What is an ecosocial art practice?

68

‘Ecosocial art practice’ is my term for ‘ecological art practice’ (Fitzgerald, 2018). I emphasise the ‘social’ in my term as many think ecological art is art with just a nature or environmental theme.

In contemporary art, eco-social art practices are similar to ‘social art practice’, also called ‘socially engaged art practice’.  So my term above helps identify their similar dialogical, social form.

Eco-social art practices however attend to social and ecological concerns. Such practices are ensemble practices, often involving art and non-art activities and many ways of knowing from art, eco-philosophy, science and traditional and local knowledge and practical experiential knowledge.

I explain the social potential, the characteristics and a methodology for effective eco-social art practices in my thesis and interactive downloadable ebook.

I have also mentioned ecosocial art practice ideas in the posts below:

‘Ecoliteracy for Creatives’ at Hometree’s 2023 Ardnaculla Summer School, with Grace Wells and Cathy Fitzgerald (6/5/2023)
Further reflections: ‘The Right Tree in the Right Place’? — we need conversations about wiser forestry and ‘The Right Forestry Practice in the Right Place’ (4/19/2023)
Stories for a Wiser Forestry – arguing for the “right forestry practice in the right place”: Edinburgh Botanic Gardens with Creative Carbon Scotland (3/27/2023)
‘UNWANTED GENES ON A DNA SPIRAL’: Irish Times interview with Cathy Fitzgerald, 2004 (2/15/2023)
Speaking of Which II – The Ecological Edition: Ireland-based eco artist interviews for youth and their teachers — Haumea Ecoversity (2/13/2023)
Creatively Caring for Returning Species at Hollywood Forest: Great Spotted Woodpecker (2/11/2023)
A testimonial for wee Hollywood Forest and the slow art of CCF – continuous cover forestry (1/27/2023)
Learning from The Hollywood Forest Story in new EcoArt in Action handbook (6/14/2022)
No Man’s Land: Art & The Rights of Nature – Burren College Exhibition & Symposia — (6/13/2022)
Earth Writings Receives GSI Book of the Year Award (6/1/2022)
‘The Hollywood Forest Story’ showcased in Creative Carbon Scotland’s Library of Creative Sustainability (5/30/2022)
Generation Restoration Visits Hollywood Forest (11/21/2021)
Irish “Climate Change and the Arts: A Post-Cop26 Roundtable Discussion” (11/21/2021)
Creative Ireland 2-day event draws enthusiastic crowds & Minister for Carlow Bog Banner Project (10/26/2021)
Irish farmer-forester Noel Kiernan shares how to live well with the wider Earth community (9/3/2021)
Routledge Handbook of Placemaking 2021 ‘The Hollywood Forest Story: Placemaking for the Symbiocene’ (5/19/2021)
For Chrysalis Arts UK: Cathy Fitzgerald on ECOSOCIAL (ECOLOGICAL) ART IN PRACTICE (5/19/2021)
Bealtaine and Banais Righi -the High King Speaks by Grace Wells (5/1/2021)
‘Dear Dandelion’ – Polly Higgin’s legacy to prevent ecocide grows (4/6/2021)
Dawn of the Symbiocene, Photo: Cathy Fitzgerald, 2019 Help Hold Our Breath for 2040: Call to Global Creative Community to Envision Earth as Forest (2/23/2021)

In developing my practice I looked at others’ ecosocial (ecological) art practices and any books, posts, networks or exhibitions. See these early posts below:

