Nayantara Breuer

This project originally started from an interest into whether toxic masculinity was affecting sustainability-focused practices. Sustainability often has an altruistic and empathetic purpose, and if toxic masculinity is at odds with that purpose, how might it be impacting engagement with sustainable practices? The question then was how is one impacting the other, for what reason, and how might we change that narrative? The conclusion was that men had a bigger problem when their gender identities were challenged and would clash with whatever created the challenge. Often femininity was positioned as an instinctive challenger and therefore when something like sustainability is gendered as feminine, sustainability now also sits as a challenge to masculinity. In light of this observation, I created a digital interactive exhibit as a platform to critically engage with these conclusions, hoping to engage audiences to rethink the relationship between masculinity and sustainability.