Fluid Futures
Art, Science & Communities Rethinking Water
A S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION Pop-Out Event at the New European Bauhaus Festival 2026
As climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and increasing pressure on resources continue to reshape our relationship with water, new forms of collaboration are urgently needed. How can art help us better understand the complexity of water systems? How can artists work alongside scientists, local communities, municipalities and policymakers to imagine new approaches to water management and ecological resilience? And how can creativity become a catalyst for awareness, participation and systemic change?
Fluid Futures is a one-day gathering bringing together artists, scientists, researchers, laboratories, curators, policymakers and local actors to explore these questions through the lens of S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION, a European initiative supported by the European Commission that investigates the intersection of art, digital technologies and sustainable water management. The project builds on the belief that artists can play a crucial role in addressing environmental challenges by opening new perspectives, generating emotional engagement and creating bridges between disciplines, communities and territories.
Hosted as a satellite event of the New European Bauhaus Festival in Brussels, the event will explore themes such as water resilience, biodiversity, pollution, ocean and river ecosystems, environmental data, community engagement and the relationship between humans and natural cycles. Through talks, discussions and presentations, participants will reflect on how artistic and interdisciplinary practices can help translate scientific knowledge into collective experiences and public awareness.
The conversations will focus not only on environmental challenges themselves, but also on the methodologies behind these collaborations:
How can artists meaningfully collaborate with local communities and municipalities?
What kinds of infrastructures, data access and interdisciplinary frameworks are needed to support these collaborations?
How can artistic practices help make environmental data more tangible, accessible and emotionally resonant?
What role can storytelling, participation and immersive experiences play in fostering ecological awareness and behavioural change?
How can digital tools and creative practices contribute to new forms of environmental literacy and engagement?
The event will bring together contributors from the broader S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION ecosystem, including artists, researchers, Water Innovation Labs members, scientific institutions, environmental organisations and project partners working across Europe on innovative approaches to water-related challenges.
The full programme and speakers will be announced soon.
At the crossroads of art, ecology, science and civic innovation, Fluid Futures aims to create a space for dialogue, experimentation and exchange around the future of water in Europe. Through collective reflection and interdisciplinary encounters, the event highlights how artistic practices can help make environmental challenges tangible, emotional and shared, while opening new pathways for collaboration between cultural, scientific and public institutions.
S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION is co-funded by the European Union under the STARTS – Science, Technology and Arts initiative of DG CNECT (Agreement Number LC-03568055). Views and opinions expressed are however 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.
