More information
Description
Regeneration is an interdisciplinary project in the field of artistic research and its presentation that responds to the most pressing social challenges today. At its core is the support of the creation of artworks based on artistic research activities that combine social and environmental themes.
Around the world, we are presented with the question of how to face the growing environmental crisis in a way that avoids deepening the existing inequality between society and the groups found at its fringes due to either social or cultural differences. Through art, we will grasp the manifestations of the crisis in a creative way. We will connect experts from various fields, the cultural audience, and disadvantaged groups. The project’s activities will contribute to a more cognizant presentation of society-wide issues and suggestions for how to communicate them.
Throughout the project, a variety of artistic research activities will be realized in the form of residencies, presentations, and workshops in cooperation with partners in donor states such as the Icelandic Art Center, the Iceland University of the Arts, or the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, which will cooperate during the conception phase, arrange artistic contacts, and, in the final phase, will also evaluate the realized research. The project will conclude with a joint presentation of all of its activities at the Iceland University of the Arts in Reykjavík and the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. The projects focus on the conservation of natural resources, on the education processes that are essential for the gradual elimination of inequality in society, and on the creation of a matrix to establish better conditions for engaging with voices and perspectives from communities. Given the worldwide pandemic crisis, a key output of the project will be the online presentation of the created works. The website will contain audiovisual artworks and the results of artistic research.
Summary of project results
It was vital to challenge outdated concepts of nature and social ties that often prevent adequate responses to ecological or social issues. The process raised a number of challenges to link different geographical and cultural contexts. We were faced with the complexity of bringing the interdisciplinary perspectives of different artists, scientists and theorists - into a format that would open up a dialogue on decolonization, ecology and models of more-than-human collaboration.
The online exhibition and live events linked several important socio-political issues of our time, which we developed through interdisciplinary research and collaboration with a wide range of artistic and documentary outputs.
The main output is an online exhibition with 3 chapters - Erosion, The Practice of Decolonization and Unprotected Nature, which offers over 50 artworks and documentaries. The project brought new insights to ecology with an emphasis on social inequalities, linking international contexts. An unintended effect was to strengthen collaboration of artists and scientists, thus improving understanding of social challenges across disciplines. Users gained innovative, inspiring and comprehensible educational tools.
Summary of bilateral results
Thanks to the partnership with LHI, the project has grown to include significant artistic and professional scientific collaboration on the content of the online exhibition, and in turn we have gained many valuable contacts coming from Icelandic art education and Icelandic art institutions. The partnership with the IAC has enhanced the breadth of the project''s scope by assisting insight into the academic spheres and many regional arts institutions and organisations during residencies in Iceland. On behalf of NTNU, the participation of Nikhil Vettukattila from Tenthaus Radio was crucial, connecting us with expert women and artists who became important voices in the chapter The Practice of Decolonization. Amanda Fayant from NTNU also played the same role, connecting us with Sami and Norwegian women academics and activists in particular. This partnership brought many new insights into the commonalities of so-called internal colonization, how majority nations treat their largest minorities, in the Czech Republic especially the Roma and in Norway the Sami. The partnership cooperation continues after the end of the project.