S+T+ARTS Aqua Motion
The S+T+ARTS (Science+Technology+ARTS) initiative can be understood as the core crystal of Ars Electronica Platform Europe. Ars Electronica’s long-standing involvement in STARTS is part of our wider commitment to designing and testing transdisciplinary practices and sustainably integrating art-thinking and artistic practice as innovation catalysts for research processes and technology development.
STARTS Aqua Motion aims to revolutionize water management in Europe through an interdisciplinary approach that merges artistic experimentation with cutting-edge technological innovations. Through 25 artist residencies, the project will harness the creativity of artists to develop sustainable solutions for pressing water challenges across Europe’s diverse regions with a focus on four critical basins – Atlantic-Arctic, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic-North Sea, and Danube-Black Sea.
Besides the residency program, the project includes an immersion phase to ensure the artistic solutions are both impactful and scalable. The goal is to create a lasting, transformative impact on water sustainability, and foster a greener, more resilient Europe for future generations.
STARTS Aqua Motion speaks to our belief in solutions grounded in local/regional perspectives and lived experiences, as the only way to develop technologies that are truly sensitive to the challenges of a locality. The Danube is a major economic, geographical and cultural force in Austria, and its banks are home to 7.7 million people. In a country dominated by the Alps, the flat lands near rivers are vital for the agricultural sector, human settlements, and infrastructure. Challenges related to water management, pollution, and biodiversity loss in the area will be tackled in two residencies hosted by Ars Electronica and three residencies of Vienna University of Technology.
In addition to STARTS Aqua Motion, our other STARTS projects are STARTS Ec(h)o, two Africa-focussed STARTS Afropean Intelligence and STARTS4Africa, STARTS Prize, and STARTS Regional Centers’ activities such as Repairing the Present and STARTS in the City.
#aquamotion
Coming soon…
Duration: 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2026
Partners (Consortium): INOVA+ (coordinator), Ars Electronica, AIR Centre, +ATLANTIC CoLAB, Hortimare, Kikk Festival, MUSE – Museo delle Scienze, Pro Progressione, Rio Neiva – Associação de Defesa do Ambiente, The Global Network of Water Museums (WAMU-NET), Vienna University of Technology, Waag
STARTS Aqua Motion is funded by the European Union under the STARTS – Science, Technology and Arts initiative of DG CNECT under grant agreement LC-03568055. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or DG CNECT. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.