Abstract

Climate change has increasingly emerged not only as a scientific and political crisis but also as an affective and 
aesthetic phenomenon. This study examines how contemporary art engages with climate grief and eco-anxiety, 
focusing on the thematic, formal, and experiential dimensions of such works. Drawing on affect theory, art history, 
and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental humanities, the paper explores how artists represent emotional 
responses to ecological loss, including grief, fear, resilience, and hope. The analysis highlights the role of diverse 
media installation, video, performance, and participatory art in materializing climate-related affects and translating 
abstract environmental processes into sensory and embodied experiences. It further investigates audience 
reception, emphasizing how artworks foster empathy, narrative engagement, and, in some cases, pro
environmental action. While climate art can deepen awareness and ethical reflection, its capacity to motivate 
sustained behavioural change remains uneven and shaped by broader social and political constraints. By situating 
climate grief within evolving artistic practices and audience dynamics, this study argues that art serves as a critical 
interface between individual emotion and collective ecological consciousness. It underscores the importance of 
integrating artistic, educational, and policy-oriented frameworks to address the psychological and cultural 
dimensions of the climate crisis.