The Global Centre for Climate Action Speaker Series presents: Ecological Aesthetics and Realism
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For: Public
Talk
Public
Talk
Public
The Global Centre for Climate Action (GCCA) at OCAD U presents: Ecological Aesthetics & Realism
A provocative lecture by contemporary art history professor, Amanda Boetzkes (University of Guelph), followed by an intimate conversation with curator, artist and professor, Ala Roushan (OCAD U) as part of our fall speaker series.
How does art mediate and transform our understanding of ecological reality in an era where our perception is distorted by the normalization of fake narratives and representations?
In Art Realism in the Post-Truth Era and the forthcoming Ecologicity, Vision, and the Planetarity of Art, contemporary art history professor and author, Amanda Boetzkes, offers a rich, interdisciplinary examination of art’s contribution to realism beyond philosophical theory, as well as its role in transforming our ecological awareness. Drawing from a diverse range of media—including sound art, film, literature, painting, video installation, and scientific visualization—and using case studies, inquiry, and interrogation, Amanda reveals how the arts mediate, visualize, and reshape reality while adjusting our perceptual parameters. Her work provides a pathway for the public to move beyond speculation to confront existential crises like climate change, as well as reconsider our environments and how we inhabit them while addressing the politics of land and Indigenous sovereignty. By bridging the aesthetics of realism and ecology, Amanda invites us to understand the critical role of art as a means of navigating the complexities of climate action.
Join us for this illuminating work, research and conversation to challenge our perceptions of how the aesthetics of art are shaping our ecological perceptions and sense of realism.