THE MENSTRUALSPHERE

How could the menstrual cycle act as a tool to foster a better understanding of the human position within the biosphere and the technosphere?

Bachelor's thesis, 2024

ABSTRACT
There is an eccentric intimacy one can experience with their menstrual cycle. How that intimacy manifests is very individual. Whilst holding onto this intimacy through weaving my own experiences with menstrual self-help, I explore the growth in discourse regarding its spiritual, physical and psychological significance. This exploration is framed by a collection of interdisciplinary references, that work towards expanding the current discourse of interventions in our use of technology. By building on already established links between menstruation and environment alongside menstruation and artistic practice, a bridge is made to existing relationships between technology and environment alongside technology and artistic practice. Based on the theory surrounding the technosphere and biosphere introduced to me by Koert Van Mensvoort, I speculate on what the menstrualsphere could be.

The technosphere refers to the collection of materialised human thought and ingenuity, where the biosphere is the sum of all living matter on Earth. This thesis is a body of research working towards establishing a manifesto of the menstrualsphere; carving out some of its edges and characters. My proposal for this sphere is one that contains living matter that experiences the menstrual cycle, alongside materialised thought and ingenuity that surrounds these living experiences. This sphere opens a space of possibility in further branches of this interwoven topic. I position the menstrual cycle as an embodiment of the environmental seasons, and dream alongside other thinkers within this movement how this can be embraced within society. Artificial lighting is a player within the technosphere that can be nurtured to reflect this embodiment, seeing it is inherently part of the biosphere. Using this biorhythm as a tool to foster a better understanding of the human position within the biosphere and technosphere, can stimulate investigation of other rhythms held in our bodies that may do the same.