The Ecological Power of Contemporary Art:

An Interview with Aviva Rahmani on Art and Ecology, an American artist who combines feminism, activism, and environmental renewal in a single practice of social commitment

originally published May 31, 2025 via Art Tribune online, interview by Antonino La Vela

Aviva Rahmani (New York, 1945) is an artist who combines creativity with a commitment to environmental and cultural renewal. At the heart of her work is the Aviva Rahmani Eco-Art Project, which includes works such as Blued Trees, Ghost Nets, Cities and Oceans of If, and Gulf to Gulf. These projects denounce humankind's destructive impact on the environment and ecocide, inviting audiences to reevaluate their connection to an environment that is fundamental to our cultural identity.

Who is Aviva Rahmani With a solid background in art and environmental studies, Rahmani has developed theories that challenge traditional conventions. Her work combines conceptualism with cultural criticism, intertwining historical narratives and literary legacies, connecting the past to today's social changes, making them symbols of resilience and renewal. We discussed her practice in this interview.

Interview with Aviva Rahmani

Let's start from the beginning. What role can your cultural and landscape experiences, your sensitivity to nature, and your exploration of performance and conceptual art play in environmental renewal?

My earliest memories, linked to nature and an insatiable curiosity for the world, drew me to performance and conceptual art. As a young artist, I wanted to express both my creative impulses and growing environmental concerns. These experiences laid the foundation for my work, which I call Trigger Point Theory as Aesthetic Activism. Confronting phenomena such as deforestation, pollution, and ecocide has driven me to create art that aims to spark real transformations in the relationship between humanity and the environment.

The projects Blued Trees, Ghost Nets, Cities and Oceans of If, and Gulf to Gulf have become fundamental in this field. What message do you intend to convey?

Each of my works stems from the belief that a small gesture can make a difference to the environment. Blued Trees and Ghost Nets highlight the serious consequences of ecosystem collapse, while Cities and Oceans of If and Gulf to Gulf imagine a future where urban spaces and natural environments coexist in harmony. Together, these works invite us to recognize our responsibility to the planet, reminding us that every creative gesture can contribute to healing the planet's wounds.

You have collaborated with prominent figures such as Judy Chicago, enriching your work with a feminist perspective.

Working with Judy Chicago revolutionized my concept of performative collaboration, deepening the connection between feminism and ecological activism. This experience challenged and transcended patriarchal and colonial narratives. The work Ablutions, created together with Judy, Suzanne Lacy and Sandi Orgel in 1973 on the theme of sexual violence, further strengthened my commitment to combating the colonization of the territory and social injustice, themes that have accompanied me since the early days of the feminist movement.

Your art combines science, indigenous wisdom, and cultural criticism in an original way. How do they come together in your creative process?

I consider the world a complex and interconnected system. I draw on physics, environmental studies, and indigenous traditions to construct a holistic vision that guides my work. This approach allows me to create rigorous and emotionally resonant works, highlighting the connections between ecological health, cultural identity, and the devastating consequences of ecocide. This vision opens spaces for thought and concrete action.

Despite international recognition, your work in Italy remains little-known. You presented Trigger Points / Tipping Points at the 2007 Venice Biennale, but much remains to be discovered. Italy's high artistic culture offers the ideal context for a dialogue on the environment.

I see the opportunity to engage the public more, not only by exhibiting my works, but also by stimulating profound reflection on sustainability and ecological justice. This commitment is essential at a time when global challenges, such as ecocide, require innovative and restorative solutions.

In your most recent project, Tolstoy & I, you reimagine classic literature through blue pencil self-portraits, drawn on torn pages from an old edition of War and Peace that belonged to your mother.

Tolstoy & I is an introspective journey into my personal history and my relationship with contemporary politics. Reusing pages from my mother's beloved copy of War and Peace, I grapple with the violation of history —that is, the way political forces fragment collective memory. The use of blue pencil, a reference to my project Blued Trees, creates a symbolic link between my ecological activism and literary reflection, inviting us to rediscover hidden narratives and understand how memory, legacy, and political reality are inextricably linked.

Looking to the future, what message would you like to convey to emerging artists and environmental activists today?

Embrace your creativity as a tool for transformation. Art can speak truth to power, challenge the status quo, and imagine alternative futures. I invite young artists to dare, transcend disciplinary boundaries, and use their voices to address the urgent issues of our time. Our planet needs innovation, passion, and decisive action: every creative gesture is a step toward a more sustainable and just world.

Antonino La Vela

Original article in Italian here

ecoartspace recently did a 1.5 hour interview with Aviva Rahmani in her studio in Vinalhaven, Maine (July 2025), as part of our video archive, which is available to researchers up request.