The ¡vamos, simbiosis! pilot project took place in Águilas from 26 September 2022 until 7 October 2022
Currently we are working on a presentation of the results of workshops, talks, community cooking, diving, exhibitions, community participation, and visualisation workshops.
As soon as possible we will publish a documentary in various media and a special research platform for public participation, education and research.
Meanwhile we are happy if you follow us on Instagram or Twitter!
Uniting arts, science and society, ¡vamos, simbiosis! reveals the deep connection between humanity and the sea to create new concepts for a sustainable lifestyle in partnership with the marine world.
Healthy ecosystems are key to combat climate change, maintain our well-being and economic stability. A prime example is the Mediterranean Sea which supports fisheries, agriculture and tourism for millions of Europeans. Yet, it is massively over-fished and polluted and as a ‘climate change hotspot’ Southern Europe will soon be too dry and hot to sustain the current level of tourism and agricultural use.
For society to truly understand the importance of healthy oceans for life on planet Earth, we will create science-inspired artworks. In contrast to pure facts, art reaches people at the emotional level – a prerequisite for taking action. Moreover, we will develop innovative solutions for preserving the Mediterranean Sea as a functional ecosystem and recreational region at a high economic level. Implementation of novel ideas and change rely on widespread acceptance within society. This can be reached by allowing all parties to be heard and to contribute to finding solutions.
The Symbiosis Studio: feel – understand – create
Learning is an experience. Everything else is just information. Albert Einstein
To achieve this, we will bring together international scientists, artists and the public in Águilas, a coastal city in Southern Spain. We will set up a multifunctional Symbiosis Studio to experience the sea, understand the facts and create transformative ideas.
The Symbiosis Studio will be located in the harbour next to the local dive school Buceo Estela which will organize a special programme for all participants to jointly experience the Mediterranean Sea.
The studio also serves as a communication platform and will be specifically designed to promote exchange between scientists, artists and the public, collaborative out-of-the-box thinking, co-creation of ideas and concepts and their visualization. Moreover, the Symbiosis Studio will facilitate the broadcasting of our activities, discussions and interviews worldwide.
Thinking Hands: interdisciplinary communication and designTo facilitate communication across disciplines including the public, we will take advantage of Thinking Hands, a powerful method for visual communication that we developed. It manifests ideas through drawing (instead of specialized language) and is designed to promote collaboration and empathy. The visual representation and combination of knowledge and ideas from distinct disciplines and the public leads to transformative results which are co-developed through teamwork. The Symbiosis Studio will have a Thinking Hands Wall as a special feature to display all visual material publicly.
Together, by the means of arts, science and societal participation we will create a vision for a symbiotic lifestyle in the Mediterranean region, defined as prosperity for society in conjunction with healthy ecosystems.
