E-ART Digital Residency in Retrospective

Article by Hanna Granlund

On April 7th 2025, 30 artists from all corners of Europe gathered in an online space to learn, share and network about sustainability in the arts.

When we began the E-ART project our goal was to support the green transition within the artistic world. The early stages of the project have centered around developing an extensive curriculum for sustainable artistic practices, containing everything from modelling green financial sustainability models for artists, to practical exercises on how to dye fabric with organic materials.

The curriculum and its adjacent material currently exist for free on the E-ART website, but in order to test its merits it was crucial for us to implement its content in practice as well. Had we managed to collect relevant information and engaging subject matters for artists and art professionals alike? Would anyone be interested in participating?

In the beginning of March 2025 we published an open call for an online residency, and we were delighted to be greeted with such an enthusiastic response! This shows that there is a need among sustainability activists to meet others sharing the same passion. We are all looking for connection, to know that we are not alone in our struggles. People applied with different artistic disciplines, backgrounds and perspectives on how to work more sustainably as individuals and as a collective.

For 5 days, artists, trainers, activists and crafters engaged in daily online sessions on a variety of topics. The first part of each day was dedicated to a common, more theoretical topic which was led by an expert from one of the E-ART project organisations. The participants were then moved into smaller group rooms with focus on one of 6 different artist materials: Paints and pigments, Paper, Textiles, Bioceramics, Plastics and “Found Objects”. During these sessions, practical creative exercises were combined with in-depth talks on the benefits, possibilities and challenges of working with a specific material.

In the group focusing on paints, this led to energetic discussions on the minutiae of varnish coats, how to think about different brands of paint, and how to take care of waste products like paint water. At the end of each day, we all regathered to summarize the results of today’s session. The group focusing on paper showcased several beautiful origami figures created during their sessions.

One valuable insight emerging from the talks is that we are working under very different conditions – for example, the advice to dispose of toxic waste at the nearest recycling facility is impossible to follow when living in an area without the necessary infrastructure. The next step of the project is to acknowledge these local conditions in on-site physical Art Labs in Greece, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria and Ireland, coming during spring and summer of 2025.

Stay tuned on the social media of E-ART to receive news and invitations!