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Jennifer Mather, What is in an octopus's mind?

Abstract

Several commentators on Mather’s target article discuss the challenges of finding adequate cognitive methods and concepts for accessing the mind and experience of octopuses. Building on Godfrey-Smith’s commentary, we propose aesthetics as a way. The arts provide means to perform what Godfrey-Smith calls an “imaginative leap” to access the experience of octopuses, especially mimesis. We are trying to do this in our current project Okto-Lab. Laboratory for Octopus Aesthetics.

Author Biography

André Krebber is a Lecturer in Social and Cultural History and Human-Animal Studies at the University of Kassel. His research interests are concepts of nonhuman-agency, the modern intellectual history of nature, and the production of knowledge in arts and sciences. Website

Maike Riedinger is a doctoral student in Social and Cultural History and Human-Animal Studies at the University of Kassel, Germany, working on a thesis on the German-language discourse of animal psychology around 1900. Her research is on different scientific approaches to the animal mind. Website

Yvette Watt is a Lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Tasmania, Australia, a practising artist and curator. Her research focuses on the intersection of Animal Studies (also known as Human-Animal Studies), the visual arts and activism. Website

DOI

10.51291/2377-7478.1537

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