Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis : Biennales As Agents of Change

__Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis__ reaffirms the relevance and impactful role of art, revealing how contemporary art exhibitions can capture the zeitgeist and advance new and collaborative approaches to a more sustainable inhabitation of Earth. The book is largely focused on biennales, which it argues are the contemporary exhibition models with the greatest capacity to offer new perspectives and propose alternative ways of connecting with our social and natural environments. Felicity Fenner demonstrates this by showing how curators of these high-profile exhibitions are responding in creative and engaging ways to the issues that preoccupy artists and society more broadly, of which the ecological crisis is paramount. Drawing on case studies from different parts of the world, the author reveals how biennales can make a constructive contribution to debates and attitudes around climate change, and how the role of the curator has evolved to re-embrace a duty of care not just to art but to the natural world as well. Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis investigates how large-scale exhibitions of contemporary international art can become agents of change. As such, the book will be essential reading for scholars, students, and practitioners with an interest in exhibitions, curating, contemporary art, and environmental sustainability. Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis reaffirms the relevance and impactful role of art, revealing how contemporary art exhibitions can capture the zeitgeist and advance new and collaborative approaches to a more sustainable inhabitation of Earth. The book is largely focused on biennales, which it argues are the contemporary exhibition models with the greatest capacity to offer new perspectives and propose alternative ways of connecting with our social and natural environments. Felicity Fenner demonstrates this by showing how curators of these high-profile exhibitions are responding in creative and engaging ways to the issues that preoccupy artists and society more broadly, of which the ecological crisis is paramount. Drawing on case studies from different parts of the world, the author reveals how biennales can make a constructive contribution to debates and attitudes around climate change, and how the role of the curator has evolved to re-embrace a duty of care not just to art but to the natural world as well. Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis investigates how large-scale exhibitions of contemporary international art can become agents of change. As such, the book will be essential reading for scholars, students, and practitioners with an interest in exhibitions, curating, contemporary art, and environmental sustainability. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of figures 7 Preface 9 Introduction 12 1 Exhibiting Nature through the Decades: from Earthworks (1968) to Down to Earth (2020) 24 Pioneering Curators of Environmental Art: The United States in the Late 1960s 26 A Cautionary Tale: Beuys’ 7000 Oaks and the 1984 Biennale of Sydney 31 Recent Museum Exhibitions 36 2 Critical Ecosystems: Biennales and New Curatorial Strategies in Response to Climate Change 58 2019 Lyon Biennale 59 2020–2021 EVA International Biennial of Contemporary Art 65 2018 and 2020 Taipei Biennial 70 3 Environment and Empowerment: Biennales as Legacy Projects 88 2020 Biennale of Sydney 89 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial 100 Conclusion 120 Index 128 Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis réaffirme la pertinence et le rôle percutant de l'art, révélant comment les expositions d'art contemporain peuvent capturer l'air du temps et faire avancer de nouvelles approches collaboratives pour une habitation plus durable de la Terre. Le livre est largement axé sur les biennales, qui, selon lui, sont les modèles d'exposition contemporains les plus capables d'offrir de nouvelles perspectives et de proposer des moyens alternatifs de se connecter à nos environnements sociaux et naturels. Fenner le démontre en montrant comment les commissaires de ces expositions de haut niveau répondent de manière créative et engageante aux problèmes qui préoccupent les artistes et la société en général, dont la crise écologique est primordiale. S'appuyant sur des études de cas de différentes parties du monde, l'auteur révèle comment les biennales peuvent apporter une contribution constructive aux débats et aux attitudes autour du changement climatique, et comment le rôle du conservateur a évolué pour embrasser un devoir de diligence non seulement envers l'art mais aussi envers le monde naturel. Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis étudie comment les expositions à grande échelle d'art international contemporain peuvent devenir des agents de changement. En tant que tel, le livre sera une lecture essentielle pour les universitaires, les étudiants et les praticiens qui s'intéressent aux expositions, à la conservation, à l'art contemporain et à la durabilité environnementale "Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis reaffirms the relevance and impactful role of art, revealing how contemporary art exhibitions can capture the zeitgeist and advance new and collaborative approaches to a more sustainable inhabitation of Earth. The book is largely focused on biennales, which it argues are the contemporary exhibition models with the greatest capacity to offer new perspectives and propose alternative ways of connecting with our social and natural environments. Fenner demonstrates this by showing how curators of these high-profile exhibitions are responding in creative and engaging ways to the issues that preoccupy artists and society more broadly, of which the ecological crisis is paramount. Drawing on case studies from different parts of the world, the author reveals how biennales can make a constructive contribution to debates and attitudes around climate change, and how the role of the curator has evolved to embrace a duty of care not just to art but to the natural world. Curating in a Time of Ecological Crisis investigates how large-scale exhibitions of contemporary international art can become agents of change. As such, the book will be essential reading for scholars, students and practitioners with an interest in exhibitions, curating, contemporary art and environmental sustainability"-- Provided by publisher