Rethinking Technoscientific Imaginaries in Political Ecology by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Yetişkin Doğrusöz

The research project Rethinking Technoscientific Imaginaries in Political Ecology (Project No. 44898), led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Yetişkin Doğrusöz and supported by the Istanbul Technical University Scientific Research Program (BAP), offers a critical investigation into how society envisions its shared future through science and technology. Rooted in the conceptual framework of technoscientific imaginaries from Science and Technology Studies (STS), the project focuses on the formation of collective visions, particularly in relation to emerging technologies, and their influence on political and ecological discourse.

 

Technoscientific imaginaries refer to how different social groups imagine, relate to, and negotiate technological futures. These imaginaries shape not only how technologies are developed but also how policies are formed and public life is organized. Importantly, the project emphasizes the need to explore alternative and critical imaginaries, visions that challenge dominant techno-political narratives and open up possibilities for more inclusive, just, and sustainable futures.

 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yetişkin Doğrusöz’s research focuses on the field of contemporary art in Turkey, particularly video-based works that address political-ecological crises. Following a preliminary review, four significant video artworks were selected for detailed analysis. These works are examined as cultural interventions that articulate alternative understandings of science, technology, nature, and responsibility.

 

By examining how artists use audiovisual media to express dissent, reimagine ecological relations, and critique established knowledge regimes, the study reveals how art can function as a mode of public engagement and speculative critique. The concept of response-ability—the ability to respond in an informed, ethical, and situated manner—is central to this approach.

 

This interdisciplinary research not only contributes to academic debates in political ecology and STS but also demonstrates the relevance of contemporary art in shaping public imaginaries of science, technology, and ecological futures. Through this project, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Yetişkin Doğrusöz highlights the transformative potential of art in articulating visions that resist dominant paradigms and propose new ways of living with uncertainty.