aer (n.)
Atmosphere
AIR is the focus of NAHR 2023. Fellows will explore the function, mechanism, importance and state of air from a range of natural, ecological, social, political and ecological perspectives, and reflect on the impacts of air pollution and air quality degradation. Summer NAHR is situated in the Taleggio Valley, Italy - a site that we feel is a valuable example of a landscape that nourishes and supports the air above it. The valley’s woods, wildlife and waters bring regenerative opportunities to cleanse and replenish the air.
Air is the gaseous layer on the surface of the planet that all land based living organisms breathe and live within. The most inert and abundant element in our air is nitrogen at 78%. Life sustaining oxygen hovers at around 21%. CO2, methane, water vapor (greenhouse gasses) and the noble gasses (mostly argon) occupy roughly 1%. As humanity has witnessed, these ratios are exceedingly fragile. Small changes to the rarest gasses could cause both extreme and long term consequences.
Air is composed of several strata encircling the globe. The lowest is the troposphere, the densest, warmest and closest to the ground.. Above this sits the stratosphere, which contains the Ozone layer. Then the mesosphere, where most meteors are destroyed by the sudden air resistance, and the thermosphere, which contains the aurora and many satellites. Both the mesosphere and thermosphere are part of the ionosphere, consisting of an abundant composition of charged ions and electrons determined by sun to earth interactions like solar flares and radiation. The exosphere is our atmosphere’s outer limit.
Air is a permeating substance, breathed in and out by living organisms and absorbed and released by the oceans and soils. It is a connecting fluid, passing through us and exchanged from animals to plants. Extending the boundaries of our bodies, it enters the lungs and leaves via passive and active changes in pressure and concentration. Our bodies have evolved and formed themselves around the apparatus of breathing, absorbing gasses, and reacting to them for energy. The unique personal microbial cloud, our external fingerprint, is carried through the air with us. As we shed skin and release gasses, our bodily functions affect our immediate environment.
Air is a source of life for all living organisms. Many insects and birds use the air as a habitat and for migration, evolved to respond to local and global climate patterns. Winged creatures soar on warm thermals and feed on swarms of insects living in the troposphere. Unexpected airways disperse seeds, pollinate plants, and activate allergies.
RATIONALE
The Earth’s energy is distributed through air currents in the atmosphere and oceans, in a chaotic and entropic process. The atmosphere traps the sun’s energy before it is absorbed by plants then consumed by animals. Today, the energy in the air is harvested using renewables like photovoltaics, wind turbines, and more, as we search for and create a more sustainable habitation of our planet. Technologies to capture water from the air are also in development.
CO2 is one of the most important chemicals in Earth’s history and has been crucial in the development of life. Early in life’s development microbes, algae, and plants harnessed CO2 through photosynthetic respiration probably leading to the concentration of released oxygen in our atmosphere , and the development of the carbon cycle, the process on which all life is based. While CO2 is an essential greenhouse gas that helps stabilize Earth’s atmosphere and makes it habitable for life, excessive atmospheric CO2 disrupts climate stability. Due to anthropogenic activity, in 1900 AD the annual release of CO2 into the atmosphere was estimated at 1.95 gigatons. This increased dramatically to 37.12 gigatons in 2021 (https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions). The IPCC’s 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C (https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/) lays out the impact of increased greenhouse gas emissions on natural and human systems. The UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report 2022 (https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2022) states that the promises made in Glasgow’s COP26 account for only an annual loss of 0.5 gigatons of CO2. Furthermore, unless we enforce strong policies on many industries (food, transport, financial, energy, construction etc.) we will see a rise of up to 2.8°C by the end of the century, causing rising sea levels (polar ice caps melting), ocean acidity, regular droughts and much more.
Our fragile system is in jeopardy due to unsustainable urbanization, industrial food production, pollution and ignorant disregard. Urban environments and commercial/corporate activities impact the quality of air around the world. Pollution created in the North is carried to the South through air currents and vice versa. Recent surveys from the European Commission show that 47% of respondents believe air quality has dropped significantly in the last 10 years (https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_6307). Every year we spend €231-853 billion on curing diseases linked to air pollution, and roughly 300,000 Europeans die prematurely. 2022-2023 has seen a renewed push to update policies in the EU Green Deal to press for a zero pollution environment by 2050.
The changing global temperatures are making the established currents unstable and unpredictable, impacting established weather systems. Plants and animals alike are struggling to adapt to the rapidly changing temperatures and weather. Deforested areas no longer act as carbon sinks and intensive agriculture does not balance the equation. City pollution and rising temperatures creates Ozone that causes respiratory problems, while increasing arid ground carries more dust around the globe. The presence of sulphur and nitrous oxides, particulates and plastics in the air we breathe continue to cause harms we are yet to fully understand. The constant noise of airplanes distresses both human and non-human animals living below flight paths, a sound that is amplified in the soil, affecting plant-life as well). Light pollution interrupts our circadian rhythms and obfuscates our view of space beyond our planet.
Buildings are becoming taller to account for population growth, so our view of the skies grows thinner. architects are responding to the changes in climate through the use of passive (insulation) and active airflow systems such as Casaklima, air filtration and the monitoring of indoor air quality (IAQ) to reduce the intake of VOC plastics into our lungs. The quality of our air has an important impact on the development of global social justice and our personal health and wellbeing. Not only do developing countries suffer more greatly from depreciated air quality, but poorer people in developed societies are forced to live in areas of greater pollution, near transportation hubs and factories.
Geological formations can strongly impact air quality. The height of the Alps in the north of Italy creates a barrier for south winds. Pollutants and dust from industrial and urban centers are swept into and settle on the planes below (Clerici, G. Micheletti, S. and Sandroni, S., 1989). The air in this region is therefore impacted by global actions, transportation, agricultural practice, global weather systems, wildfires and much more. Recently an increase in wildfires has impacted the air quality of many more cities. The west coast of the US has experienced a rapid increase in the presence of PM2.5 which is known to reduce life expectancy by 4 months (Liu, JC. et al, 2016).
The first biomimicist, Leonardo Da Vinci, responded to the call of the air, studying the natural design of flying creatures, in his attempt to take man to the skies. As we move forward, with a growing population and the escalation of technological development, the governance and monitoring of airspace is becoming more important. The future may see the use of airspace between the ground and higher aircraft levels with new flight craft for transportation of people, or the rising power of one-click consumerism through drone delivery systems. Countries' airspaces become restricted or open depending on the shifting political stances of their leaders.
NAHR CALL
NAHR is looking forward to receiving proposals that reflect creative and critical approaches to investigating air as a fluid and global system, and as a critical element which can provide a regenerative lens for the future. Our goal is to chart paths that will transform the actions of the exploitative Anthropocene into a sympoiesis conducive to life - like the air itself.
FRAMEWORK
OUR INTERESTS
Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are interconnected. While we are aware that biodiversity is an important and often overlooked area of study, NAHR 2023 will prioritize the impact of climate change through the investigation of air whilst integrating an understanding of the effect on biodiversity.
The visible impacts of humans on climate change, and the decrease in air quality around the globe, has renewed interest in resilient, bio-inclusive solutions that could reverse the current trajectory of these crises. The solutions must consider lifestyles, today’s unprecedented technological advancements, and be informed by historical precedents of biodiverse coexistence. Explorations range in scale from micro to macro biomes. NAHR 2023 will support provocative explorations that celebrate systems that promote clean air, including analyses and studies that explore how to minimize human impact on air composition and climate change.
