@phdthesis{Shubhani2025, author = {Shubhani,}, title = {Greening the institutions : curatorial activism's impact on environmental awareness in South India}, doi = {10.26127/BTUOpen-7195}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus4-71950}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2025}, abstract = {This practice-based PhD explores the pivotal role of curators in enhancing the relationship between audiences and environmental art projects, focusing on the transformative potential of curatorial activism in the unique cultural context of India. Employing the counterhegemonic strategy of the relational approach, this research examines curatorial activism across various institutional settings. Through a practice-based methodological design, this project evaluates the efficacy of cultural institutions to communicate environmental crises and climate science to the public. It aims to generate a rich, original inquiry by organising exhibitions and events collaborating with environmental activists, artists, and institutions. This thesis highlights the curator's role as a researcher, educator, and mediator, bridging the gap between environmental art activism and curatorial discourse. Critical analysis of audience engagement in curated events like 'Who will Speak: Me? You? Or Nobody?' (2022), 'Waking up to the Fierce Urgency' (2022), and 'Ink \& Ecology: Eco-stories for a Sustainable Future' (2023) vividly demonstrate the profound impact of combining relational strategies with curatorial practices. This research significantly contributes to curatorial discourse and environmental art theory by questioning how curatorial activism can enhance audience engagement and foster transformative impacts, inspiring curators to recognise the power of their roles in shaping public discourse. The conceptual framework draws on Maura Reilly's curatorial activism and the scholarly reflections of Jean-Paul Martinon and Irit Rogoff on curatorial knowledge events. The insights of activist artist Ravi Agarwal and cultural critic TJ Demos on contemporary Indian environmental art practices further inform this study, emphasising a move beyond aesthetic approaches to critical curating. By intersecting political ecology with curatorial activism, this research meticulously analyses curatorial strategies and their ethical responsibilities towards the environmental crisis. It identifies current trends, evaluates the impact of curated projects, and investigates the relationship between institutional frameworks and art activism. The study strongly asserts that in the Indian context, curatorial activism, enriched with cultural and regional nuances, cannot just emerge but also stand as a potent tool for advancing politicised and critical curatorial practices, underlining the urgency and importance of this research.}, subject = {Activist art; Audience engagement; Curatorial activism; Environmental art; Relational approach; Aktivistische Kunst; Publikumsbeteiligung; Kuratorischer Aktivismus; Umweltkunst; Relationaler Ansatz; Indien (S{\"u}d); Kunstverein; Kulturverein; Veranstaltung; Ausstellung; Kuratieren; Kunst; Politische {\"O}kologie; Publikum; Beteiligung}, language = {en} }