Chemical Stories: Making Visible the Invisible

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9133.v34i1pe232393

Keywords:

Anthropogenic chemicals , Critical visibility , Speculative design, Molecular politics

Abstract

Anthropogenic chemicals compose the material elements through which societies structure themselves. These substances often hold complex, untold stories—yet the spaces for narrating them are lacking. This short visual essay explores how we might engage with such stories, situating the work within molecular politics: a broader framework that recognises chemicals as historical and political actors. The essay proposes and develops the notion of critical visibility, a design approach informed by media theory and speculative design, which challenges dominant narratives surrounding chemicals. The concept is explored through an experimental redesign of the Billie Cup—a reusable cup found across Dutch university campuses. Through this case study, the essay argues that making chemical stories visible is crucial for new and alternative material imaginaries.

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Author Biography

  • Dario A. Perfigli, Delft University of Technology

    PhD Candidate, Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Policy, Technology, and Management. His primary research explores forms of material politics, with a particular emphasis on chemicals, drawing on media studies, human geography, STS, and the philosophy of technology.

References

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GHOSH, Amitav. 2022. The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

HARAWAY, Donna. 2016. Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham: Duke University Press.

LAMARRE, Thomas. 2009. The Anime Machine: A Media Theory of Animation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

LATOUR, Bruno. 1993. We have never been modern. (Translated by Catherine Porter). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

MURPHY, Michelle. 2017. Alterlife and decolonial chemical relations. Cultural Anthropology, 32(4), 494–503. https://doi.org/10.14506/ca32.4.02

Capa da revista cadernos de campo, mostrando uma das fotos que compõem o dossiê quimeras. Foto artística de uma paisagem marítima

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Published

2025-11-17

Issue

Vol. 34 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Special Issue Quimeras: Art and Science worlds in times of ecological urgency

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Cadernos de Campo (São Paulo, 1991)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

I authorize Cadernos de Campo Journal of Anthropology to publish the work of my authorship/responsibility, as well as I take responsibility for the use of images, if accepted for publication.

I agree with this statement as an absolute expression of truth. On my behalf and on behalf of eventual co-authors I also take full responsibility for the material presented.

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How to Cite

Perfigli, D. (2025). Chemical Stories: Making Visible the Invisible. Cadernos De Campo (São Paulo, 1991), 34(1), e232393. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9133.v34i1pe232393