NAHR is aligned with the principles established in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, the 'Earth Summit'. NAHR 2023 offers an eco-laboratory to Fellows interested in exploring the topic of air through the lens of the foundational principles codified in 1992.
Working to maintain air quality and to reduce pollution is essential to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, as well as the 1.5˚ celsius temperature rise limit from the Paris agreement. In 2012 The UNEP established the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to collectively challenge the threat from short-lived climate pollutants. WHO also adjusted its Air Quality Guidelines in 2021 to help governments maintain a higher level of health and safety for their citizens. In a more local context controlling air pollution and emissions is key to the EU’s European Green Deal which aims to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 in relation to 1990 standards, and commit to climate neutrality by 2050.
NAHR is also interested in developing work which seeks to create an empathic view of our environments. We aim to encourage work that addresses the role of empathy in advocating for the climate crisis at the speed needed through artistic co-operation and creation of novel art-projects. The exploration of the empathy-sustainability relationship through the arts may bring significant advances to the promotion of sustainability actions and pro-environmental behaviors.
We ask for our artists to produce sustainable practices that foster an empathic stance towards non-human beings and nature, and effectively incorporating the concept of sustainability in their artistic production. This will in turn develop the artist as the kind of empathic and resilient individual we need to help deal with the post-pandemic social and economic crisis.
OUR HABITATS
TALEGGIO VALLEY, ITALY
The Taleggio Valley landscape in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy, with its dramatic scenery and secluded physical environment, is a rich source of inspiration for bio-inspired projects. The air in the Taleggio Valley is a fluid and open mechanism which connects the valley with the rest of the globe. Birds and particles, even bacteria, migrate through it, carried from the southern hemisphere and back again. The geology, flora and fauna of the valley affects the air within it, creating a microclimate. It can also act as a bioindicator for the state of the air and climate.
The Valley’s existing geomorphological characteristics supports a local climate and is a rich habitat for hundreds of species interacting with the air, both wild and domesticated, who thrive in the water, the soil and the air. The landscape has distinct and varied features at different elevations, from the bottom of ravines to the mountain pastures of the Parco delle Orobie, from high mountain open air to cooler covered forest air currents downstream. Recent climate events are affecting the animals and human activities in the region, for example droughts and loss of streams have led to more frequent wildfires, and the impact on various animal’s habitats is yet to be documented.
The Valley is an important hotspot for biodiversity and nature conservation (Natura 2000). Its air contains a multitude of microorganisms such as bacteria and archaea, invertebrates such as insects, birds, mammals, and also fungi and flora spores and seeds. The air is also a passage for migrating birds and butterflies, and the moisture from the mountains provides a lush landscape for grasses and pastures. All these characteristics can be readily observed and will serve as inspiration for creative inquiries into how each feature participates in the circulation and regeneration of the air.
The Valley’s villages and towns, all in close proximity, offer many opportunities to observe and study the ‘built’ environment of both natural phenomena and man-made construction. It provides a rich venue for studying the changes over the years of human and non-human strategies of habitation as these have shifted to adapt to ever-changing environmental, economic, and social factors. Recent impacts of climate change, agricultural patterns, land use change, forest management, are just a few of the many themes that promise to inspire complex reasoning, critical evaluation, design responses, and other creative investigations during the residency.
SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA
The Santa Ynez Valley is north of Santa Barbara in an inland valley, with rolling California mountains rimming heavily cultivated farmland. The Santa Ynez Mountains are on the south, the San Rafael Mountains on the north, with the Santa Ynez River running from east to west.
From a geological point of view, the consolidated rocks of the Tertiary age compose the surrounding hills. These consolidated rocks are marine in origin and consist of relatively impermeable fine-grained deposits. In addition, there are unconsolidated deposits of Pliocene and younger aged material, made chiefly of sand, gravel, silt, and clay.
The Santa Barbara coast has a mediterranean climate and a complex topography. It regularly succumbs to wildfire as it is prone to downslope windstorms. The abruptly rising Santa Ynez mountains which separate the ocean from the valley create spatiotemporally variable wind patterns. The large variability in land readings tells of the intricacy of the weather and wind patterns in this region (Signer & Katelyn 2022).
Ecologically, the River provides a rich habitat for various endangered birds. The lower Santa Ynez River supports a large and little-known population of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus). Golden Eagle is always sighted in the summer, and the oak savannah supports grassland birds, including wintering raptors (Buteo regalis).
The vegetation consists mainly of brush interspersed with chaparral, live oak, and grassland. The native flora of the Valley is understood to be naturally renewed by fire, such as Adenostoma fasciculatum which produces a specialized lignotuber underground that allows it to resprout after fire has burned off its stems.
The soil in the Valley is well suited to the cultivation of certain grapes, and the well-established viticulture economy has resulted in extensive research on the soil. The farmland is mostly planted with wine grapes and the Valley is known for its wineries. The agriculture also includes significant groves of olive trees and fruit trees. The farms are typically small to medium sized. There is also a notable community of horse owners and equine-serving businesses. The Valley attracts visitors who come to experience a typical California viticulture landscape, taste and purchase wine, visit the small towns, and enjoy the temperate climate.
As such, the Valley is a particularly rich context for reflecting on air composition and systems for air quality renewal.
EMBEDDED RESIDENCIES
NAHR believes that human perceptions of the world are enhanced by exploring it from below, from within, via the medium from which most life emerges. We believe there is insight to be gained from exploring the mechanisms other species have developed for sensing, mapping, and moving through the same territories as humans. As all senses are engaged in an exploration of the living eco-laboratory of each Valley, one starts to perceive the world differently. The residencies are premised on the notion that a shift in perception is the key for creative resilience, and will be the mechanism that allows ecosystems to create a sustainable life through adaptation and cooperation.
OUR QUESTIONS
NAHR aims to support the development and sharing of bio-inspired projects, ignite conversations, and spark possible future collaborative research. With this in mind, the following are some initiating thoughts for applicants:
“AIR AS”
The prompts listed below are intended to capture various approaches to investigations of air. These are included as abbreviated expressions of varied perspectives that an applicant might take.
The framework for an investigation of air was eloquently stated by
several thinkers as noted here below - please sahre yours and we will be happy to add it as this portion is meant to be “live”:
“Environmental pollution is not only humanity’s treason to humanity but also a treason to all other living creatures on earth!” - Mehmet Murat ildan
‘We are, each of us, angels with only one wing; we can fly only by embracing each other’ - Luciano De Crescenzo
‘Air plus Aroma can be a sacrament. The mixture is made and affixed to sticks so it can be held in the hand, lit and carry prayers and thoughts and memories to the sky. Per- Fume latin for through and smoke. The perfume of ritual is the same in our brains. It can be the perfume of a resin from one part of the world pressed onto the bamboo stick made in another part of the world…’ - Evan Kleiman
Below are lines of inquiry to consider:
1. Climate change represents a challenge for our century. How does this relate directly to air quality? What are the effects on biodiversity?
2. The anthropic and natural worlds are closely interconnected. While the natural world manages to adapt and re-colonize in a relatively short time, the anthropic world has much more difficulty in adapting. Preserving and restoring our ecosystem needs to be a central point of research in terms of both preservation of ecosystem services and environmental protection.
