The Arts & Ecology Project

About

The RSA Arts & Ecology Project was an initiative to expand the debate concerning artists' connection to current environmental issues. The project primarily included visual artists and their works and it mainly woke interest in research-based form. On the ecology part, the concept went further than the usual definition of the word, to include philosophical interpretations of ecological systems.

The project

The project started off in 2005 and attracted a lot of attention right away. The topic definately needed to be adressed properly. Eighteen months after the first symposium, a full two-day conference was arranged at the London School of Economics which held the title "No Way Back". This conference gathered specialist from a large variety of disciplines from around the world and they all had the opportunity to show their environmental work. There were also numerous debates being held between 2007-2009, on locations such as Venice, Sharjah and Bristol.

The main goal of the Arts & Ecology project was to inspire artists to include environmental aspects in their work. The publication "Land Art: A Cultural Ecology Handbook" was composed and distributed by the RSA in 2006, as one of the key results of the project. There was of course also a website linking to the project, but it is no longer in use.

Ecological Art

There is a genre within art called Ecological Art. It is an artistic method that aims to protect and develop life forms and planetary assets, and ecology of planet Earth. The artists working in this field apply the principles of ecosystems, living species and their habitats in all spheres. Furthermore Ecological Art includes political, cultural, economical, ethical and - of course - aesthetical perspectives. Other than visual artists, Ecological Art involve scientists, philosophers and engineers.