Embodying the ideas of care is crucial for creating more sustainable initiatives as it involves tapping into the full intelligence of the body, senses, and experiences to engage with the complexity of life. By embodying care, individuals and communities can extend the scope of what is considered worthy of care, from humans to non-human species. This expanded sense of care can shape collective imaginations, open up new possibilities, and foster emotional energy needed for individuals to exert agency in the world.

When embodying care through creative practices it allows for the recognition and acceptance of emotions and struggles that are often overlooked. Art and creative practices offer a unique platform for expressing care and recognition around these emotions and experiences, creating a space for transformation to emerge. By embodying care in sustainable initiatives, individuals and communities can build trust, safety, and connectedness, laying the foundation for long-term impact and meaningful change 

The aspect of care that propelled me to create these initiatives focuses on the importance of ethics, emotions, practices, and actions intertwined within caring practices. Care is seen as a tangible manifestation of interdependence and relationality, showcasing how everyday actions have political potential. It emphasizes the ethical connection between personal and communal or collective aspects, fostering relational "response-ability." Paying attention to caring helps focus intentions and actions, highlighting the significance of caring practices in promoting ethical creativity and fostering relationships within communities.

Co-collaborating  with plants

Tessa Teixeira

Bio 

Process philosophy invites us to look at longer stretches of time, blurred boundaries and connected relations. 

My art practice, is rooted in my interest in existential philosophical and sociological/ political/ ecological – climate challenges, but not limited to themes around:

‘the self’ ‘consciousness’, ‘sentience’  and  ‘collective consciousness’. 

My art practice is influenced by secondary scientific research and observations, that strongly indicate that we are living in the ‘Anthropocene‘ age, where human activity dominates and tries to control nature, losing sight as field Ecologist Dr Stephen Woodley suggests…’We are part of nature and we do not exist without it..if Biodiversity disappears, so do people’ 

 About Tessa's practice

Tessa Teixeira's practice delves into existential philosophy, consciousness, and sentience while reflecting on challenges such as climate change, ecology, and the loss of biodiversity. Her artwork explores the intricate relationship between humans and the natural world, aiming to provoke thought and discussion on these pressing environmental issues. Teixeira's previous projects, such as "Nothing stands still (2018)," "Another kind of fire (2020)," and "You are already inside this" (2022), have focused on climate change-related themes like climate refugees, droughts, flooding, and the impact of global warming on communities. Additionally, her experiences in South Africa, particularly during events like Day Zero in major cities due to climate change effects, have influenced her artistic journey and commitment to advocating for vital plant conservation. Teixeira's upcoming residency in Lisbon will further explore the challenges faced by plants at risk of extinction due to deforestation, agricultural practices, and the reliance on fossil fuels driving global temperature increases. Through her art practice, Teixeira seeks to raise awareness and inspire action towards a more sustainable coexistence with the natural world.

What is it like to be a plant?

Why this cultural bias?

How can we imagine the experience of a radically different life form, when its way of existing is so far removed from ours?

The term 'plant blindness'?

Find more about her work here.

Co-collaborating with materials

Francesca Busca

Bio

I pioneer sustainable art since 2017 by creating my artworks entirely out of waste: my trashure.

Torn between optimism and surrender, I am haunted by the idea of mankind’s imminent self-destruction. Yet I believe in a future for humanity of resourceful innovation through systemic re-thinking. It is this hope that is made visible through my work: though I see the role of art as being meaningful rather than beautiful, in my case the two coincide - for the more beautiful the artworks, the clearer the message. Every tessera I create is in itself a protest against our disposable lifestyle, providing a different perspective on rubbish and embodying hope. In my world rubbish acquires new value, and becomes the undisputed protagonist of my artworks, as fun and beautiful a Cinderella as I can master it to be: from waste to wonder.

I thoroughly enjoy working within both the ethical and the material limitations which this choice entails, working with material which often take years to gather.  I always find new materials to play with, so I am constantly concocting, experimenting and creating.

Gesamtkunstwerk, my eco-artivism encompasses every aspect of my life: vegan, using 100% renewable energy, wearing second-hand clothes, being plastic free wherever possible, seeking local food and saving water, growing a vegetable and wildlife garden, experimenting with permaculture, fostering a passion for evolutionary ecology and vegetal neurobiology and not flying for the past 4 years, as I strive to live as sustainably as possible. I love to inspire and be inspired.

In short: I want to push the boundaries of both mosaic and fine art, turn shame into wonder, act as a catalyst and provoke real Change.

About Francesca's practice: 

Francesca Busca, also known as an eco-artivist or rubbish artist, is a pioneer in sustainable art. She creates her artworks entirely out of waste materials, showcasing her commitment to environmental consciousness and resourcefulness. Francesca's practice involves working within ethical and material limitations, utilizing materials that often take years to gather. She embraces the challenge of constantly shifting tools, adhesives, and arrangements to create meaningful tesserae out of rubbish. By transforming waste into art, Francesca's work serves as a protest against the disposable lifestyle prevalent in society, emphasizing the urgency to reconnect with the ecosystem and transition to a circular economy.

Through her art, Francesca provides a unique perspective on waste, turning what is typically seen as disposable into valuable and meaningful components of her artworks. She believes that rubbish can acquire new uses, value, and meanings, becoming the central focus of her creations. By making rubbish the protagonist of her art, Francesca aims to convey a powerful message about sustainability and the importance of reevaluating our relationship with waste 1.

Furthermore, Francesca Busca actively engages in pro bono collaborations with environmental organizations, demonstrating her dedication to making a positive impact on the world through art. Her commitment to creating beautiful and meaningful artwork that conveys a clear message aligns with her vision of using art as a tool for promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.

In summary, Francesca Busca's practice revolves around sustainable artistry, where she transforms waste materials into intricate and thought-provoking artworks that challenge perceptions of beauty, value, and sustainability. Her work serves as a testament to the power of art in advocating for environmental consciousness and inspiring positive change in society.

Find more about her work here.

Co- imagining a new future

Luka Ver Elst⁠  

Luka Ver Elst is a graphist, sound artist, body researcher, dancer, and writer. We connected through a remarkable book she wrote chronicling her five-week adventure tracing a river from its source to its mouth. Luka´s artistic journey is a poignant exploration of the human form, illuminating its profound connections to itself, others, and the surrounding environment.

Luka is currently working with groups of people on futurology and imagining fictive futures, rather than in her previous works ,she creates spaces for mourning and memories of nature, still writing and record meditations and visualisation exercises that facilitate environmental mourning but her aim has shifted a bit towards a more futuristic thinking. It is especially interesting for Luka to work with parents and their children, writing about each other, and the planet's future. It’s really beautiful to see. 

Find more about her work here.

References

https://research.aalto.fi/en/publications/9-dimensions-for-evaluating-how-art-and-creative-practice-stimula

https://creatures-eu.org/