3. The air quality, the composition of the air, air temperature regulation, carbon and nutrient cycling, water cycling, water quality, and more impact health, climate and biodiversity on a global and local scale. Given this, what should we do for the air? What could be ways of producing, consuming, transporting and trading which are also ways of protecting and keeping the climate in balance and maintaining a healthy air quality?
4. How does the air function as climate (aerodynamic systems and currents) and habitat?
PROPOSALS
NAHR encourages experimental explorations based on globally relevant concepts, theories or methodologies about interspecies coexistence and post-anthropocentric thinking as their fundamental framework. Collaboration across disciplines with other NAHR Fellows is particularly encouraged and supported. These explorations can be done using a variety of media, and will be shared at the conclusion of NAHR in expressive forms including, but not limited to: dance performances, poetry recitations, promenade theatre presentations, art installations, site-specific activations, and other creative products.
Given the immersive, site-specific context for NAHR, when drafting submissions applicants must demonstrate the ways in which their projects will seek to engage with Val Taleggio / Santa Ynez Valley as a shifting, multi-dimensional space in which local characteristics intersect a global dynamic. Applicants should show how they intend to examine elements and ecosystems within the Valley, while scaling or linking their subjects to globally relevant concepts.
In accordance with this year’s theme, NAHR encourages applications that propose an inter- or trans-disciplinary approach across a range of creative forms and modes of expression, which might take the form of designs, actions, events, and so forth, in which the use of the ecosystem of the Valley will remain a key element of the proposal.
While the California set up enables a more reflective, retreat like residency, in Italy, together with the NAHW (June Workshop) and other programs (in 2023 EMPACT), NAHR (Residency) participants will visit high and low pastures, walk across the mountains, attend dedicated lectures by specialists in the area, and be guided across the surrounding landscapes (natural and built), in order to explore local interconnections and contrast these with those in the neighboring valleys of Brembilla, Brembana, Seriana and Imagna. By offering the opportunity for site-specific investigations, NAHR encourages participants to explore interactions and relationships within the Valley’s ecosystems. We seek to offer a fertile environment for a range of cross-disciplinary research and, in return for offering these opportunities, we expect NAHR Fellows to complete culminating presentations (designs, actions, events, so forth) at the conclusion of their time at NAHR.
References and Further Readings:
Books
D.P. McCormack, Atmospheric Things: On the Allure of Elemental Envelopment
B. Streever, And Soon I Heard a Roaring Wind: A Natural History of Moving Air
L. Hyde, Common As Air
J-T. Tremblay, Breathing Aesthetics
R. Murdock, Born to Sing
Articles/films
Project Excelsior - Astronaut Henry Kittinger
Private jets should be illegal
Papers
Liu, J.C. et al. “Particulate Air Pollution from Wildfires in the Western US under Climate Change.” Climatic change vol. 138,3 (2016): 655-666. doi:10.1007/s10584-016-1762-6
Clerici, G., Micheletti, S., Sandroni, S. (1989). Modelisation of the Three-Dimensional Wind Field above the Alpine Region. In: van Dop, H. (eds) Air Pollution Modeling and Its Application VII. NATO · Challenges of Modern Society, vol 7. Springer, Boston, MA.
Websites
IPCC special report on 1.5˚C warming
UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2022
EC Special Eurobarometer Survey
EC Zero Pollution Package
Historical CO2 Emissions
United Nations
Ellen Macarthur Foundation
APPLY (all details at this link - no application fees!)
Settings and Accommodation see here
BREAKING NEWS: a fellowship to NAHR California Autumn is available for a California resident. For more information click here.
Atmosphere
AIR is the focus of NAHR 2023. Fellows will explore the function, mechanism, importance and state of air from a range of natural, ecological, social, political and ecological perspectives, and reflect on the impacts of air pollution and air quality degradation. Summer NAHR is situated in the Taleggio Valley, Italy - a site that we feel is a valuable example of a landscape that nourishes and supports the air above it. The valley’s woods, wildlife and waters bring regenerative opportunities to cleanse and replenish the air.
Air is the gaseous layer on the surface of the planet that all land based living organisms breathe and live within. The most inert and abundant element in our air is nitrogen at 78%. Life sustaining oxygen hovers at around 21%. CO2, methane, water vapor (greenhouse gasses) and the noble gasses (mostly argon) occupy roughly 1%. As humanity has witnessed, these ratios are exceedingly fragile. Small changes to the rarest gasses could cause both extreme and long term consequences.
Air is composed of several strata encircling the globe. The lowest is the troposphere, the densest, warmest and closest to the ground.. Above this sits the stratosphere, which contains the Ozone layer. Then the mesosphere, where most meteors are destroyed by the sudden air resistance, and the thermosphere, which contains the aurora and many satellites. Both the mesosphere and thermosphere are part of the ionosphere, consisting of an abundant composition of charged ions and electrons determined by sun to earth interactions like solar flares and radiation. The exosphere is our atmosphere’s outer limit.
Air is a permeating substance, breathed in and out by living organisms and absorbed and released by the oceans and soils. It is a connecting fluid, passing through us and exchanged from animals to plants. Extending the boundaries of our bodies, it enters the lungs and leaves via passive and active changes in pressure and concentration. Our bodies have evolved and formed themselves around the apparatus of breathing, absorbing gasses, and reacting to them for energy. The unique personal microbial cloud, our external fingerprint, is carried through the air with us. As we shed skin and release gasses, our bodily functions affect our immediate environment.
Air is a source of life for all living organisms. Many insects and birds use the air as a habitat and for migration, evolved to respond to local and global climate patterns. Winged creatures soar on warm thermals and feed on swarms of insects living in the troposphere. Unexpected airways disperse seeds, pollinate plants, and activate allergies.
RATIONALE
The Earth’s energy is distributed through air currents in the atmosphere and oceans, in a chaotic and entropic process. The atmosphere traps the sun’s energy before it is absorbed by plants then consumed by animals. Today, the energy in the air is harvested using renewables like photovoltaics, wind turbines, and more, as we search for and create a more sustainable habitation of our planet. Technologies to capture water from the air are also in development.
CO2 is one of the most important chemicals in Earth’s history and has been crucial in the development of life. Early in life’s development microbes, algae, and plants harnessed CO2 through photosynthetic respiration probably leading to the concentration of released oxygen in our atmosphere , and the development of the carbon cycle, the process on which all life is based. While CO2 is an essential greenhouse gas that helps stabilize Earth’s atmosphere and makes it habitable for life, excessive atmospheric CO2 disrupts climate stability. Due to anthropogenic activity, in 1900 AD the annual release of CO2 into the atmosphere was estimated at 1.95 gigatons. This increased dramatically to 37.12 gigatons in 2021 (https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions). The IPCC’s 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C (https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/) lays out the impact of increased greenhouse gas emissions on natural and human systems. The UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report 2022 (https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2022) states that the promises made in Glasgow’s COP26 account for only an annual loss of 0.5 gigatons of CO2. Furthermore, unless we enforce strong policies on many industries (food, transport, financial, energy, construction etc.) we will see a rise of up to 2.8°C by the end of the century, causing rising sea levels (polar ice caps melting), ocean acidity, regular droughts and much more.
