Turning the Tide: Stockholm Lab – Overview & Reflections

Turning the Tide: Stockholm Lab

Culture, Water, and the Power of Art in Times of Change
14–17 October 2025 | Stockholm, Sweden

In mid-October, Stockholm hosted a four-day event where art, culture, and environmental issues came together. Intercult brought together artists, cultural workers, urban activists, scientists, and policymakers to share ideas and work together.

Participants focused on how art and culture can help communities connect, cooperate, and bring about change.

“…the most important result of the Turning The Tide: Stockholm Lab was its contribution to solidarity with each other, empathy for and understanding of the different ways of living under the threats of climate change. Most important result as solidarity, the understanding of each other’s points of view, is the basis democracy or peace are built on. And important also because artists expressed their thoughts in the most common language in the world: the language of art.”

Eva Stache, architect from the Netherlands

From Marie-Andreé Robitaille performance “Hope in Motion”

 

October 14 – River Cities in Stockholm (Satellite Event)

at Vrak Museum of Wrecks

The week opened with a special River Cities satellite event at the Vrak Museum of Wrecks, bringing together cultural practitioners from across Europe to explore how creative work can build new relationships between people and water.

Floating Value & Future Flow

Architect and artist Germaine Sanders (Netherlands) led the session, “Floating Value & Future Flow – Drawing as a Way of Thinking,” a hands-on workshop inviting participants to explore visual thinking by connecting loose thoughts through drawing and dialogue.

Seated at different tables in small groups, participants were provided with large sheets of paper, colorful markers, and a specially designed sketchbook created by Germaine for the occasion. Through collective sketching and reflection, they drew one another, reconnected with the playful nature of drawing, and experimented with expressing ideas through images rather than words. In this shared creative process, new “red lines” emerged — threads linking imagination, clarity, and communication.

Group photo of the participants

Counter-strike River Apocalypse

 In the next session, Robert Alagjozovski (North Macedonia) invited participants to playfully rethink failed riverfront developments. Through gamification and civic role-play, his workshop “Counter-strike River Apocalypse” demonstrated how cultural and ecological perspectives can transform moments of crisis into opportunities for renewal.
Divided into groups, participants took on the roles of political stakeholders involved in decision-making around a contested riverfront area. They discussed the challenges arising from conflicting interests, explored what truly mattered to the local community, and reflected on the complexities of negotiation and compromise. Through this engaging game, Robert encouraged everyone to consider the many ways we can take both political and cultural action within our cities.

The day continued with a series of insightful talks. Lia Ghilardi (Urban Strategist and Cultural Planner, United Kingdom) presented “Reimagining Urban Ecosystems through Culture,” exploring how culture can guide cities through today’s overlapping environmental, social, and economic crises. She called for a move away from extractive, mechanical systems toward regenerative, ecosystem-based thinking. Culture, she emphasized, is vital in this shift—fostering empathy, cooperation, and belonging. Ghilardi also spoke about the “DNA of cities” and her method of cultural mapping, a tool to uncover not only the identity of a place but also the hidden resources and strengths within its communities.

“I work with a method that we call cultural mapping,  a way of identifying not only conflicts, challenges a place has but also resources a community has, changing the narrative to local development from extractivist notion to a more healing notion of the system.”
Lia Ghilardi.

The program continued with a presentation by Magdalena Zakrzewska-Duda (Cultural Operator, Senior Specialist on Strategic Partnerships Baltic Sea Cultural Centre, Poland), titled “Ways of Working with Culture by Rivers and Waterways.” She shared inspiring examples from across Europe demonstrating how culture can reconnect communities with their rivers. Highlighting the work of networks such as River//Cities, Zakrzewska-Duda showed how both structured collaborations and spontaneous local initiatives use art to foster ecological awareness, social inclusion, and resilience. Through these cultural actions, rivers become spaces of dialogue and connection—linking people, place, and nature in meaningful ways.

The afternoon continued with a presentation by Jenny Marketou (Artist, Greece/USA) and Bernd Herger (Chairman of River//Cities, Austria), who introduced “In the Belly of a Garden.” This site-specific artwork takes the form of a sculptural environment that unites soil and water, celebrating the wetlands and waterways of the Danube in Vienna. Installed above the artificial lake in Aspern Seestadt—Europe’s largest urban development project, built on a former airfield—the piece engages in dialogue with the area’s park-like landscape and refined architectural design. Created within the framework of the Turning the Tide project, the work embodies the spirit of collaboration and ecological reflection at the heart of River//Cities.

Following this, Eva Stache (Architect, Netherlands) offered a poetic exploration titled “Water, the Unknown Friend.” She invited the audience on a journey to places where water is visible and invisible, prompting reflection on how we perceive this ever-present element—often only when it becomes troublesome: when it rains, floods, or disappears. Through her talk, Stache encouraged a renewed awareness of our deep yet often overlooked relationship with water.

