Collaboration between science and art

Can art and science come together? Of course!

During the week September 29 – October 5 Liepāja city in Latvia hosted Media Art and Technology Festival UPDATE during which scientists from CLEAN Beach project at Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology met artists and shared the story of microplastic pollution, its variety, threats and occurrence along the Latvian coastline. After an introduction lecture about microplastic pollution, project team took a trip to Liepāja beach together with creative souls in order to search for inspiration and raw materials. Upon returning the findings were carefully studied under a microscope and then they turned into art works!

The process created unique compositions that merged two worlds – contemporary art and research, reminding us of our shared responsibility towards the environment. This event highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary approach and how such knowledge exchange can offer new insights.

Huge thanks to the organizers of the festival for inviting the project team to take part in this creative endeavour! Looking forward to more opportunities where bridges between different disciplines are built!