Our fragile system is in jeopardy due to unsustainable urbanization, industrial food production, pollution and ignorant disregard. Urban environments and commercial/corporate activities impact the quality of air around the world. Pollution created in the North is carried to the South through air currents and vice versa. Recent surveys from the European Commission show that 47% of respondents believe air quality has dropped significantly in the last 10 years (https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_6307). Every year we spend €231-853 billion on curing diseases linked to air pollution, and roughly 300,000 Europeans die prematurely. 2022-2023 has seen a renewed push to update policies in the EU Green Deal to press for a zero pollution environment by 2050.
The changing global temperatures are making the established currents unstable and unpredictable, impacting established weather systems. Plants and animals alike are struggling to adapt to the rapidly changing temperatures and weather. Deforested areas no longer act as carbon sinks and intensive agriculture does not balance the equation. City pollution and rising temperatures creates Ozone that causes respiratory problems, while increasing arid ground carries more dust around the globe. The presence of sulphur and nitrous oxides, particulates and plastics in the air we breathe continue to cause harms we are yet to fully understand. The constant noise of airplanes distresses both human and non-human animals living below flight paths, a sound that is amplified in the soil, affecting plant-life as well). Light pollution interrupts our circadian rhythms and obfuscates our view of space beyond our planet.
Buildings are becoming taller to account for population growth, so our view of the skies grows thinner. architects are responding to the changes in climate through the use of passive (insulation) and active airflow systems such as Casaklima, air filtration and the monitoring of indoor air quality (IAQ) to reduce the intake of VOC plastics into our lungs. The quality of our air has an important impact on the development of global social justice and our personal health and wellbeing. Not only do developing countries suffer more greatly from depreciated air quality, but poorer people in developed societies are forced to live in areas of greater pollution, near transportation hubs and factories.
Geological formations can strongly impact air quality. The height of the Alps in the north of Italy creates a barrier for south winds. Pollutants and dust from industrial and urban centers are swept into and settle on the planes below (Clerici, G. Micheletti, S. and Sandroni, S., 1989). The air in this region is therefore impacted by global actions, transportation, agricultural practice, global weather systems, wildfires and much more. Recently an increase in wildfires has impacted the air quality of many more cities. The west coast of the US has experienced a rapid increase in the presence of PM2.5 which is known to reduce life expectancy by 4 months (Liu, JC. et al, 2016).
The first biomimicist, Leonardo Da Vinci, responded to the call of the air, studying the natural design of flying creatures, in his attempt to take man to the skies. As we move forward, with a growing population and the escalation of technological development, the governance and monitoring of airspace is becoming more important. The future may see the use of airspace between the ground and higher aircraft levels with new flight craft for transportation of people, or the rising power of one-click consumerism through drone delivery systems. Countries' airspaces become restricted or open depending on the shifting political stances of their leaders.
NAHR CALL
NAHR is looking forward to receiving proposals that reflect creative and critical approaches to investigating air as a fluid and global system, and as a critical element which can provide a regenerative lens for the future. Our goal is to chart paths that will transform the actions of the exploitative Anthropocene into a sympoiesis conducive to life - like the air itself.
FRAMEWORK
OUR INTERESTS
Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are interconnected. While we are aware that biodiversity is an important and often overlooked area of study, NAHR 2023 will prioritize the impact of climate change through the investigation of air whilst integrating an understanding of the effect on biodiversity.
The visible impacts of humans on climate change, and the decrease in air quality around the globe, has renewed interest in resilient, bio-inclusive solutions that could reverse the current trajectory of these crises. The solutions must consider lifestyles, today’s unprecedented technological advancements, and be informed by historical precedents of biodiverse coexistence. Explorations range in scale from micro to macro biomes. NAHR 2023 will support provocative explorations that celebrate systems that promote clean air, including analyses and studies that explore how to minimize human impact on air composition and climate change.
NAHR is aligned with the principles established in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, the 'Earth Summit'. NAHR 2023 offers an eco-laboratory to Fellows interested in exploring the topic of air through the lens of the foundational principles codified in 1992.
Working to maintain air quality and to reduce pollution is essential to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, as well as the 1.5˚ celsius temperature rise limit from the Paris agreement. In 2012 The UNEP established the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to collectively challenge the threat from short-lived climate pollutants. WHO also adjusted its Air Quality Guidelines in 2021 to help governments maintain a higher level of health and safety for their citizens. In a more local context controlling air pollution and emissions is key to the EU’s European Green Deal which aims to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 in relation to 1990 standards, and commit to climate neutrality by 2050.
NAHR is also interested in developing work which seeks to create an empathic view of our environments. We aim to encourage work that addresses the role of empathy in advocating for the climate crisis at the speed needed through artistic co-operation and creation of novel art-projects. The exploration of the empathy-sustainability relationship through the arts may bring significant advances to the promotion of sustainability actions and pro-environmental behaviors.
We ask for our artists to produce sustainable practices that foster an empathic stance towards non-human beings and nature, and effectively incorporating the concept of sustainability in their artistic production. This will in turn develop the artist as the kind of empathic and resilient individual we need to help deal with the post-pandemic social and economic crisis.
OUR HABITATS
TALEGGIO VALLEY, ITALY
The Taleggio Valley landscape in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy, with its dramatic scenery and secluded physical environment, is a rich source of inspiration for bio-inspired projects. The air in the Taleggio Valley is a fluid and open mechanism which connects the valley with the rest of the globe. Birds and particles, even bacteria, migrate through it, carried from the southern hemisphere and back again. The geology, flora and fauna of the valley affects the air within it, creating a microclimate. It can also act as a bioindicator for the state of the air and climate.
The Valley’s existing geomorphological characteristics supports a local climate and is a rich habitat for hundreds of species interacting with the air, both wild and domesticated, who thrive in the water, the soil and the air. The landscape has distinct and varied features at different elevations, from the bottom of ravines to the mountain pastures of the Parco delle Orobie, from high mountain open air to cooler covered forest air currents downstream. Recent climate events are affecting the animals and human activities in the region, for example droughts and loss of streams have led to more frequent wildfires, and the impact on various animal’s habitats is yet to be documented.
The Valley is an important hotspot for biodiversity and nature conservation (Natura 2000). Its air contains a multitude of microorganisms such as bacteria and archaea, invertebrates such as insects, birds, mammals, and also fungi and flora spores and seeds. The air is also a passage for migrating birds and butterflies, and the moisture from the mountains provides a lush landscape for grasses and pastures. All these characteristics can be readily observed and will serve as inspiration for creative inquiries into how each feature participates in the circulation and regeneration of the air.
The Valley’s villages and towns, all in close proximity, offer many opportunities to observe and study the ‘built’ environment of both natural phenomena and man-made construction. It provides a rich venue for studying the changes over the years of human and non-human strategies of habitation as these have shifted to adapt to ever-changing environmental, economic, and social factors. Recent impacts of climate change, agricultural patterns, land use change, forest management, are just a few of the many themes that promise to inspire complex reasoning, critical evaluation, design responses, and other creative investigations during the residency.
SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA
The Santa Ynez Valley is north of Santa Barbara in an inland valley, with rolling California mountains rimming heavily cultivated farmland. The Santa Ynez Mountains are on the south, the San Rafael Mountains on the north, with the Santa Ynez River running from east to west.
