The Body as an Ecosystem

“Thinking about the human body as a porous organism that exists within and depends on its environment is not itself a particularly novel development. During the early modern period in Europe (c. 1470–1750), medical practitioners and laypeople alike considered the body a kind of microcosm in dialogue with such ever-changing elements of the macrocosm as planets, weather

patterns, and humidity levels. This body was open to the world and not easily detached from it.”

Lianne McTavish, Professor of the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture, University of Alberta

“The Body as an Ecosystem”, The Body in Question(s), 2014