (History and Theory, v. 63, n. 4, 2024) and “The Role of Empathy in Bridging Western and Indigenous Knowledges: Dominick LaCapra and Ailton Krenak” (Rethinking History, v. 26, n. 4, 2022). He also translated and organized the book History Beyond the Human (FGV Editora, 2024). Currently, she is an associate researcher at the Laboratory for Research and Extension in Arts (LEENA) at UFES, and an associate editor of the journal Revista de Teoria da História (Journal of History Theory).

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Capitura de tela do filme Blade Runner que mostra um boneco de palitos em cima de uma mesa com um cinzeiro do lado. Na parte superior da imagem, lê-se Farol, inverno de 2026, volume 22, número 34. Centro de Artes, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo. ISSN 1517-7858

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Published

2026-07-30

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 34 (2026)

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Traduções

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Copyright (c) 2026 Ewa Domańska; Taynna Marino

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How to Cite

DOMAŃSKA, E. The Microbiology of Presence: On the Art of Anna Zagrodzka. Farol, v. 22, n. 34, p. 309–325, 30 Jul.2026.