From a geological point of view, the consolidated rocks of the Tertiary age compose the surrounding hills. These consolidated rocks are marine in origin and consist of relatively impermeable fine-grained deposits. In addition, there are unconsolidated deposits of Pliocene and younger aged material, made chiefly of sand, gravel, silt, and clay.
The Santa Barbara coast has a mediterranean climate and a complex topography. It regularly succumbs to wildfire as it is prone to downslope windstorms. The abruptly rising Santa Ynez mountains which separate the ocean from the valley create spatiotemporally variable wind patterns. The large variability in land readings tells of the intricacy of the weather and wind patterns in this region (Signer & Katelyn 2022).
Ecologically, the River provides a rich habitat for various endangered birds. The lower Santa Ynez River supports a large and little-known population of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus). Golden Eagle is always sighted in the summer, and the oak savannah supports grassland birds, including wintering raptors (Buteo regalis).
The vegetation consists mainly of brush interspersed with chaparral, live oak, and grassland. The native flora of the Valley is understood to be naturally renewed by fire, such as Adenostoma fasciculatum which produces a specialized lignotuber underground that allows it to resprout after fire has burned off its stems.
The soil in the Valley is well suited to the cultivation of certain grapes, and the well-established viticulture economy has resulted in extensive research on the soil. The farmland is mostly planted with wine grapes and the Valley is known for its wineries. The agriculture also includes significant groves of olive trees and fruit trees. The farms are typically small to medium sized. There is also a notable community of horse owners and equine-serving businesses. The Valley attracts visitors who come to experience a typical California viticulture landscape, taste and purchase wine, visit the small towns, and enjoy the temperate climate.
As such, the Valley is a particularly rich context for reflecting on air composition and systems for air quality renewal.
EMBEDDED RESIDENCIES
NAHR believes that human perceptions of the world are enhanced by exploring it from below, from within, via the medium from which most life emerges. We believe there is insight to be gained from exploring the mechanisms other species have developed for sensing, mapping, and moving through the same territories as humans. As all senses are engaged in an exploration of the living eco-laboratory of each Valley, one starts to perceive the world differently. The residencies are premised on the notion that a shift in perception is the key for creative resilience, and will be the mechanism that allows ecosystems to create a sustainable life through adaptation and cooperation.
OUR QUESTIONS
NAHR aims to support the development and sharing of bio-inspired projects, ignite conversations, and spark possible future collaborative research. With this in mind, the following are some initiating thoughts for applicants:
“AIR AS”
The prompts listed below are intended to capture various approaches to investigations of air. These are included as abbreviated expressions of varied perspectives that an applicant might take.
The framework for an investigation of air was eloquently stated by
several thinkers as noted here below - please sahre yours and we will be happy to add it as this portion is meant to be “live”:
“Environmental pollution is not only humanity’s treason to humanity but also a treason to all other living creatures on earth!” - Mehmet Murat ildan
‘We are, each of us, angels with only one wing; we can fly only by embracing each other’ - Luciano De Crescenzo
‘Air plus Aroma can be a sacrament. The mixture is made and affixed to sticks so it can be held in the hand, lit and carry prayers and thoughts and memories to the sky. Per- Fume latin for through and smoke. The perfume of ritual is the same in our brains. It can be the perfume of a resin from one part of the world pressed onto the bamboo stick made in another part of the world…’ - Evan Kleiman
Below are lines of inquiry to consider:
1. Climate change represents a challenge for our century. How does this relate directly to air quality? What are the effects on biodiversity?
2. The anthropic and natural worlds are closely interconnected. While the natural world manages to adapt and re-colonize in a relatively short time, the anthropic world has much more difficulty in adapting. Preserving and restoring our ecosystem needs to be a central point of research in terms of both preservation of ecosystem services and environmental protection.
3. The air quality, the composition of the air, air temperature regulation, carbon and nutrient cycling, water cycling, water quality, and more impact health, climate and biodiversity on a global and local scale. Given this, what should we do for the air? What could be ways of producing, consuming, transporting and trading which are also ways of protecting and keeping the climate in balance and maintaining a healthy air quality?
4. How does the air function as climate (aerodynamic systems and currents) and habitat?
PROPOSALS
NAHR encourages experimental explorations based on globally relevant concepts, theories or methodologies about interspecies coexistence and post-anthropocentric thinking as their fundamental framework. Collaboration across disciplines with other NAHR Fellows is particularly encouraged and supported. These explorations can be done using a variety of media, and will be shared at the conclusion of NAHR in expressive forms including, but not limited to: dance performances, poetry recitations, promenade theatre presentations, art installations, site-specific activations, and other creative products.
Given the immersive, site-specific context for NAHR, when drafting submissions applicants must demonstrate the ways in which their projects will seek to engage with Val Taleggio / Santa Ynez Valley as a shifting, multi-dimensional space in which local characteristics intersect a global dynamic. Applicants should show how they intend to examine elements and ecosystems within the Valley, while scaling or linking their subjects to globally relevant concepts.
In accordance with this year’s theme, NAHR encourages applications that propose an inter- or trans-disciplinary approach across a range of creative forms and modes of expression, which might take the form of designs, actions, events, and so forth, in which the use of the ecosystem of the Valley will remain a key element of the proposal.
While the California set up enables a more reflective, retreat like residency, in Italy, together with the NAHW (June Workshop) and other programs (in 2023 EMPACT), NAHR (Residency) participants will visit high and low pastures, walk across the mountains, attend dedicated lectures by specialists in the area, and be guided across the surrounding landscapes (natural and built), in order to explore local interconnections and contrast these with those in the neighboring valleys of Brembilla, Brembana, Seriana and Imagna. By offering the opportunity for site-specific investigations, NAHR encourages participants to explore interactions and relationships within the Valley’s ecosystems. We seek to offer a fertile environment for a range of cross-disciplinary research and, in return for offering these opportunities, we expect NAHR Fellows to complete culminating presentations (designs, actions, events, so forth) at the conclusion of their time at NAHR.
References and Further Readings:
Books
D.P. McCormack, Atmospheric Things: On the Allure of Elemental Envelopment
B. Streever, And Soon I Heard a Roaring Wind: A Natural History of Moving Air
L. Hyde, Common As Air
J-T. Tremblay, Breathing Aesthetics
R. Murdock, Born to Sing
Articles/films
Project Excelsior - Astronaut Henry Kittinger
Private jets should be illegal
Papers
Liu, J.C. et al. “Particulate Air Pollution from Wildfires in the Western US under Climate Change.” Climatic change vol. 138,3 (2016): 655-666. doi:10.1007/s10584-016-1762-6
Clerici, G., Micheletti, S., Sandroni, S. (1989). Modelisation of the Three-Dimensional Wind Field above the Alpine Region. In: van Dop, H. (eds) Air Pollution Modeling and Its Application VII. NATO · Challenges of Modern Society, vol 7. Springer, Boston, MA.
Websites
IPCC special report on 1.5˚C warming
UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2022
EC Special Eurobarometer Survey
EC Zero Pollution Package
Historical CO2 Emissions
United Nations
Ellen Macarthur Foundation
APPLY (all details at this link - no application fees!)
Settings and Accommodation see here
BREAKING NEWS: a fellowship to NAHR California Autumn is available for a California resident. For more information click here.
