17/01/2025

This case study is part of CREARE Social research conducted by Lyudmila Petrova and Arjo Klamer for GLAMMONS project.

Read more about case #4:

The SciArt Project of the Joint Research Centre.

Exploring co-creation though cross-sectorial collaboration

SciArt operates as an emerging community of practice at the intersection of science, art and policy. Emerging as a bottom-up initiative within the highly institutionalized environment of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), the SciArt project exemplifies how interdisciplinary collaboration can revolutionize both creative and scientific practices.

Since its launch in 2016, SciArt has been breaking down barriers between the traditionally separate fields of art, science and policymaking. Through co-creation, the project brings together artists, scientists and policy makers from the outset to develop artworks.

How does this work?

Co-creation in SciArt involves collaboration and shared responsibility. Rather than a top-down approach where curators or scientists control the content, co-creation ensures that all participants – artists, scientists and policy makers – contribute equally to the process. Within the SciArt project, the collaborative spirit drives both the creation of artwork and the exploration of scientific ideas. SciArt brings together different perspectives and inspires new approaches to tackling contemporary global issues such as sustainability and environmental responsibility. The last exhibition, NaturArchy: Towards A Natural Contract (2024), the result of two years of collaboration, invites us to reimagine our relationship to nature.

Contribution

What sets the SciArt initiative apart is its emphasis on experimentation. By fostering creativity, curiosity and collaboration, it creates an environment where participants can break new ground and produce new science-related art that engages broader audiences and challenges traditional perception of science. SciArt aims to inspire societal change as it addresses critical issues such as sustainability and the decolonisation of nature. The project challenges existing systems and narratives, encouraging participants to re-imagine possibilities and drive meaningful change.

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