Description: Examining the work of key Southeast and East Asian artists, Michael M. J. Fischer calls for a new anthropology of the arts that attends to the materialities and technologies of the world as it exists today.
Review Quotes:
"[A] dynamic ethnography of prominent works by contemporary artists in Asia ... Probing Arts and Emergent Forms of Life goes far beyond introducing innovative artists and describing their artworks. It situates contemporary Asian art within ethnographic and geo-political contexts."
--Robin Visser, Journal of Contemporary Asia "This book stands as a remarkable contribution to contemporary global art scholarship. Fischer adeptly navigates complex art-related issues, skillfully interweaving anthropological and other theories with his characteristic depth and elegance. The work's multilayered approach renders it valuable for experts, scholars, and advanced students. . . . Fischer has once again produced a masterpiece, further cementing his reputation in the field. Readers will undoubtedly look forward to his future contributions with great anticipation."--Pamela Karimi, American Ethnologist"Fischer provides a fascinating insight into some of the most recent and radical contemporary art to emerge onto the global scene from Southeast Asia and the Far East. . . . This volume . . . provides a rich tapestry of fascinating contemporary, globally inflected, and globally impacting art from Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia, providing profound cultural, historical, and social insight."
--Arnd Schneider, Politics, Religion & Ideology