Title: Co-producing knowledge of past volcanic eruptions and impacts at Volcán de Fuego (Guatemala) through zine-making and participatory workshops

 

Abstract:

Volcanic eruptions can overpower the senses and cause lasting impacts on local livelihoods and landscapes. Art has been used successfully as a tool to explore recovery from disaster caused by hurricanes and flooding, but has less precedence as a method for exploring experiences of volcanic disaster. Volcán de Fuego (Guatemala) had a series of eruptions in the 20 century that strongly impacted local livelihoods and landscape. In this talk I'll share my ongoing research project on how knowledge of past eruptions and impacts can be co-developed through creative methods (zines and participatory workshops). I will share excerpts of a zine (a small-production, self-published art book) I made in October 2022. The zine tells the collective story of a community beside Fuego, based on interviews and guided walks with local residents. I'll also talk about my plans to return to Guatemala next month to co-develop the October 2022 zine into a second edition in which the story of Fuego’s eruptions and impacts is shared and shaped by both researcher and research participants. This work is intended to explore how different people experience volcanic risk across their lifetime. My research approach emphasizes the importance of building trusting relationships over years to more deeply understand dynamic risk at an active volcano. 

All staff and students welcome