What Are the Political Dimensions of Sensing Practices?

Sensing, as Jennifer Gabrys argues, is not merely a passive act of detection but a deeply political and ecological process. Her concept of sensing-as-practice reframes how we think about perception, emphasising its relational nature and the role of non-human agents in shaping our understanding of the world.

This perspective challenges human-centric views of art and knowledge, inviting us to consider the agency of non-human entities in our practices. Gabrys’s ideas also raise questions about collaboration and co-creation: How can sensing practices support more inclusive and participatory forms of art-making? How do we account for non-human agency while fostering new forms of citizenship and community?

By viewing sensing as a shared process, we can begin to reimagine knowledge as something co-created rather than imposed. This approach has profound implications for how we think about art, technology, and the role of the artist in society.