Kritiskā veidošana ekoloģijas kontekstā

Abstract

This article analyses critical making in the context of the contemporary ecological crisis, exploring how material practice can serve as an instrument to foster ecological awareness and change daily habits. Using an autoethnographic approach, the study examines the author’s artistic practice – experimental development of bioplastics and the organisation of practical workshops. The research contrasts dominant, shock-based media communication with slow, corporeal experiences that can foster a deeper connection with the environment. The theoretical framework integrates Joan Tronto’s ethics of care, Gernot Böhme’s critique of aesthetic capitalism, and analyses the contradictions of participatory art. The article concludes that while critical making successfully stimulates discussions at the individual level, it has structural limitations. Artists are often disproportionately expected to perform affective and pedagogical work without adequate institutional support, highlighting the tension between individual initiative and the need for systemic political change.