The day concluded with Dr. Liz Gardiner (Cultural Planner, Scotland), who offered closing reflections and outlined the next steps, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration and creativity in shaping sustainable, water-connected futures.

Photo Credits: WBA & Intercult team

Wednesday, 15 October – Art as a Drive for Social Change

at VRAK – Museum of Wrecks

The day marked the official opening of Turning the Tide Stockholm Lab at the VRAK Museum of Wrecks, setting the tone for a dynamic exchange around art, water, and social transformation. The event opened with welcoming remarks from Iwona Preis, CEO of Intercult. We had the honour to welcome her Excellency Mag. Doris Danler, Ambassador of Austria in Sweden and her Excellency Ekaterini Fountoulaki, Ambassador of Greece in Sweden, who underlined the importance of international collaboration in cultural and environmental initiatives in Europe and beyond.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in a rich program of talks, panels, and artistic presentations. Experts from across Europe Lia Ghilardi, Johannes Tovatt, Astrid Rompolt, shared insights on cultural and urban planning, water management. The conversation touched many different aspects and highlighted how different approaches can work collaboratively for a sustainable living. The Dutch duo Dear Hunter introduced us to their method, cartopology – a combination of cartology and anthropology –  and presented their map of Stockholm which is the outcome of their 6-weeks residency in the city. The programme was followed by artistic research and creative practices from Vienna, Gdańsk, Evia, Scotland, and Stockholm, that highlighted how art can inspire environmental awareness, foster community participation, and drive social change. Artists Gisela Stiegler from Austria and Celina Przyklęk from Poland, presented their artworks that have been researching and producing during their one month residency in Sweden, curated by Elisavet Papageorgiou from Intercult.

The discussions on climate and biodiversity to participatory art and public space interventions created a vivid demonstration of how creative approaches can shape more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient societies. 

The Turning the Tide Stockholm Lab thus began with an inspiring convergence of voices—artists, planners, diplomats, and cultural leaders—united by the shared belief that art holds the power to transform both people and places.

              .  Photo Credits: WBA & Intercult team

Thursday, 16 October – Water, Cities, and Sustainability 

at Kulturhuset, Foajé 3

On the second day of Turning the Tide Stockholm Lab, activities moved to Kulturhuset Foajé 3, focusing on the challenges coastal cities face in the context of climate change. The program highlighted urban resilience, water management, and innovative planning, blending expert talks, artistic contributions, and interactive discussions to explore strategies for building adaptable, future-ready cities.

A major highlight of the day was the art fair, featuring 15 works created within the European Turning the Tide project. The exhibition showcased a diverse range of artistic expressions—from installations and performance to visual storytelling—offering powerful and accessible reflections on water, resilience, and the urgent climate challenges our cities confront. Participating artists included Jenny Marketou, Tina Eskilsson, Ongoing Realities, Ludmila Christeseva, Vlady, Ajja, Zoe Lakides, Kasia Piorek, Celina Przyklęk, Gisela Stiegler, Froso Papadimitriou, and Kamila Chomicz.
This add-on event offered the opportunity to the artists to present individually their work, make new connections in Stockholm and internationally and get a deeper insight into the project’s impact locally and internationally.

   
Photos from the art fair. Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

Throughout the rest of the day, participants attended a series of presentations and panels. Topics ranged from Stockholm’s urban flood resilience strategies from Jonas Althage (Strategist, urban flood management City of Stockholm) to suggestions of how to move out of our social/professional/personal bubble (Emma Stenström, Associate Professor,Stockholm School of Economics and Co-Director of Center for Arts, Business & Culture),

The academic flow was “interrupted” by Marie-Andrée Robitaille (artistic director at Cirkus Cirkör) who introduced us to her innovative art intervention “Semaphores as Acts of Change,” an interactive performance that she developed during her local residency in Turning the Tide project back in the fall of 2024.

The performance included a public manifestation at Sergelstorg with handmade golden flags, allowing participants to experience firsthand how art can activate public space, provoke reflection, and foster community engagement around water and climate issues.

 

“To go out with these fragile, beautiful shiny flags…what a joy! And how strong we were, how committed, and how open our minds became. Sharing this pleasure, this strength, this power. It was a great experience”

Germaine Sanders, about Marie-Andrée Robitaille’s interactive performance

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“Hope in Motion” Manifestation at Sergels Torg by Marie-Andreé Robitaille. Photo Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

The day continued with an interesting roundtable discussion with experts in hydraulic engineering, architecture, and water governance. Thomas Rebermark (Director of Swedish Water House, Stockholm International Water Institute) invited Luigia Brandimarte (Associate Professor & Docent in Hydraulic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology), Marta Bohlmark (CEO & partner, Gaia Arkitektur) and Magnus Arnell (Programme manager, Water Wise Societies) to discuss on how to build Resilient Waterfront Cities, what are the challenges that scientists and experts are facing and how art could be a force to reimagine our cities.

