Theory on Stage: The Paradox of Anthropocene Spectatorship in Latour and Aït-Touati’s Inside and Moving Earths

Abstract

This article examines the epistemological dimension of spectatorship in two lecture performances created by philosopher Bruno Latour and theater director Frédérique Aït-Touati. Inside (2016) and Moving Earths (2019) invite their audiences to question how they view the Earth, and to explore new visualizations that may foster political awareness of a “new climate regime.” The scenography and dramaturgy of these lectures perform the disruptions of perspective brought about by Gaia theory, in which the observer must perceive herself as part of an entangled Earth system. The article argues that despite this emphasis on entanglement, the philosopher on stage still functions as a figure of distanced theoretical spectatorship. The resulting tension between the lecture format and its philosophical content highlights the difficult position of the Anthropocene spectator, for whom totalizing, distanced views are both a necessity and a trap.