Filipa Ramos Knihy

Contemporary artists are critically engaging with the climate crisis through innovative ecological practices. Filipa Ramos explores the works of diverse artists who address environmental themes, emphasizing the need for responsible ecological positions in both artistic creation and institutional practices. The book examines the return to land, the representation of environmental justice, and the significance of performance and time-based media in art. It also delves into the intricate relationship between artists, art institutions, and their roles in environmental action.

Animals have become the focus of much recent art, informing numerous works and projects featured at major exhibitions. Contemporary art has become a privileged terrain for exploring interspecies relationships, providing the conditions for diverse disciplines and theoretical positions to engage with animal behaviour and consciousness. Artists' engagement with animals opens up new perspectives on the dynamics of dominance, oppression and exclusion, with parallels in human society; and animal nature is at the heart of debates on the 'anthropocene' era and the ecological concerns of scientists, thinkers and artists alike. Centred on contemporary artworks, this anthology attests to the trans-disciplinary nature of this subject, with art as one of its principal points of convergence.