Call for Applications: 'Cisterns meet Modern Tech', residency at ISSA (Vis, Croatia)

The call is out for S+T+ARTS 4 Water II! We are looking for project proposals to build convivial tools around water management for The Island School of Social Autonomy (ISSA).

Application is open until 26 June 2024.

All info: https://starts.eu/starts4waterii-residencies-call-for-artists

Starts4WaterII Challenge #6

Together with The Island School of Social Autonomy (ISSA) we are part of the S+T+ARTS 4 Water II, an initiative of the European Commission which is dedicated to Water Sustainability and innovation at the nexus of Science, Technology, and the arts. This time, the programme has a specific focus on the environmental challenges of ports, port cities, coastal areas, and waterways. Within the initiative, ISSA will be offering a residency starting from September 2024 with a budget of up to 40.000 € on the topic “Cisterns meet Modern Tech. Circular Water Systems as Convivial Tool.”

The goal of the residency is to develop a convivial tool, a prototype for a small-scale water collecting and distribution system using traditional (cistern) and modern technology coupled with community engagement on the island of Vis, considering the local context: a Mediterranean climate, affected both by climate crisis and overtourism straining the natural water supplies.

DESCRIPTION

The island of Vis is one of the farthest inhabited islands of Croatia, about 50 km away from the mainland. It is one of the rare Adriatic islands with its own natural sources of drinking water from natural spring water reservoirs. However, due to global tourism and further urbanization of the island, these sources and the future of water supply are in danger. Already now during summers and high season, there can be water rationing. At the same time, climate crisis and continuous heatwaves are forcing the local population to again deploy traditional methods of collecting rainwater (through dry stone walling) that were used for centuries and ever since the island was colonized by the ancient Greeks some 2,400 years ago.

The Island School of Autonomy (ISSA), a place for imagining, experimenting and cultivating forms of knowledge production, based on the island Vis already started by reconstructing old water tanks and using traditional methods and now wants to combine it with modern technologies (like cloud collectors, solar water pumps, open source technology) in order to build a sustainable water supply system that works with natural water cycles used also in other environments faced with similar challenges.

Cisterns meet Modern Tech _ S+T+ARTS 4 Water II

Photo: Island School of Social Autonomy (ISSA)

RESIDENCY CHARACTERISTICS

The climate on the island is typically Mediterranean. The island has a rich history, ranging from the colonization of the Illyrians to the Greeks and Romans. What distinguishes Vis is also its geological past. The Vis Archipelago consists partially of the oldest rocks in the Adriatic Sea, dating back around 220 million years. During that time there was an active volcano deep beneath the surface and this rich geological past created the fertile ground for the precious water reservoirs on the remote island. In 2003, the WWF declared the Vis archipelago, one of the last ten “paradise oases of the Mediterranean”. This open sea island is the area with the largest concentration of nature monuments in Croatia, resulting that in 2019 UNESCO’s World Network of Geoparks proclaims the Vis Archipelago a Geopark.

During the residency (from September 2024 to end of May 2025), participants will have direct access to experts across various disciplines, supported and facilitated by Drugo more and The Island School of Social Autonomy (ISSA), who will enrich the production throughout the research and production phases. We are seeking artists, engineers, constructors and innovators to explore and build a prototype of e.g. a sustainable water circulation system, a “convivial tool” (that could be understood, controlled and modified by the ones who are using it), on island Vis. The anticipated outcome is exhibition-ready artwork, to be showcased in Vis and Rijeka and potentially featured at Ars Electronica 2025, the UN Ocean Conference a/o the Love Tomorrow Conference. The artist is further invited to the 4WATERII summer school taking place in Croatia (for which travel costs are being granted).

Jury day: The jury day will take place between 15th and 19th July and might take place online. The jury day will offer the possibility for a project pitch by the three short-listed artists.

USEFUL LINKS

Find out more about all 20 residencies in the S+T+ARTS4WATER II CHALLENGE CATALOGUE

STARTS4waterII is co-funded by the European Union under the STARTS – Science, Technology and Arts initiative of DG CNECT (GA no. LC-02629312.). Views and opinions expressed are 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.

Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs. The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of Drugo more and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.