Cultural Engineering Group

We are delighted to announce the publication of our member Sacha Kagan’s* new book « Art and Sustainability: Connecting Patterns for a Culture of Complexity ». This publication is the outcome of his PhD Thesis at Leuphana University. The book proposes an understanding of “culture(s) of sustainability”, “aesthetics of sustainability” and “art and sustainability”,  based on an in-depth theoretical elaboration and a critical discussion of several artists.

What is the cultural dimension of sustainability? This book offers a thought-provoking answer, with a theoretical synthesis on »cultures of sustainability«. Describing how modernity degenerated into a culture of unsustainability, to which the arts are contributing, Sacha Kagan engages us in a fundamental rethinking of our ways of knowing and seeing the world. We must learn not to be afraid of complexity, and to re-awaken a sensibility to patterns that connect. With an overview of ecological art over the past 40 years, and a discussion of art and social change, the book assesses the potential role of art in a much needed transformation process.

A4 flyer with the table of contents: PDF file

Links: Book page on the publisher’s website / Pre-Order page on the publisher’s website (besides, I noticed that pre-order seems to be also possible on amazon.de and amazon.co.uk)

Art and Sustainability: Connecting Patterns for a Culture of Complexity. Will be available in July 2011, ca. 476 p., ca. 39,80 € –ISBN 978-3-8376-1803-7

*Sacha Kagan is :

• Research Associate, Institute of Cultural Theory, Research and the Arts (IKKK), Leuphana University Lueneburg (www.leuphana.de/ikkk)
• Founding Coordinator, Cultura21 International (www.cultura21.net) & Vice-President, Cultura21 Institut e.V. (Germany)
• Founding Director, International Summer School of Arts and Sciences for Sustainability in Social Transformation (ASSiST : http://assist2010.ning.com )
• Personal website: http://sachakagan.wordpress.com

Sacha also published here :

• Sustainable Creative Cities: the role of the arts in globalised urban contexts
• Creating Cities : Culture, Space and Sustainability
• A review of Cultural engineering / 3
• A review of Cultural engineering / 2
• A review of Cultural engineering / 1

Filed under: Analyses, Expériences, Gouvernances, Ingénieries, Outils, Politiques culturelles, Ressources, Arts et soutenabilité, Développement culturel, Développement durable, Développement soutenable, Ethique, Gouvernance culturelle, Innovation, Innovation sociale, Politiques culturelles, Politiques des territoires, Soutenabilité