In a world where 75 percent of the planet's land surface is experiencing measurable human pressure, the way people imagine the planet substantially impacts the environment itself. Such environmental imaginaries are constructed by a number of underlying concepts, value systems, visual cultures and technologies used for portraying the Earth's environment. However, these technologies are neither neutral nor inclusive of society.
Mission
The European project More-than-Planet (2022 – 2025) finds an urgency to re-examine the way people understand and picture the environment on the level of the planet as a conceptual whole, together with partners Waag (NL), Ars Electronica (AT), Northern Photographic Centre (FI), ART2M/Makery (FR), Leonardo/Olats (FR) and Zavod Projekt Atol (SI). In a collaboration with artists, critical thinkers, and various experts from cultural, environmental, and outer space institutions, the project will address this crisis of planetary imaginary.
Vision
We believe that artists and (artistic) researchers can contribute in a unique way to face the ecological and space challenges of the world. That's why More-than-Planet aims fo facilitate collaborative, transdisciplinary (artistic) research by conducting open calls, conferences, exhibitions and publications.
In general, the project builds on decades of individual efforts by many artists, scientists, and cultural organisations who enabled artistic production in the context of outer space, with space technologies, or even in outer space itself.
Objectives
Develop societal awareness of environmental urgencies, through novel environmental narratives in cultural and public spaces as well as in specific critical zones.
Contribute to the European cultural-environmental literacy with the comparative planetary imaginary.
Develop collaborative and art-driven innovation approaches with critical and creative tools for addressing today’s environmental troubles.
Develop a pathway toward the framework of European Cultural Outer-Space Activities (ECOSA).
At the intersection of international transdisciplinary efforts
More-than-Planet is positioned at the intersection of several European and international transdisciplinary efforts with strong innovation capacities and opportunities for high impact:
S+T+ARTS (Science, Technology and ARTS) is a European Commission initiative that supports and fosters innovation at the nexus of science, technology and arts.
New European Bauhaus will be addressed through some of the partners projects and public events.
Copernicus programme of EC will be used as a source of earth observation data, while also opportunity for dissemination of project results at dedicated events.
European Space Agency (ESA) with their ESTEC centre in Noordwijk (NL) and ESRIN centre in Frascati (IT) will be involved as an important stakeholder, on one side as knowledge provider, but also with their art-science and science communication activities.
European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) is the main dissemination partner of NPC in Oulu, and the platform where the project will address issues of climate change.
Committee for Cultural Utilisation of Space (ITACCUS) at International Astronautical Federation (IAF) are the main international outer-space network with annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC) organised each year in different cities, Paris in 2022 and Baku in 2023 and Milano in 2024.
This project receives funding from the European Union’s Creative Europe programme under grant agreement No 101056238.
Learn more at More-than-Planet website.