Michael M. J. Fischer is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Anthropology and Science and Technology Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of numerous books, including At the Pivot of East and West: Ethnographic, Literary, and Filmic Arts and Anthropology in the Meantime: Experimental Ethnography, Theory, and Method for the Twenty-First Century, both also published by Duke University Press.

"[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)

• Acknowledgments  ixIntroduction  11. Challenging Art as Cultural Systems  122. Synthetic Realism: Postcinema in the Anthropocene  313. Feminage, Warang, and the Nervous System (Hauntology and Curation)  714. Nomadic Video in Turbulent Sea States: How Art Becomes Critique  1005. Water Notes on Rattan Strings  1326. Raw Moves and Layered Communication across the Archipelago Seas  165Epilogue. Probing Art and Emerging Forms of Life  197Appendix. The Year 2020 and the Camouflage Painting Series: Conversations with Entang Wiharso  215Notes  221References  253Index  281

Michael M. J. Fischer is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Anthropology and Science and Technology Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of numerous books, including At the Pivot of East and West: Ethnographic, Literary, and Filmic Arts and Anthropology in the Meantime: Experimental Ethnography, Theory, and Method for the Twenty-First Century, both also published by Duke University Press.

"[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)

• Acknowledgments  ixIntroduction  11. Challenging Art as Cultural Systems  122. Synthetic Realism: Postcinema in the Anthropocene  313. Feminage, Warang, and the Nervous System (Hauntology and Curation)  714. Nomadic Video in Turbulent Sea States: How Art Becomes Critique  1005. Water Notes on Rattan Strings  1326. Raw Moves and Layered Communication across the Archipelago Seas  165Epilogue. Probing Art and Emerging Forms of Life  197Appendix. The Year 2020 and the Camouflage Painting Series: Conversations with Entang Wiharso  215Notes  221References  253Index  281