The Public Artist as a Fringe Agent for Sustainability: Practices of Environmentalist Driven Art-Activism and Their Digital Perspectives

Abstract

The chapter investigates today’s intersection of visual arts and sustainability, which developed thanks to the civic agency of public artists especially concerned with environmental issues. Since its inception, public art operated on the fringe, thus framing a space for new practices and wider audiences. Drawing on an interdisciplinary analysis of the last two decades that shaped sustainable art practices, the chapter explores key concepts, practices, categories, and exemplary artworks that defined public art as a form of activism addressing environmental concerns. The chapter analyzes examples of ecological interventions, community engagement, radical actions, and digital sharing that efficiently addressed environmental concerns. The last section centers on the emblematic exhibition Weather Report (2007) curated by Lucy Lippard in Boulder, Colorado, and on the international network of practitioners gala Green Art Lab Alliance (2012), which employs art projects and digital tools to disseminate an ecological ethos through public art projects. Art activism enabled a decidedly pragmatic and transformative approach, in order to find creative solutions and societal strategies for sustainable development, further adopting digital technologies to offer a platform for promoting practices, exchanging experiences, sharing resources, defining best practices, and building bridges across local perspectives.