Another highlight of this day was the free, unmoderated dialogue between Germaine Sanders and Jonas Althage where we could see on stage how a dialogue between an artist and a scientist could seek for solutions.

The day ended with Dear Hunter who reflected on the outcomes of the day and connected it with their own map of Stockholm. 

“My key takeaway: learning to live with water rather than against it is more than a symbolic value. But what values genuinely inform our daily choices, vision, and large-scale projects? That’s why initiatives like Turning the Tide are crucial: by bringing together creative voices, institutions and communities, they help us rethink the built environment, our relationship with nature, and our social responsibilities.”
Carlo Galluccio

   
Photo Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

Friday, 17 October – Future Visions: Turning Ideas into Action

at VRAK – Museum of Wrecks & Stadsgårdsterminalen

The final day of Turning the Tide Stockholm Lab focused on looking forward—transforming awareness into concrete action. The program at VRAK Museum of Wrecks began with a lecture by Karim Jebari (Researcher, Institute for Futures Studies) on “The Future of Humanity,” providing a thought-provoking foundation for discussions on climate responsibility and societal change.

A roundtable discussion, “From Words to Action: Art, Activism, and Technology,” brought together Jebari, climate activist Pella Thiel, artist Belinda Retourne (Homo Colossus), Annika Bromberg (Hållbart Kultur Nu) and international artist Jenny Marketou, exploring how creative interventions, activism, and innovation can translate ideas into tangible solutions. 

Photo Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

The conference ended with reflections of the whole event – what have we learned and which are the next steps? – from Iwona Preis (CEO of Intercult).

Photo Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

This dialogue was followed by a striking performance by the Austrian dance duo Adrian Dorfmeister-Pölzer & Simeon Ohlsen. While dancing in water within the museum hall, their performance captivated not only the Lab participants but also all visitors to the museum, creating a memorable and powerful artistic experience.

“Do you relate?” Performance by Adrian Dorfmeister-Pölzer & Simeon Ohlsen. Photo Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

The day—and the Lab—ended with an evening exhibition at Stadsgårdsterminalen, featuring site-specific works by Jonna Bo Lammers and Agnieszka Stobierska. 

Both artists have developed site-specific works at Stadsgårdsterminalen that explore climate justice, urban development, and collective resilience. Jonna’s bold, colorful murals address social issues, while Agnieszka merges art, ecology, and civic imagination to transform public spaces into platforms for reflection and engagement. The artists presented their work and talked more about the background of their concepts while visitors admired their masterpieces on the walls and windows of the venue.

   
Photo Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

“Turning The Tide: Stockholm Lab was a reminder that change begins not only in policies or plans but in the imagination — in the fleeting, fragile moments when perception shifts.
The residency’s workshops, performances, and encounters worked on multiple levels: conscious and subconscious, intellectual and emotional, personal and collective. They allowed participants to feel the complexity of living with water and climate, rather than merely discuss it.

This, ultimately, is what Turning the Tide offers to Europe’s cultural landscape: a practice of seeing, sensing, and making meaning together across borders. It is not about providing answers but about cultivating attentiveness — to the river, to one another, and to the fragile systems that sustain us.”
Liz Gardiner, Fablevision

Thank You

As we close this inspiring chapter, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this event possible.

Thank you to Creative Europe and Kulturrådet for their invaluable support in creating projects that champion sustainability, bring Europe together, and empower local action through collaboration.

A special thank you to our local partners in Stockholm who helped make everything happen: Vrak – Museum of Wrecks for graciously hosting the event, and Stadsgårdsterminalen for hosting the final gathering and supporting our local artists Jonna Bo Lammers and Agnieszka Stobierska throughout the process.

Our gratitude also goes to Kulturhuset for hosting our event on the 16th with such professionalism, and to Färgfabriken for welcoming our partners Dear Hunter during their six-week residency in Stockholm.

A huge thank you to our dear Turning the Tide partners—Wiener Bildungsakademie (Austria), City Culture Institute (Poland), Artit (Greece), Dear Hunter (Netherlands), Fablevision (Scotland), and River Cities Network (Austria)—for joining us on this remarkable journey of turning the tide together.

Thank you to all our partners, collaborators, and participants for your commitment, creativity, and shared vision.

Until next time—let’s keep turning the tide!

Photo Credits: Andrzej Markiewicz

The Stockholm Lab is part of the wider Turning The Tide project, led by Intercult and co-funded by the EU’s Creative Europe programme, following similar international labs across Europe.

FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION. THE OPINIONS AND VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR(S) ALONE AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION OR CREATIVE EUROPE. NEITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION NOR THE GRANTING AUTHORITY CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.