Imagining Sustainable Water Futures on the Brussels Canal
Imagining Sustainable Water Futures on the Brussels Canal
Still the River was a participatory art and reflection project initiated by Gluon in collaboration with the young artist collective Maleza. Through a series of workshops held aboard a boat on the Brussels canal, the project invited citizens to reconsider the role of this urban waterway and its connection to sustainability, community, and city life.
Across four workshops in August 2025, a total of 60 participants engaged in immersive, site-based experiences directly on the canal. Combining artistic practice with environmental reflection, participants explored their personal and collective relationships to the water through creative techniques such as linocut printing and collective weaving.
The workshops fostered dialogue around key themes including urban ecology, sustainable development, and the historical transformation of the canal. Participants were encouraged to see the waterway not merely as infrastructure, but as a living, interconnected ecosystem—an approach inspired by the philosophy of Buen Vivir, which emphasizes harmony between people, nature, and community.
A central outcome of the project was the creation of a large collaborative textile map, developed through prints and stitched contributions. This artwork reflects the canal as a shared yet complex and “wounded” body, shaped by social, economic, and environmental forces. The workshops were also documented and later presented as a video installation displayed on a mycelium screen aboard the same floating venue.
By combining artistic expression, collective learning, and environmental awareness, Still the River created a space for meaningful exchange and strengthened participants’ sense of connection and responsibility towards sustainable urban water systems.
Studiotopia study visit @Gluon
Studiotopia study visit @Gluon
From the 22nd to the 24th of April the Studiotopia team visited one of our partner organisations Gluon in Brussels and Ghent that brought together renowned artists, researchers, and cultural innovators for an immersive exploration of how art and science converge in today’s world.
The study visit kicked off in Brussels at Bozar – Center for Fine Arts, where we visited Khorós, an exhibition featuring the evocative works of Berlinde De Bruyckere. Later, artist Adrien Lucca introduced us to his latest exhibited pieces at LMNO gallery, showcasing the outcomes of his European STARTS in the City program residency at Gluon.
On the second day, the Study Visit moved to Ghent, where the New Metabolism Symposium took center stage. Notable speakers such as Jas Brooks and Thierry Dufrene delved into thought-provoking themes, from AI and surrealism to new methods for interfacing with the human senses. The day ended with visits to two partner institutions, Wintercircus technology hub and the Ghent University Museum and Botanical garden, offering insights into historical and contemporary research in Ghent.
Study visit continued with the second part of the New Metabolism Symposium, tackling issues such as trust, ethics, and the intersection of AI with daily life. Expert-led discussions featured Veronika Liebl (Ars Electronica), Federico Bomba (Sineglossa), Lucas Evers (Waag), Lucía García (iMAL), and artists like Noemi Iglesias Barrios, Ariane Loze, and Charlotte Jarvis, Špela Petrič, Penelope Cain, Bernat Cui, Martyna Marciniak, Pierre-Christophe Gam and dmstfctn. The symposium culminated with the opening of Noemi Iglesias Barrios new exhibition The Falling City at Gluon, marking a poetic reflection on urban transformation and resilience.
With its dynamic mix of exhibitions, discussions, and cross-disciplinary networking, the aim of this study visit was set to inspire new creative collaborations and fresh perspectives on the symbiosis between art and science.
