Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Contemporary Art
Abstract
This dissertation explores how the intertwined practices of rematerialisation and ecological handicraft can reorient contemporary art toward social, ecological, and ethical renewal. It argues that in the aftermath of Conceptual Art’s legacy of dematerialisation, where ideas eclipsed material engagement, art must rediscover its tactile, communal, and ecological intelligence to respond meaningfully to the crises of the Anthropocene. Drawing upon theorists including Lucy Lippard, Jane Bennett, Tim Ingold, and Glenn Adamson, this research proposes a triadic framework of rematerialization, ecological handcraft, and participatory sustainability that restores continuity between making, environment, and community.
The accompanying practice project, Urban Fieldnotes, situated in Hackney Wick, London, embodies these principles through adaptive reuse, collective making, and ecological design. Transforming a post-industrial site into a living commons, the project integrates slow, low-impact artistic processes, participatory governance, and local material cycles. By combining theoretical reflection with practice-based experimentation, the dissertation demonstrates that the future of contemporary art lies in rematerialised thought, where artistic meaning arises not from disembodied concepts but from the relational, ethical, and ecological act of making itself. It concludes that art can become an instrument of renewal by reuniting thought with matter, artist with community, and creation with care.
Recommended Citation
Fu, Qihan, "Urban Fieldnotes: Rematerialization, Ecological Handicraft, and Participatory Sustainability in Contemporary Art" (2026). MA in Contemporary Art Dissertations. 6.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/ma_con_art/6