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S+T+ARTS4WATERII is excited to announce the Call for Artists for the second edition of the S+T+ARTS Residency Programme, which is dedicated to water sustainability and innovation at the nexus of science, technology, and arts. This time, the programme has a specific focus on the environmental challenges of ports, port cities, coastal areas, and waterways.
VITO is the coordinator of S+T+ARTS4WATERII. The other partners of the consortium are TBA21 (Spain and Italy), Camargo foundation (France), WAAG Futurelab (the Netherlands), GLUON (Belgium), OGR Torino (Italy), ADAPT Research Centre (Dublin), Klima Biennale Vienna-KunstHausWien (Austria), Drugo More (Croatia) and PiNA (Slovenia).
About S+T+ARTS4WATERII: ports in transformation
Europe's ports are pivotal for global transport, handling 74% of goods and 400 million passengers annually. They employ over 1.5 million workers and foster innovation, sustainability, and economic development. However, they face complex challenges at the nexus of nature, economy, technology, and society, including environmental issues like air, water and sound pollution.
Some of the most urgent environmental challenges that Europe faces are water challenges, including pollution, scarcity, salinization, flooding and inefficient management. Climate change exacerbates these issues, threatening ecosystems and human health. Sustainable solutions are crucial for safeguarding Europe's water resources and ensuring a resilient future. Ports, waterways, industries and researchers are pressured to respond as they hold significant opportunities and responsibility to tackle sustainability goals.
Artists' creativity, scientific expertise and/or digital technologies can contribute to making port, waterways and coastal areas greener and more sustainable.
Apply for one of the four residencies in Belgium before 26 June 2024
S+T+ARTS4WATERII will enhance collaborative artistic research, creation, and innovation in different port cities and their related ecosystems and industries across eight countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Ireland, Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia.
A total of 20 residencies, facilitated by the 10 partners of the consortium, will be realised in the context of this programme. We invite artists to produce a tangible, presentable and art-driven output addressing a local challenge, in the form of artworks, performances or functional or speculative artistic prototypes.
GLUON facilitates the 4 residencies in Belgium: Port of Brussels, Scheldt Valley National Park, Port of Ostend and Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Challenge for the Port of Brussels: Keeping heteropia afloat - Experiments in modal shift
The Brussels Port, situated within the City of Brussels in the Brussels-Capital Region 120 kilometers away from the coastline accommodates ships and convoys of up to 9,000 tonnes and serves as a vital hub for regional connectivity across 14 km of canal. By the Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal, even ocean-faring vessels can access the outer port, while the Brussels–Charleroi Canal ensures transit to Wallonia.
Through several projects the Flemish waterway authorities, the port and the city of Brussels as well as other local and international partners are aiming at an expansion of sustainable transport per water to reduce transport on roads. These modal shift processes are often slow-paced and difficult to implement due to a variety of technical, economical and industrial reasons. One underestimated problem here is how societal and cultural norms favor traditional modes of transportation.
We are looking for artists to open up the imagination on the power, beauty and importance of modal shift for more sustainable and livable futures. Artists could experiment with different approaches to sculpture and architecture, sustainable or circular materials and making, bio kinetic art, smart tech and waste removal, solar and other renewable energies, organic farming, natural water filtering, alternative and experimental takes on transport by water, or explore the newest technologies (such as VR, AR, XR) with communities in the canal area in a way that is relevant to the theme of modal shift.
Challenge for the Scheldt Valley National Park: Cross-cultural collaborations with and for water
The beautiful Valley around the river Scheldt engaging 24 communities between the cities of Oudenaarde and Antwerp and passing Ghent was announced a National Park only half a year ago. The Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Delta, which the Valley is a major part of, was nominated as UNESCO Geopark. A recognition reserved for areas of unique international geological significance. The area hence holds unique value to engage different publics to the beauty and relevance of clean water – and the (scientific) efforts which sustain it.
We are looking for a curious and multi-faceted artist, interested in interweaving different cultural lines of thought and (art) practices in the Scheldt Valley National Park. Negotiate our relationship to science, nature and water, as well as to arts as sacred and related, equally providing spiritually meaningful and revealing experiences which in themselves can be aesthetic and transformative, as our relationship with the world defines the values with which we encounter it.
Artists from all disciplines (installation, music, intermedia, design, sculpture, performance, visual arts, game design, sound engineering etc.) developing a collaborative work for the area can apply. A vision for engagement with the river with a view on overall enhancement of water sustainability or science literacy is needed. Making meaningful links to relevant angles from non-European cultures is encouraged.
Challenge for the Port of Ostend: Coastal culture and science at sea - Performing a bridge to the symbiocene
The port of Ostend, is located in the city of Ostend, within the West Flanders province of the Flemish Region in Belgium. The port of Ostend is unique in Belgium as it is the only port nestled in the touristically buzzing coastal area amidst sandy beaches and wide boulevards, with a rich tradition of fishery that is still alive but undergoing significant changes, just as is the life below water.
Additionally, Ostend's port area is a key science hub fostering blue economy innovation, distinguished by its focus on marine research and sustainable practices around circularity, sustainable water-management and bioengineering and has a lively cultural scene, with Theater aan Zee being one of Belgium’s most unique and most loved on-site performance art festivals.
We are looking for a an artist to engage with the coastal area of the West Flemish city Ostend, creating collaborative synergies between its sea and water research centres, local (fishery) communities, and the public of the open-air Performance Art Festival Theater aan Zee with an eye on performative futurologist interactions, which transcend the human centred approach, that tends to reduce water in all its natural richness to merely a resource of resources.
Challenge for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges: Resilience on the waterfront -Pioneering ports and beyond
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, situated in Flanders, Belgium, serves as the city's primary maritime gateway. Located mainly in the province of Antwerp and partly in East Flanders, it is Europe's second-largest seaport, positioned at the upper reaches of the Scheldt river’s tidal estuary.
As a global economic artery the port, the city and the interlinked partners face urgencies in governing its numerous water challenges. Water quality and pollution, sediment management, the loss of biodiversity and disruption of aquatic habitats, sea level rise and flood rise, water resource management and ballast water management contributing to the spread of invasive species.
The goal is to explore the economical, residential and natural eco-systems surrounding the port. Water is not only a crucial resource for different industries, but also an important source for life in and around the Scheldt. The exploration aims to reflect perspectives that go beyond human-centred views and that can create artistic expressions engaging different communities influencing the future water management of Europe’s second largest port.
About S+T+ARTS
S+T+ARTS is an initiative of the European Commission to foster alliances between science, technology, and the arts. The convergence of Science, Technology, and Arts (S+T+ARTS) holds immense potential for creative innovation, essential for addressing the imminent social, ecological, and economic in Europe and globally. In this vision, scientists, technologists, and artists are regarded as equally essential contributors, mutually shaping and enhancing each other's perspectives and methodologies in the innovation journey.