Introduction: We are living in an age of gross ecological overshoot - our demands on the planet far exceed what is sustainable. Wealth is extremely concentrated while billions go hungry. And with the world’s population heading toward 11 billion by the end of the century, something has to give.

One response to these overlapping crises is degrowth. This movement argues that the developed regions of the world, including Australia, will need to initiate a process of “planned economic contraction” in order to achieve a just and sustainable world.

Degrowth means embracing sufficiency for all, rather than excess for a few, and culturally, it means imagining a good life beyond consumerism. This can be hard for people conditioned to living in a wealthy society.

Art can be one way of imagining this world, as I explore in a recent essay and book.