Avian Entanglements in the Age of the Sixth Mass Extinction

The last talk of the Climate Congress was held on 8th November 2024 by Sugata Ray on Avian Entanglements in the Age of the Sixth Mass Extinction at the Lahore Museum Auditorium. More than 150 individuals attended the talk. Sugata delved into the intersection of art, ecology, and colonial history, illustrating the interconnectedness of humans and birds. 

Sugata began with the Anthropocene extinction of birds, highlighting the rapid loss of biodiversity since the 1500s due to European ecological imperialism, settler colonialism, and capitalist expansion. Using the extinction of the dodo as a central theme, he argued that the origins of our ecological crisis lie in colonial histories of environmental exploitation.

Ray explored alternative narratives of human-animal relationships by examining South Asia’s early modern art and culture. He referenced the Mughal emperor Jahangir’s fascination with exotic species and the detailed depictions of birds like the dodo by court artist Mansur. Contrasting this with European practices of decontextualized specimen representation, he emphasized that Mughal art integrated animals into broader cosmological and political frameworks, suggesting a more integrative worldview.

Through works like The Conference of Birds and Silent Spring, Ray wove together philosophical, artistic, and ecological threads to propose “avian entanglements” as a framework for rethinking species interactions. He highlighted the need to revisit non-Western intellectual traditions to envision planetary coexistence amid current environmental crises.

In conclusion, Ray stressed that addressing climate coloniality and the sixth mass extinction requires adopting a planetary perspective that transcends human-centric paradigms. By listening to marginalized ecological voices and embracing a more inclusive conception of life, he argued for a shift towards sustainable, interdependent modes of living.