MATERIALITIES · Creative Activisms towards Material Intersectionality in Water Conflicts: Expanding the Visual Field

Legibility is at the center of intersectionality. It is common to find phrases such as “to make visible” certain forms of oppression as the main objective of intersectional studies. Its legal roots and inclusive potential lead to an increasing presence of the term and percolated human rights instruments. However, its use remains discursive and the attempts to operationalize the concept still replicate the “rights-bearing-subject” paradigm and hold on to identitarian categories. MATERIALITIES will contribute to materialize the “intersectional exposure” approaching visibility debates creatively by following a different strategy than that of creating the legal category of a subject in order to see them. Through new materialisms framings and using ethnographic approaches and vibrant audio-visual methods on four case studies from Argentina (1) and Spain (3), MATERIALITIES will consolidate a novel theoretical and operative framework about intersectionality in rights-based interventions in water conflicts. The trainings and transfers of knowledge focus on advocacy using creative activisms, innovative qualitative research methods, experiential or clinical teaching, networking and novel synergies, leadership and science communication skills. In addition, the guidance of Beatriz Rodriguez-Labajos, a leading scholar on the matter, at UPF, and Laia Forné Aguirre during a secondment at IDRA -a think-tank known for its strong links with grassroots organizations and experience in network practices- they all contribute to a project tailored for merging human rights advocacy and creative activism that will lead to an intersectional legal framework grounded on empirical approaches to water related conflicts and expanded by creative activisms. MATERIALITIES impact stands out for promoting debates that push for a more substantive translation of intersectionality into public policy reforms.