Testo 2023 Bando in Italiano ridotto - vedasi testo in inglese completo.
ARIA è la tematica al centro dei programmi di NAHR 2023. I Fellows di quest’anno esploreranno la funzione critica dell’aria da una serie di prospettive naturali, ecologiche, sociali, politiche ed ecosistemiche, riflettendo sugli impatti, sulla salute e sul degrado dell’aria.
La Val Taleggio, sito estivo di NAHR, offre l'opportunità di esplorare pratiche agricole e abitative intergenerazionali che hanno mantenuto una buona qualita’ dell’aria.
NAHR conta di ricevere proposte che riflettano approcci creativi e critici allo studio dell’aria come ecosistema dinamico e resiliente e come elemento critico in grado di fornire uno sguardo innovativo per il futuro. L’obiettivo è quello di sviluppare dei percorsi che possano trasformare le azioni di sfruttamento sviluppate nell’Antropocene in un simposio di vita.
INQUADRAMENTO
I NOSTRI INTERESSI
Gli impatti del cambiamento climatico e la perdita di biodiversità sono interconnessi. Tuttavia, il primo ha ricevuto la maggior parte dell'attenzione nel recente discorso ambientale. NAHR 2023 darà la priorità al mantenimento della biodiversità attraverso lo studio dell’aria.
Gli effetti visibili dell’impatto umano sul cambiamento climatico e la crescente perdita di qualita’ dell’aria in tutto il mondo hanno generato un rinnovato interesse verso soluzioni resilienti e bio-inclusive per invertire la crisi climatica.
Riteniamo che le soluzioni debbano prendere in considerazione gli stili di vita, gli attuali progressi tecnologici e dovrebbero essere informati sulla pregressa coesistenza tra i vari organismi/biodiversità. Così facendo, il campo di indagine può variare dalla scala microscopica a quella macrocroscopica, imparando anche dal passato, dalla storia. NAHR 2023 sosterrà proposte provocatorie che celebrano i sistemi che sostengono la salubrita’ dell’aria, comprese analisi e studi che esplorano i meccanismi di ripristino e rigenerazione dell’aria.
NAHR è coerente con gli obiettivi stabiliti nel 1992 nel Summit della Terra, a Rio de Janeiro, che non sono ancora stati adeguatamente realizzati, NAHR 2023 offre un eco-laboratorio ai Fellow interessati ad esplorare il tema dell’aria attraverso la lente dei principi fondamentali codificati nel 1992.
La qualità dell’aria è essenziale per conseguire gli obiettivi in materia di clima e biodiversità nell'ambito dell'accordo verde europeo, espressi nella strategia dell'UE sulla biodiversità per il 2030, e conseguenti aggiornamenti dei vari COP. Queste politiche richiedono azioni per affrontare il degrado dell’aria globalmente e raggiungere gli obiettivi discussi.
In un contesto globale, aria e inquinamento atmosferico sono al centro del xxº Obiettivo dell'Agenda 2030 per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (SDG) delle Nazioni Unite.
HABITAT
VAL TALEGGIO
Il paesaggio della Val Taleggio, nelle Prealpi Orobie Bergamasche, con i suoi scenari emozionanti e l'ambiente fisico appartato, servirà come ricca fonte di ispirazione per le idee, e un terreno fertile per far prosperare progetti bio-ispirati.
Le caratteristiche geomorfologiche esistenti della valle supportano una varietà di condizioni dell’aria ed è un ricco habitat per centinaia di specie, sia selvatiche che domestiche, che prosperano nell'acqua, nel suolo e nell'aria. Il paesaggio ha caratteristiche distinte e variegate a diverse quote, dalla bassa valle agli alpeggi del Parco delle Orobie.
La valle è un importante hotspot per la biodiversità e la conservazione della natura (Natura 2000). Il suo suolo contiene una moltitudine di microrganismi come batteri, funghi e Archaea, invertebrati come insetti e vermi, rettili, uccelli, mammiferi, ma specie vegetali.
I villaggi e le cittadine della Valle, tutti nelle immediate vicinanze, offrono l’opportunità di osservare e studiare l'ambiente costruito dai fenomeni naturali e dalla costruzione artificiale. Forniscono una ricca sede per studiare i cambiamenti nel corso degli anni delle strategie umane e non umane di abitazione, e di come queste si sono ripetutamente adattate ai fattori ambientali, economici e sociali in continua evoluzione. I recenti impatti del cambiamento climatico, dei modelli agricoli, del cambiamento dell’uso del suolo, della gestione del suolo e della biodiversità del suolo sono solo alcuni dei molti temi che promettono di ispirare ragionamenti complessi, valutazioni critiche, risposte progettuali e altre indagini creative durante la residenza.
SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA
Santa Ynez Valley si trova a nord di Santa Barbara in una valle interna, con le montagne della California che circondano i terreni agricoli fortemente coltivati. Le Santa Ynez Mountains sono situate a sud, mentre le San Rafael Mountains sono a nord, con il fiume Santa Ynez che scorre da est a ovest.
Ecologicamente, il fiume fornisce un ricco habitat per vari uccelli in via di estinzione. Nella parte più a valle del fiume Santa Ynez c’è una numerosa, e ancora poco conosciuta, popolazione di Pigliamosche di Traille (Empidonax traillii extimus). L'aquila reale è sempre avvistata in estate, e mentre la savana di querce ospita numerosi uccelli delle praterie, tra cui i rapaci svernanti (Buteo regalis).
La vegetazione è costituita principalmente da cespugli inframezzati con chaparral, quercia virginiana e prati. La flora autoctona della Valle è resiliente agli incendi, come l'Adenostoma fasciculatum che produce un legnotubero, una struttura specializzata nel sottosuolo che gli permette di rigenerare la pianta anche se il fuoco ha bruciato i suoi fusti.
Il terreno della Valle si presta alla coltivazione di alcune uve, e la consolidata economia della viticoltura ha portato a ricerche approfondite sul terreno. Il terreno agricolo è per lo più piantato con uva da vino infatti la Valle è nota per le sue cantine. L'agricoltura comprende anche significativi boschi di ulivi e alberi da frutto. Le aziende agricole sono in genere di piccole e medie dimensioni. Vi è anche una notevole comunità di proprietari di cavalli e di equini al servizio delle imprese. La valle attira i visitatori che vengono a sperimentare un paesaggio tipico della viticoltura Californiana, degustare e acquistare vino, visitare le piccole città, e godere del clima temperato. Come tale, la Valle è un contesto particolarmente ricco per riflettere sulla qualita’ dell’aria e sugli stress ambientali causati dal cambiamento climatico.
RESIDENZE INCORPORATE
NAHR crede che le percezioni/conoscenze dell’uomo possano migliorare esplorandolo dal basso, dall’interno, e attraverso il mezzo da cui la vita ha origine. Sosteniamo che sia possibile acquisire informazioni dall'osservazione dei meccanismi che altre specie hanno sviluppato per percepire, mappare e muoversi attraverso gli stessi territori degli esseri umani. Poiché tutti i sensi sono impegnati in un'esplorazione dell'eco-laboratorio vivente di ogni Valle, si comincia a percepire il mondo in modo diverso. Le residenze sono basate sulla nozione che un cambiamento di percezione sia la chiave per la resilienza creativa, e sarà il meccanismo che permette agli ecosistemi di creare una vita sostenibile attraverso l'adattamento e la cooperazione.
