The Artist as Ecologist

‘A timely, much-needed account of contemporary art’s interaction with activism and the environment’ - Jeremy Deller, artist

‘Making fresh sense of apparent trends in the art world towards planetary consciousness, and ecological and social practices, Ramos plots a powerful long view of the role of the artist. Foregrounding those who are “breaking the spell of modernity”, her book convincingly demonstrates that if art is to be meaningful now, it must be founded in awareness of our complex coexistence on this planet: human and non-human.’ - Catherine Wood, Director of Curatorial & Chief Curator, Tate Modern

‘In this book, Ramos explores the fascinating ways that contemporary artists are responding to the ecological crises unfolding around us. The book’s central argument is vital and timely: the power of the arts to change the way we think, feel, and understand has never been more important.’ - Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Life

Filipa Ramos is a curator and writer whose work intersects art, moving images and ecology. She is a Lecturer on the Masters Programme at the Arts Institute of the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Basel, where she leads the Art and Nature seminars, and Artistic Director of Loop Festival, Barcelona. Her publications include The Shape of a Circle in the Mind of a Fish (as co-editor) and Animals (as editor). By merging curatorial practice, writing and transdisciplinary research, Ramos has expanded the discourse of Art History towards an ecological sensibility, encouraging museums, curators and artists to envisage art as a catalyst for social and environmental change.