S+T+ARTS4Water II Summer School: Retrospective

Date: May 2025

Location: Rijeka, Hrvaška

The S+T+ARTS4Water II Summer School, held in May 2025 in Rijeka, Croatia, was designed to bring together artists, researchers, and technology experts to explore the complexities of port ecosystems. The program, developed by a working group of project partners led by PiNA, provided an interdisciplinary environment where artists, experts, and stakeholders reimagined ports as resilient and advanced ecosystems.

Challenges of Interdisciplinary Collaboration

One of the central reflections from the summer school highlighted the inherent challenges of interdisciplinary work. Although all participants shared a commitment to solving ecological and social issues, they approached the work with distinct mindsets:

• Experts grounded their contributions in data, empirical analysis, and systems thinking.
• Artists operated through metaphors, speculative imagination, and experiential research.

These differing starting points initially created certain frictions, particularly regarding expected outcomes. While artists focused on cultural transformation and new relationships, researchers sought measurable impact and evidence-based validation.

Friction as a Productive Force

Rather than smoothing over these differences, participants embraced them as productive tools. The summer school demonstrated that bridging disciplinary worlds is not about reaching a consensus, but about developing the capacity for dialogue while respecting differences.

The artists' speculative scenarios encouraged researchers to reconsider overlooked variables, while scientific data grounded the artistic interventions in systemic reality.

Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries

Interdisciplinary collaboration requires patience, humility, and a willingness to face discomfort. The value of the summer school lies not in the production of final solutions, but in the creation of a community capable of translating "art thinking" into diverse spaces. It serves as a reminder that the challenges of climate change and sustainability cannot be solved within the boundaries of a single discipline.

More information and interviews: https://starts.eu/article/reflections-on-the-starts4water-ii-summer-school-in-rijeka/