LE NOSTRE DOMANDE
NAHR mira a sostenere lo sviluppo e la condivisione di progetti bio-ispirati, ad accendere conversazioni e ad avviare possibili future ricerche collaborative. Con questo in mente, i seguenti sono solo alcuni spunti di riflessione per i candidati:
"AIR AS"
I suggerimenti elencati in seguito hanno lo scopo di esaminare diversi approcci per investigare l’aria. Questi sono rappresentati da espressioni abbreviate di varie prospettive che un Fellow potrebbe sviluppare.
Di seguito sono riportate le linee di indagine da considerare:
1. Il cambiamento climatico rappresenta una sfida per il nostro secolo. In che modo questo si collega direttamente alla qualita’ dell’aria? Quali sono gli effetti sulla biodiversità?
2. I mondi antropico e naturale sono strettamente interconnessi. Mentre il mondo naturale riesce ad adattarsi e ri-colonizzare in un tempo relativamente breve, il mondo antropico ha molta più difficoltà ad adattarsi. Preservare e ripristinare il nostro ecosistema deve essere un punto centrale della ricerca in termini sia di conservazione dei servizi ecosistemici che di protezione ambientale.
3. La qualità dell'aria, la composizione dell'aria, la regolazione della temperatura dell'aria, il ciclo del carbonio e dei nutrienti, il ciclo dell'acqua, la qualità dell'acqua e altro hanno un impatto sulla salute, sul clima e sulla biodiversità su scala globale e locale. Detto questo, cosa dovremmo fare per l'aria? Quali potrebbero essere modi di produrre, consumare, trasportare e commerciare che siano anche modi per proteggere e mantenere il clima in equilibrio e mantenere una qualità dell'aria sana?
4. Come “funziona” l’aria nella funzioni quali il clima e l’habitat?
PROPOSTE
NAHR incoraggia ricerche sperimentali basate su concetti, teorie o metodologie rilevanti a livello globale sulla coesistenza interspecifica e sul pensiero post-antropocentrico come quadro fondamentale. La collaborazione tra discipline, con altri membri di NAHR, è particolarmente incoraggiata e supportata. Queste esplorazioni possono essere fatte utilizzando differenti media e saranno condivise alla conclusione di NAHR in forme espressive tra cui, a titolo esemplificativo ma non esaustivo: spettacoli di danza, recitazioni di poesie, installazioni artistiche, attivazioni sito-specifico e altri progetti creativi.
Data l’importanza che ha per NAHR il contesto, coinvolgente e specifico, quando si elaborano le proposte, i candidati devono dimostrare i modi in cui i loro progetti cercheranno di interagire con la Val Taleggio come uno spazio mutevole e multidimensionale in cui le caratteristiche locali si intersecano con una dinamica globale. I candidati devono mostrare come intendono esaminare elementi ed ecosistemi all'interno della Val Taleggio, ridimensionando o collegando i loro soggetti a concetti rilevanti a livello globale.
In linea con il tema di quest'anno, NAHR incoraggia le applicazioni che propongono un approccio interdisciplinare o transdisciplinare attraverso una gamma di forme e modalità espressive creative, che potrebbero assumere la forma di disegni, azioni, eventi e così via, in cui l'uso dell'ecosistema della Valle rimarrà un elemento chiave della proposta. I progetti che propongono l'osservazione degli animali nel loro habitat con tutti i suoi elementi, compresi gli stati naturali e quelli modificati dall’uomo, sono particolarmente incoraggiati.
Insieme a NAHW(Workshop Giugno), i partecipanti a NAHR (Residency) visiteranno pascoli alti e bassi, cammineranno sulle montagne, parteciperanno a lezioni tenute da specialisti dell'area e saranno guidati attraverso i paesaggi circostanti (naturali e costruiti), al fine di esplorare le interconnessioni locali e confrontarle con quelle delle valli limitrofe, come la Val Brembilla, Brembana, Seriana e Imagna. Offrendo l'opportunità di ricerche specifiche per sito, NAHR incoraggia i partecipanti a esplorare le interazioni e le relazioni all'interno degli ecosistemi delle vallate.
Cerchiamo di offrire un ambiente fertile per una serie di ricerche interdisciplinari e, in cambio dell’offerta di queste opportunità, ci aspettiamo che i NAHR Fellows completino le loro elaborazioni (progetti, azioni, eventi, ecc.) e le presentino al termine del loro tempo in Val Taleggio.
References:
vedi links nel testo in inglese
ISCRIVITI
ARIA è la tematica al centro dei programmi di NAHR 2023. I Fellows di quest’anno esploreranno la funzione critica dell’aria da una serie di prospettive naturali, ecologiche, sociali, politiche ed ecosistemiche, riflettendo sugli impatti, sulla salute e sul degrado dell’aria.
La Val Taleggio, sito estivo di NAHR, offre l'opportunità di esplorare pratiche agricole e abitative intergenerazionali che hanno mantenuto una buona qualita’ dell’aria.
NAHR conta di ricevere proposte che riflettano approcci creativi e critici allo studio dell’aria come ecosistema dinamico e resiliente e come elemento critico in grado di fornire uno sguardo innovativo per il futuro. L’obiettivo è quello di sviluppare dei percorsi che possano trasformare le azioni di sfruttamento sviluppate nell’Antropocene in un simposio di vita.
INQUADRAMENTO
I NOSTRI INTERESSI
Gli impatti del cambiamento climatico e la perdita di biodiversità sono interconnessi. Tuttavia, il primo ha ricevuto la maggior parte dell'attenzione nel recente discorso ambientale. NAHR 2023 darà la priorità al mantenimento della biodiversità attraverso lo studio dell’aria.
Gli effetti visibili dell’impatto umano sul cambiamento climatico e la crescente perdita di qualita’ dell’aria in tutto il mondo hanno generato un rinnovato interesse verso soluzioni resilienti e bio-inclusive per invertire la crisi climatica.
Riteniamo che le soluzioni debbano prendere in considerazione gli stili di vita, gli attuali progressi tecnologici e dovrebbero essere informati sulla pregressa coesistenza tra i vari organismi/biodiversità. Così facendo, il campo di indagine può variare dalla scala microscopica a quella macrocroscopica, imparando anche dal passato, dalla storia. NAHR 2023 sosterrà proposte provocatorie che celebrano i sistemi che sostengono la salubrita’ dell’aria, comprese analisi e studi che esplorano i meccanismi di ripristino e rigenerazione dell’aria.
NAHR è coerente con gli obiettivi stabiliti nel 1992 nel Summit della Terra, a Rio de Janeiro, che non sono ancora stati adeguatamente realizzati, NAHR 2023 offre un eco-laboratorio ai Fellow interessati ad esplorare il tema dell’aria attraverso la lente dei principi fondamentali codificati nel 1992.
La qualità dell’aria è essenziale per conseguire gli obiettivi in materia di clima e biodiversità nell'ambito dell'accordo verde europeo, espressi nella strategia dell'UE sulla biodiversità per il 2030, e conseguenti aggiornamenti dei vari COP. Queste politiche richiedono azioni per affrontare il degrado dell’aria globalmente e raggiungere gli obiettivi discussi.
