Artist capsules are small transnational and interdisciplinary teams of artists. CLIMART-D will work with two artist capsules, bringing together artists recruited through the German, Italian and Portuguese partners. These capsules operate as democratic micro-communities: artists research local social, political and environmental contexts, exchange perspectives, negotiate creative decisions and co-develop new participatory digital artworks around the project’s central question. Each capsule is supported by mentors and contributes to at least one final artwork.
Training and mentoring support the artists throughout the creative process. Mentors bring expertise in digital and interactive art, Deep Democracy, climate action, democracy,, youth and civic engagement, and artistic direction. The programme combines online mentoring sessions with in-person training moments in Portugal, Italy and Germany. It is designed to support conceptual development, group dynamics, inclusive dialogue, technical experimentation and the integration of democracy and climate action into the artworks.
Co-creation is developed through an iterative cycle of research, dialogue, prototyping, feedback and refinement. Artists work remotely and during physical meetings to shape the concepts, formats and technical structures of the artworks. Digital media practices may include interactive installation, generative art, immersive storytelling, motion tracking, projection, data visualisation or other audience-responsive formats, depending on the artistic direction of each capsule.
The final works will be presented in participatory exhibitions in Germany, Italy, Denmark and Portugal. These exhibitions are conceived as public spaces for encounter and civic reflection, not only as displays of finished artworks. Audience members will be invited to interact with the works and to take part in moderated moments of dialogue, including Open Forum formats informed by Deep Democracy. The exhibitions aim to make the relationship between democracy and climate action tangible, experiential and open to different voices.
The online exhibition will gather the artworks, artist biographies, process documentation, videos, statements and reflections in a digital format. It will extend the reach of the project beyond the four exhibition countries and provide long-term access to the artistic results. The online exhibition should be linked clearly from the website and remain available as part of the project’s digital legacy.
OBJECTIVES
+ Create collaborative artistic processes that connect democracy, climate action, digital media and public participation.
+ Encourage critical reflection on democratic values such as inclusion, equality, shared responsibility and dialogue across differencedifferences.
+ Use Deep Democracy methods to support inclusive collaboration, integrate minority and dissenting perspectives, and strengthen collective decision-making.
+ Develop participatory digital artworks and exhibition formats that invite audiences to engage actively rather than remain passive spectators.
+ Produce open resources and documentation that can be reused by artists, educators, cultural organisations and public institutions.
OUR PARTNERS
Leads communication, dissemination and outreach; contributes expertise in democracy, climate action and local civic engagement; recruits and supports artists in Italy; organises the Italian exhibition.
Leads capacity building around Deep Democracy; supports inclusive group dynamics, facilitation, dialogue and Open Forum methodology; hosts the Danish exhibition.
Leads the artist capsules; supports digital and interactive arts mentoring, co-creation and research; develops and maintains the website and leads the online exhibition; hosts the Portuguese meeting and exhibition.
& ASSOCIATED PARTNERS
Supports dissemination and helps identify relevant artists, drawing on its experience in participatory
theatre, environmental education and community arts.
engagement across academic, cultural and policy networks.