Repairing

At the heart of Art Living Lab to Repair the Land is the idea of repairing. This project is not just about fixing what’s broken, but about rethinking, reclaiming, and reimagining damaged territories. It challenges the belief that these areas are beyond recovery by using art and culture to reactivate and transform them. Art Living Lab to Repair the Land deploys three projects on damaged territories: Energy Aftermath in Barruelo de Santullán (Spain), Agriculture Aftermath in Wietstock (Germany), and Electricity Aftermath in Šibenik (Croatia). These territories are marked by industrial decline, agricultural exploitation, and energy overconsumption. By repairing, we also give new meaning and value to what has been discarded or forgotten.

Art Living Lab to Repair the Land engages citizens, artists and researchers in participatory processes, where collective action is key. Through Participatory Action Research and the Living Lab methodology, we co-create solutions to the challenges each territory faces. These methods prioritize local knowledge and encourage collaboration between diverse actors. The artistic interventions are conceived as ecological responses, addressing the specific needs of each place while respecting the local environment and communities. The goal is to use art not just as a form of expression, but as a means of social and environmental repair.

Aligned with European policies such as Nature-Based Solutions, Art Living Lab to Repair the Land focuses on sustainability, resilience, and territorial justice. The project engages with the deep-rooted challenges in these regions, fostering regeneration and reflection. We aim to shift the perception of these territories, highlighting the importance of not only ecological restoration but also the regeneration of human connections, histories, and futures. Repairing is about creating new possibilities for these places, bringing communities together, and building futures that honor both the land and the people who inhabit it.