Unraveling anthropocentrism: Latin American artists’ overlapping with more-than-human worlds

Abstract

In the context of the global ecological crisis and the questioning of anthropocentric narratives, contemporary art is at a crossroads between traditional narrative expectations and the postmodern rejection of great stories. This article examines an emerging trend in Latin American art that responds to this tension, proposing new ways of relating to the more-than-human world. The research focuses on the artworks of Maria Thereza Alves, Tomás Saraceno, and Ana Mendieta. It analyzes how these artists navigate the paradox between narration and anti-narration, exploring their overlapping with more-than-human terrestrial forces. The methodology combines visual and contextual analysis of specific artworks with a critical review of theoretical literature, using frameworks from post-humanism, neo-materialism, and decolonial studies. The results reveal that Alves employs seeds as narrative actors that challenge colonial histories, Saraceno creates speculative architectures that redefine our relationship with the environment, and Mendieta questions conventional notions of identity through bodily-terrestrial interventions. These artistic practices propose post-anthropocentric narratives that are simultaneously local and global, personal and political, human and more-than-human. The original contribution of this study lies in the identification and analysis of these narratives in contemporary Latin American art, demonstrating how these artists contribute to the evolution of art, while actively participating