Problem Statement:

The residency aims to promote research into inter-species collaboration in the pursuit of healthy eating. Participants are encouraged to present these processes and the Asturian context and its biodiversity.

Challenge description:

The human body is a complex ecosystem made up of a multitude of species.

Our health depends on the balance between all these co-inhabitants which, in many cases, are protagonists in the processes of elaboration of the food that nourishes us.

Asturias provides us with many examples of biodiversity of species to improve the health of our ecosystem, such as fungi, microorganisms or bacteria. Moreover, Asturias is the EU territory with the greatest diversity of fermented dairy products linked to a wealth of species and artisanal processes.

At a time in human history when the price and distribution of food is affected by geopolitical issues, obesity rates in Europe increase and our way of producing and consuming food has to be redesigned, we are interested in approaching this issue from the perspective of health and food sustainability.

This residency invites an artist or collective of artists to explore, through this biodiversity, the different collaborations that exist between these species, their role in the elaboration of food and the different aspects of human health.

Residency characteristics:

LABoral works together with BIONUC (Biotechnology of Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds) research group at University of Oviedo for this residency.

We are looking for artists interested in microbiology, food and health. Artists should understand the local territory, Asturias, as a laboratory to generate knowledge, connections and a final artwork on the challenge posed.

LABoral will provide accommodation, studio, and access to fablab, soundlab, audiovisual equipment and production support from a team with experience in more than 300 artistic and creative residencies. The selected artist will be part of LABoral’s creative community and the groundbreaking synergies that generate among all the participants. The LCC will provide advice, guidance and contacts with relevant organisations and agents to the research.

As part of Studiotopia, LABoral will run an art and science education programme. The artist in residence is expected to be part of this programme with the development of a workshop for primary education scholars. The final artwork will be presented as an exhibition to open in early December.

We are open to receive artists in residence sometime between April and November 2025.