‘Ecoliteracy for Creatives’ at Hometree’s 2023 Ardnaculla Summer School, with Grace Wells and Cathy Fitzgerald (6/5/2023)
Further reflections: ‘The Right Tree in the Right Place’? — we need conversations about wiser forestry and ‘The Right Forestry Practice in the Right Place’ (4/19/2023)
Stories for a Wiser Forestry – arguing for the “right forestry practice in the right place”: Edinburgh Botanic Gardens with Creative Carbon Scotland (3/27/2023)
Speaking of Which II – The Ecological Edition: Ireland-based eco artist interviews for youth and their teachers — Haumea Ecoversity (2/13/2023)
Creatively Caring for Returning Species at Hollywood Forest: Great Spotted Woodpecker (2/11/2023)
Learning from The Hollywood Forest Story in new EcoArt in Action handbook (6/14/2022)
Routledge Handbook of Placemaking 2021 ‘The Hollywood Forest Story: Placemaking for the Symbiocene’ (5/19/2021)
For Chrysalis Arts UK: Cathy Fitzgerald on ECOSOCIAL (ECOLOGICAL) ART IN PRACTICE (5/19/2021)
Dawn of the Symbiocene, Photo: Cathy Fitzgerald, 2019 Help Hold Our Breath for 2040: Call to Global Creative Community to Envision Earth as Forest (2/23/2021)
New ecosocial art practice book–: ‘Creative Engagements with Ecologies of Place’ and guest talk by Iain Biggs (2/11/2021)
Speaking with Megan Best Dublin City FM on Why Ecoliteracy Matters for the Creative Sector (11/15/2020)
Kate Oram: I see an Ash tree (10/29/2020)
Exploring Eco-Social Art Strategies in Qualitative Research and EcoArt – Scandinavia (6/29/2020)
Plasticity of the Planet: Environmental Challenge for Art and Its Institutions–for the Symbiocene (6/14/2020)
Haumea Online: 2nd Pilot Ecoliteracy Course for Creatives and Art Professionals – booked out (5/14/2020)
‘The Battle of Moytura Or The Battle for the Soul of Ireland’:- why ecoliteracy for the arts is essential now (5/13/2020)
Innovative 6-week online ‘Ecoliteracy course for Creatives and Art Educators’–seen as a success on Earth Day 2020 (5/13/2020)
The Hollywood Forest Story in Ireland, Aotearoa New Zealand and The Irish Times (3/7/2020)
My first Essential Ecoliteracy for Creative Workers and Educators Workshop in Co. Carlow, with Lyric FM (11/13/2019)
The Hollywood Forest Story—Eco-Social Art Practice for the Symbiocene: a new article for US Minding Nature journal (11/11/2019)
#FridayArt4Emergency: The Carole Nelson Trio – ‘Arboreal’ -the Album! (10/11/2019)
Introducing Haumea and a proposed new online ‘ecoliteracy for the arts’ course: your ideas welcome! (7/18/2019)
‘Uinse’ by Sarah Flynn: grieving Ireland’s madness for monocultures (7/1/2019)
Creative Ireland An Fraughan art programme: Three Neighbouring Schools Eco-Social Art Exhibition Creates Buzz for Carlow’s Little Drummin Bog (6/12/2019)
An Fraughan Art Exhibition for Drummin Bog: Drummond, Co. Carlow, Thurs 6 June 2019 (5/28/2019)
Ar scáth a chéile… Living in harmony (5/23/2019)
Dara and his mother in Hollywood Forest (2016) Photo: Cathy Fitzgerald Good-Bye Anthropocene – Hello Symbiocene! (5/10/2019)
Children of Pro Silva Ireland members Anna and Brian Browne enjoying a visit to Hollywood forest in 2010. Photo: Cathy Fitzgerald Art.Earth artist of the month Cathy Fitzgerald and The Hollywood Forest Story: an ongoing eco-social art practice for permanent forestry in Ireland and elsewhere (5/1/2019)
Hollywood, ‘the little wood that could’ is a small 2-acre Close-to-Nature continuous cover forest growing under the Blackstairs Mountains, in South County Carlow, Ireland. Photo: Martin Lyttle PhD by Practice – The Ecological Turn: Living Well with forests to explain eco-social art practices (11/21/2018)
Deireadh Fomhair – The End of Autumn exhibition by Eoin Mac Lochlainn (11/21/2018)