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, presenting new research from fourteen scholars, delves into the interplay between contemporary art and ecological concerns in East and Southeast Asia. Focused on the concept of artistic remediation, the book unravels the diverse capacities of art to combat systemic anthropogenic destruction to the environment and ecology. At its core, the book articulates the ongoing ecological transformation in art and art history that embraces a paradigm shift in human-nature relationships, emphasizing interconnectedness of all life forms of the Earth. Bridging art studies, activism, and environmental studies, the book examines how artistic practices in the region have engaged with ecocritical reflection, biodiversity advocacy, sustainable practices, and environmental justice, among others. Providing a platform for critical and timely analysis of artistic interventions in the face of existential crises, the book acknowledges diverse voices of scholars who have situated their scholarship in the cultural and artistic specificities of various societies, locales, and communities in the region.

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