The eyes of the animals

a post-humanist view of O vivo, by Adriana Lisboa

Abstract

In O vivo (2021), Adriana Lisboa works with poems under a unified thematic approach, Indicated by the title, which bears close connections to critical posthumanism. In the book, the decentering of humans being is revealed, viewed without sovereignty or exclusivity In relation to other forms of life, In line with posthumanism thinkers such as Pramod Nayar (2020), Rosi Braidotti (2013), Ricardo Gil Soeiro (2019, 2020), and others, although, In Lisboa’s case, her view has its roots In Buddhist philosophy and animal rights. The poems In O vivo, In particular, display characteristics of posthumanist thinking such as the dissolution of the “self” as a defined unit; the pursuit of equity between humans and other animals; multiperspectivism, which encompasses different forms of life; concern for the ecosystem; and the questioning of discriminatory systems. As the methodology for this study, theoretical frameworks of critical posthumanism and related currents will be gathered through some of their main thinkers; these will be compared with Lisboa’s work and thought. Poems from O vivo will be analyzed, and statements from the artist regarding the addressed themes will be collected through Interviews, other media sources, and correspondence between the author of this article and the poet.