Combining art and mathematical modelling to explore new representations of the ocean

Guillermo García Sánchez, the PhD candidate at ICMAT, has been collaborating with Kristin Bergaust, artist and professor at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design of OsloMet (Norway), in the Ocean Connections project. Their project has been selected for residency in the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission as part of its Art and Science programme. “The starting idea is to use mathematical models to offer an artistic and more balanced representation of the ocean, not so anthropocentric, so human, as the one we are used to,” explains García Sánchez.

García Sánchez develops new theoretical and computational techniques in the field of dynamical systems to solve problems about geophysical fluids such as the ocean. As a researcher and a professor – she is interested in art and technology in ecological and social contexts. Bergaust, on the other hand, is an artist – she works with digital media such as video, animation and sound, as well as social and performative projects and interdisciplinary collaborations. They met at the Resonances IV SciArt Summer School, where they began to devise the project they will develop throughout 2023, with residencies at the JRC in Ispra (Italy).

The project falls under the theme of NaturArchy: Towards a Natural Contract, which, according to the initiative’s organizers, “advocates for a more inclusive and equitable contract with our environment”. Intending to acquire the attitudes and skills necessary to combat global warming, they propose a change in our relationship with nature. “Limiting our tremendous environmental impact and freeing nature from the onslaught of human development: do we need to rearticulate its immanent sovereignty and decolonize it again towards sustainability?” they ask.

Along with the Ocean Connections project, 14 other proposals have been selected for residencies in this edition.