Antropocene estetico: appunti per una ricerca interdisciplinare sull’emergenza socio-ecologica

Why is the dimension of the “city” so relevant to conservation actions, both cultural and biological, in the Anthropocene? How to integrate (if possible) cultural heritage conservation strategies, on the one hand, and biodiversity conservation strategies, on the other hand, when they both take place in the same urban space? What does it mean to preserve “culture” and to conserve “nature” in the Anthropocene city? My paper examines the multiple declinations of the concept of “conservation”, central in the context of the current socio-ecological crisis, and the specific meaning that this concept assumes against the background of the Anthropocene city. With the aim of re-framing - and hopefully overcoming once and for all - the so-called “nature/culture dichotomy”, the adoption of an aesthetic stance is here suggested as a trait-d’union between the two seemingly conflicting domains.