The relationship between culture and the environment has become one of the defining questions of contemporary thought. As ecological crises continue to reshape our understanding of the world, literature offers a unique space for revisiting collective memory, reinterpreting foundational myths, and rethinking humanity’s relationship with the more-than-human world. As part of this year’s receptiON series, dedicated to the intersections of environment and culture, CSN Lab welcomed French literary scholar Anne Simon for a public lecture exploring one of the most enduring narratives of cultural imagination: Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood.
Held on June 30, the event featured Anne Simon, Director of Research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Professor of Literature at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS-PSL) in Paris. A pioneer of zoopoetics and one of the first scholars in France to introduce animal studies into literary research, Simon’s work explores the intersections between literature, animality, philosophy, and the natural world. Her lecture, Literary Rewritings of the Flood and Noah's Ark (20th–21st Centuries), examined how contemporary writers have reimagined biblical narratives in response to the ecological and historical catastrophes of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Rather than approaching Noah’s Ark solely as a biblical symbol, Anne Simon situated it within a much broader cultural genealogy, tracing the evolution of flood narratives from the Epic of Gilgamesh to contemporary literature and visual culture. Revisiting traditional interpretations alongside modern literary rewritings, she demonstrated how the symbolism of the Flood continues to evolve across historical periods, artistic forms, and cultural contexts. Through reflections on the Hebrew etymology of the Ark and examples drawn from contemporary artistic practices, including street art in Paris, the lecture illustrated the enduring relevance of these narratives in addressing today's environmental and social realities.
At the heart of the lecture was the ethical and political complexity embedded within the figure of Noah and the Ark itself. Far from representing a simple narrative of salvation, the Ark emerged as a powerful metaphor through which literature explores questions of refuge, responsibility, inclusion, and exclusion. Contemporary literary rewritings challenge readers to reflect on who is granted protection in moments of crisis, who remains outside, and what moral responsibilities accompany the power to decide. In this sense, Noah’s position becomes not only one of salvation but also of profound ethical accountability, opening broader reflections on care, authority, and coexistence in times of catastrophe.
The lecture was followed by an engaging discussion that brought together scholars, students, translators, and cultural practitioners. Participants reflected on the resonance of the Flood narrative within Armenian cultural memory, drawing comparisons with local mythological traditions and discussing the linguistic nuances surrounding the concept of the Ark in Armenian. These exchanges highlighted how shared narratives continue to generate new interpretations across languages, cultures, and disciplines, reaffirming the importance of dialogue in addressing questions that remain deeply relevant today.
By bringing together literature, philosophy, environmental humanities, and cultural memory, this edition of receptiON once again demonstrated the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue in confronting contemporary ecological and ethical challenges. Revisiting one of humanity's oldest narratives through the lens of contemporary literature, the event invited participants to reconsider the meanings of survival, coexistence, and responsibility in an era marked by environmental uncertainty and historical upheaval.
The receptiON platform is CSN Lab’s ongoing initiative aimed at promoting contemporary cultural narratives through public events. It brings together cultural practitioners, artists, and researchers from Armenia and around the world to share their knowledge and experience through lectures, workshops, film screenings, and many other formats.
This edition of receptiON is organised by CSN Lab with the support of the Danish Cultural Institute and in cooperation with the Utopiana initiative and the Centre for Environmental Arts and Humanities.