Session 2: Symbiosis / Reversibility

Human artifacts sometimes escape human control, interacting with the environment in ways that question the dichotomy between nature and culture. From abandoned materials to improvised habitats, these collaborations stimulate new interactions and illustrate the possibility of life in “capitalist ruins”. They gradually generate their own rules, construct new architectural forms through a variety of transformations, and they create new venues for life, enjoyment, and recycling. New kind of architectonics can provide a conceptual framework to re-think our relationship with the environment. How do artifacts and non-man-made objects produce new — and sometimes unexpected — partnerships?

Friday, September 27, 7:30 – 9pm
Microbial communities and micro-plastic particles interaction in the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem
Lecture by UMD microbial ecologist Ana Sosa

Sunday, September 29, 11:00am – 4:30pm
The Ghost Ships of Mallows Bay
Kayaking Field Trip with Atlantic Kayak Company
Note: WPA will provide round-trip transportation; details provided upon registration