1. Infrastructure of Becoming. Making Space
for Wild Animals
Prof. Dr. Felix Stalder, ZHdK
New Visions of the Multispecies City
EPFL 26.09.2023

2. Animal bridge, A2, Neuenkirch, CH April 2021
Animal bridge, A2, Neuenkirch, CH April 2021

3. Reconciliation Infrastructures
Reconciliation Infrastructures
Specific infrastructural objects that support natural behavior
Specific infrastructural objects that support natural behavior
of wild animals in anthropogenic environments.
of wild animals in anthropogenic environments.
“
“Ecologists, architects and engineers coalesce to design
Ecologists, architects and engineers coalesce to design
structures that mimic animals’ ambient environments.”
structures that mimic animals’ ambient environments.”
(Barua, 2022, page 37-38)
(Barua, 2022, page 37-38)

4. Reconciliation Infrastructures
Reconciliation Infrastructures
Swift tower, designed for nesting, Exeter
Swift tower, designed for nesting, Exeter

5. Reconciliation Infrastructures
Reconciliation Infrastructures
Biopod, design by Maor Bezner, 2022
Biopod, design by Maor Bezner, 2022

6. Reconciliation Infrastructures
Reconciliation Infrastructures
Reconciliation ecology: “redesigning anthropogenic habitats
Reconciliation ecology: “redesigning anthropogenic habitats
so that their use is compatible with use by a broad array of
so that their use is compatible with use by a broad array of
other species.” (Rosenzweig, 2003, p. 194)
other species.” (Rosenzweig, 2003, p. 194)
Paradigm shift in conservation ecology from separating
Paradigm shift in conservation ecology from separating
‘natural habitats’ to integrating ‘more-than-human habitats’
‘natural habitats’ to integrating ‘more-than-human habitats’

7. Reconciliation Infrastructures
Reconciliation Infrastructures
From environments of enclosure (Foucault)
From environments of enclosure (Foucault)
to control of flows (Deleuze)
to control of flows (Deleuze)

8. Focus of this talk
Focus of this talk
Focus beyond objects on diverse relations
Focus beyond objects on diverse relations
‘
‘more than human habitat’.
more than human habitat’.
sum of these human-shaped relations form an
sum of these human-shaped relations form an
infrastructure: of ‘becoming in-habitants’.
infrastructure: of ‘becoming in-habitants’.

9. Infrastructure of a Migratory Bird
Vladan Joler, Gordan Savi i
č ć and
Felix Stalder, 2022/23
latentspaces.zhdk.ch/imb

11. latentspaces.zhdk.ch/imb Audio Tour: How to read this map?
→

12. Infrastructure as objects
Infrastructure as objects
biological
biological
technological
technological
social
social
Informational
Informational

13. Infrastructure as multiple scales
Infrastructure as multiple scales
spatial (planetary)
spatial (planetary)
monetary (equivalences)
monetary (equivalences)
temporal (contemporaneity)
temporal (contemporaneity)

14. Infrastructure as relations
Infrastructure as relations
between things
between things
for someone
for someone
analyzed by someone
analyzed by someone

15. Infrastructure
Infrastructure
from circulation to becoming
from circulation to becoming

16. Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘migratory bird’
Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘migratory bird’
Learning to migrate through a densely
Learning to migrate through a densely
cultivated landscape under conditions of
cultivated landscape under conditions of
climate change
climate change

17. Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘nesting wall’
Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘nesting wall’
Adapting a natural cliff (Kuchl, AT) for
Adapting a natural cliff (Kuchl, AT) for
nesting.
nesting.
Continuous care and maintance
Continuous care and maintance

18. Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘birder’
Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘birder’
Seeing and relating to wild animals as
Seeing and relating to wild animals as
singular beings
singular beings

19. Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘birder’
Infrastructure of becoming: a ‘birder’
Modulating intensities of affect
Modulating intensities of affect

20. Infrastructure of becoming:
Infrastructure of becoming:
relating as intra/agency
relating as intra/agency
“
“It is through specific agential intra-actions that the
It is through specific agential intra-actions that the
boundaries and properties of “individuals” within the
boundaries and properties of “individuals” within the
phenomenon become determinate and particular material
phenomenon become determinate and particular material
articulations of the world become meaningful.”
articulations of the world become meaningful.”
(Barad 2012, 77)
(Barad 2012, 77)

21. Making Space for Wild Animals
Making Space for Wild Animals
Not only additive, but more importantly, transformative.
Not only additive, but more importantly, transformative.
Bulding new objects is only a small part of the effort.
Bulding new objects is only a small part of the effort.
Adaptive maintenance is the real challenge.
Adaptive maintenance is the real challenge.

22. Making Space for Wild Animals
Making Space for Wild Animals
Diversity is not a means but an end.
Diversity is not a means but an end.
Not everything must have a price.
Not everything must have a price.
There are no equivalences.
There are no equivalences.

23. Thank you
Thank you!
!