Author: Hanna Granlund, Intercult
Dear followers of E-ART
The past few months have been extraordinarily busy for the project. I would like to take you all now on a journey of summarising this exciting period and hint at what you can look forward to next.
Art Labs
During the summer and fall, each partner organisation in the E-ART project has conducted Art Labs in collaboration with local artists in their community. The purpose of the Labs was to implement our Sustainable Art Curriculum in practice, with Lab leaders who had undergone training in the Curriculum modules in Thessaloniki the previous year. These Labs turned into hugely exciting events with artists working together with strong aesthetic and environmental visions. For more information about each Lab, please visit our latest Newsletter here: https://www.eartproject.eu/newsletter-4/
Reflections from Blagoevgrad
As the trees of Europe begin changing colour, the partners of the E-ART project met for a final time in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Speaking for myself, I first travelled from Stockholm to Belgrade. It just so happened that I was on the same transit bus as my colleague from Espronceda, and we quickly ran into another colleague from Materahub. Together we made it to Sofia, all while discussing the ramifications of the project, highlights from our respective countries and tentative plans for the future.
In Blagoevgrad, we met at the office of our Bulgarian partner OECON. During the following two days we meticulously went through the project from start to finish; What went well? Which parts did we struggle with? What can we develop further?
The focus of the meeting, however, was on the Art Labs and their impact. We thought about the collaborative approach to art, how artists came together to work on a common project while learning and teaching through practical exercises. The overwhelming impression left on us was the enthusiasm of the artists, getting to try out new tools, approaches and exhibition methods in liberating environments.
The purpose of E-ART is to remove the barriers to information. We have strived for clarity, transparency and public access to the fruits of the project at every step. This we hope we have achieved through the Labs, through last spring’s Online Residency and through the diverse range of learning material accessible on this website.
The artists of E-ART: A digital exhibition
Now it is time for the results of the project to be shared with the world. In a short period of time, we will launch the E-ART digital gallery. In this virtual space mimicking an art gallery, a selection of the many, many artworks created during the Labs will be showcased alongside their artistic descriptions and curatorial texts. If you wish to learn more about a certain creator, you can meet them and see their FULL portfolio in the E-ART Artist Gallery (link: https://www.eartproject.eu/artists/). With this, we seek to support artists to reach outside their local areas and exhibit in an international context.
Are you curious about what the Art Labs were like? Do you want to partake in video tutorials on sustainable materials and methods? Maybe you are interested in artist interviews about what sustainability means to their practice? If so, check out the E-ART YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@eart_eu?si=HhCuxfBTsEIuEUWA
Follow the next phase of the E-ART project on our social media ( Links: https://www.instagram.com/eart.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/eart.euproject ) and stay tuned for the launch of the Digital Gallery!
