Overview

In Nonhuman Witnessing Michael Richardson argues that a radical rethinking of what counts as witnessing is central to building frameworks for justice in an era of endless war, ecological catastrophe, and technological capture. Dismantling the primacy and notion of traditional human-based forms of witnessing, Richardson shows how ecological, machinic, and algorithmic forms of witnessing can help us better understand contemporary crises. He examines the media-specificity of nonhuman witnessing across an array of sites, from nuclear testing on First Nations land and autonomous drone warfare to deepfakes, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic investigative tools. Throughout, he illuminates the ethical and political implications of witnessing in an age of profound instability. By challenging readers to rethink their understanding of witnessing, testimony, and trauma in the context of interconnected crises, Richardson reveals the complex entanglements between witnessing and violence and the human and the nonhuman.

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9781478025641

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Reviews

“The work of Michael Richardson is like a four dimensional cartography to navigate the hyperaesthetics of our post-photographic present.” -- Eyal Weizman, coauthor of * Investigative Aesthetics: Conflicts and Commons in the Politics of Truth *

“The work of Michael Richardson is like a four dimensional cartography to navigate the hyperaesthetics of our post-photographic present.” -- Eyal Weizman, coauthor of * Investigative Aesthetics: Conflicts and Commons in the Politics of Truth * “Foregrounding the ethical dimensions of the convergence between the fields of security and ecology, Michael Richardson explores whether witnessing is taking place beyond the boundaries of the human. By making a fantastic case for the reversal of the humanist concept of witnessing, Richardson impacts what kinds of research questions can be asked across the disciplines.” -- Jairus Victor Grove, author of * Savage Ecology: War and Geopolitics at the End of the World *

Author Information

Michael Richardson is Associate Professor of Media and Culture at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and author of Gestures of Testimony: Torture, Trauma, and Affect in Literature.

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