Contemporary art and ecological transformation in East and Southeast Asia

Meiqin Wang

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN:
  9781526184252
• eBook ISBN:
  9781526184245
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

This anthology brings together new research from twelve scholars to examine the relationship between contemporary art and ecological concerns in East and Southeast Asia. Centred on the idea of artistic remediation, it explores the many ways art responds to and challenges systemic anthropogenic damage to the environment. The volume argues that a significant ecological shift is taking place within art and art history, one that reframes human–nature relationships and emphasises the interconnectedness of all life on Earth. Bridging art studies, activism, and environmental research, the book analyses how artists in the region engage with ecocritical reflection, biodiversity advocacy, sustainable practices, and environmental justice. Offering timely and critical perspectives, it highlights diverse scholarly voices grounded in the cultural, artistic, and environmental specificities of local communities and contexts across East and Southeast Asia.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of figures
• List of contributors
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction: Artistic remediation and ecological transformation: Navigating the intersection of art and ecology in East and Southeast Asia
• 1 The prescription from ecological art: Non-human perspective and Eastern philosophies as ways to remedy
• 2 Landscape painting without nature: Honda Takeshi’s art from an ecocritical viewpoint
• 3 Micro-acts in public spaces: Yuko Mohri’s Moré Moré (Leaky) series
• 4 Towards a posthumanistic approach: Exploring Danka ethnicity-based artworks
• 5 The Healing Garden Project: Eco-public artivism and the development of ecological aesthetics in contemporary China
• 6 Art for regenerating tribal tradition and environmental sustainability: The Mipaliw Land Art Festival
• 7 Benesse Art Site Naoshima and sustainable living: Activating effective climate change adaptation with art project
• 8 A socially engaged approach to preserving disappearing villages: The case of artistic activism in New Who Art Village
• 9 ‘Infra-aesthetics’ of sand mining in Southeast Asia: Artistic visualities and their audiences
• 10 From reaction to relation: The deliberative approach of Pangrok Sulap in environmental art activism
• 11 Fighting military imperialism with ecofeminism: The artistic practice of Gangjeong peace activism
• Index