Critique of Ecocritical Art's Lack of Praxis

A review argues that ecological art exhibitions, such as the Hayward Gallery's 'Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis', often fail to move beyond raising awareness to concrete action. The article criticizes the show's artworks, like Andrea Bowers's neon installation 'Climate Change is Real' and her saccharine paintings, as naïve and ineffective. It contrasts this with examples from Documenta 15, including INLAND's 'Bee Flag' and 'Cheese Pavilion', and Marwa Arsanios's film documenting a cooperative in North Lebanon, which embody ecological praxis. The author calls for a shift from speculative art objects to material interventions, citing statistics from Oxfam (richest 10% responsible for 52% of emissions) and Carbon Majors (70% of emissions from 100 companies). The review concludes that redefining art's function is necessary in the face of ecological crisis.