In un contesto globale, aria e inquinamento atmosferico sono al centro del xxº Obiettivo dell'Agenda 2030 per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (SDG) delle Nazioni Unite.
HABITAT
VAL TALEGGIO
Il paesaggio della Val Taleggio, nelle Prealpi Orobie Bergamasche, con i suoi scenari emozionanti e l'ambiente fisico appartato, servirà come ricca fonte di ispirazione per le idee, e un terreno fertile per far prosperare progetti bio-ispirati.
Le caratteristiche geomorfologiche esistenti della valle supportano una varietà di condizioni dell’aria ed è un ricco habitat per centinaia di specie, sia selvatiche che domestiche, che prosperano nell'acqua, nel suolo e nell'aria. Il paesaggio ha caratteristiche distinte e variegate a diverse quote, dalla bassa valle agli alpeggi del Parco delle Orobie.
La valle è un importante hotspot per la biodiversità e la conservazione della natura (Natura 2000). Il suo suolo contiene una moltitudine di microrganismi come batteri, funghi e Archaea, invertebrati come insetti e vermi, rettili, uccelli, mammiferi, ma specie vegetali.
I villaggi e le cittadine della Valle, tutti nelle immediate vicinanze, offrono l’opportunità di osservare e studiare l'ambiente costruito dai fenomeni naturali e dalla costruzione artificiale. Forniscono una ricca sede per studiare i cambiamenti nel corso degli anni delle strategie umane e non umane di abitazione, e di come queste si sono ripetutamente adattate ai fattori ambientali, economici e sociali in continua evoluzione. I recenti impatti del cambiamento climatico, dei modelli agricoli, del cambiamento dell’uso del suolo, della gestione del suolo e della biodiversità del suolo sono solo alcuni dei molti temi che promettono di ispirare ragionamenti complessi, valutazioni critiche, risposte progettuali e altre indagini creative durante la residenza.
SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA
Santa Ynez Valley si trova a nord di Santa Barbara in una valle interna, con le montagne della California che circondano i terreni agricoli fortemente coltivati. Le Santa Ynez Mountains sono situate a sud, mentre le San Rafael Mountains sono a nord, con il fiume Santa Ynez che scorre da est a ovest.
Ecologicamente, il fiume fornisce un ricco habitat per vari uccelli in via di estinzione. Nella parte più a valle del fiume Santa Ynez c’è una numerosa, e ancora poco conosciuta, popolazione di Pigliamosche di Traille (Empidonax traillii extimus). L'aquila reale è sempre avvistata in estate, e mentre la savana di querce ospita numerosi uccelli delle praterie, tra cui i rapaci svernanti (Buteo regalis).
La vegetazione è costituita principalmente da cespugli inframezzati con chaparral, quercia virginiana e prati. La flora autoctona della Valle è resiliente agli incendi, come l'Adenostoma fasciculatum che produce un legnotubero, una struttura specializzata nel sottosuolo che gli permette di rigenerare la pianta anche se il fuoco ha bruciato i suoi fusti.
Il terreno della Valle si presta alla coltivazione di alcune uve, e la consolidata economia della viticoltura ha portato a ricerche approfondite sul terreno. Il terreno agricolo è per lo più piantato con uva da vino infatti la Valle è nota per le sue cantine. L'agricoltura comprende anche significativi boschi di ulivi e alberi da frutto. Le aziende agricole sono in genere di piccole e medie dimensioni. Vi è anche una notevole comunità di proprietari di cavalli e di equini al servizio delle imprese. La valle attira i visitatori che vengono a sperimentare un paesaggio tipico della viticoltura Californiana, degustare e acquistare vino, visitare le piccole città, e godere del clima temperato. Come tale, la Valle è un contesto particolarmente ricco per riflettere sulla qualita’ dell’aria e sugli stress ambientali causati dal cambiamento climatico.
RESIDENZE INCORPORATE
NAHR crede che le percezioni/conoscenze dell’uomo possano migliorare esplorandolo dal basso, dall’interno, e attraverso il mezzo da cui la vita ha origine. Sosteniamo che sia possibile acquisire informazioni dall'osservazione dei meccanismi che altre specie hanno sviluppato per percepire, mappare e muoversi attraverso gli stessi territori degli esseri umani. Poiché tutti i sensi sono impegnati in un'esplorazione dell'eco-laboratorio vivente di ogni Valle, si comincia a percepire il mondo in modo diverso. Le residenze sono basate sulla nozione che un cambiamento di percezione sia la chiave per la resilienza creativa, e sarà il meccanismo che permette agli ecosistemi di creare una vita sostenibile attraverso l'adattamento e la cooperazione.
LE NOSTRE DOMANDE
NAHR mira a sostenere lo sviluppo e la condivisione di progetti bio-ispirati, ad accendere conversazioni e ad avviare possibili future ricerche collaborative. Con questo in mente, i seguenti sono solo alcuni spunti di riflessione per i candidati:
"AIR AS"
I suggerimenti elencati in seguito hanno lo scopo di esaminare diversi approcci per investigare l’aria. Questi sono rappresentati da espressioni abbreviate di varie prospettive che un Fellow potrebbe sviluppare.
Di seguito sono riportate le linee di indagine da considerare:
1. Il cambiamento climatico rappresenta una sfida per il nostro secolo. In che modo questo si collega direttamente alla qualita’ dell’aria? Quali sono gli effetti sulla biodiversità?
2. I mondi antropico e naturale sono strettamente interconnessi. Mentre il mondo naturale riesce ad adattarsi e ri-colonizzare in un tempo relativamente breve, il mondo antropico ha molta più difficoltà ad adattarsi. Preservare e ripristinare il nostro ecosistema deve essere un punto centrale della ricerca in termini sia di conservazione dei servizi ecosistemici che di protezione ambientale.
3. La qualità dell'aria, la composizione dell'aria, la regolazione della temperatura dell'aria, il ciclo del carbonio e dei nutrienti, il ciclo dell'acqua, la qualità dell'acqua e altro hanno un impatto sulla salute, sul clima e sulla biodiversità su scala globale e locale. Detto questo, cosa dovremmo fare per l'aria? Quali potrebbero essere modi di produrre, consumare, trasportare e commerciare che siano anche modi per proteggere e mantenere il clima in equilibrio e mantenere una qualità dell'aria sana?
4. Come “funziona” l’aria nella funzioni quali il clima e l’habitat?
PROPOSTE
NAHR incoraggia ricerche sperimentali basate su concetti, teorie o metodologie rilevanti a livello globale sulla coesistenza interspecifica e sul pensiero post-antropocentrico come quadro fondamentale. La collaborazione tra discipline, con altri membri di NAHR, è particolarmente incoraggiata e supportata. Queste esplorazioni possono essere fatte utilizzando differenti media e saranno condivise alla conclusione di NAHR in forme espressive tra cui, a titolo esemplificativo ma non esaustivo: spettacoli di danza, recitazioni di poesie, installazioni artistiche, attivazioni sito-specifico e altri progetti creativi.
Data l’importanza che ha per NAHR il contesto, coinvolgente e specifico, quando si elaborano le proposte, i candidati devono dimostrare i modi in cui i loro progetti cercheranno di interagire con la Val Taleggio come uno spazio mutevole e multidimensionale in cui le caratteristiche locali si intersecano con una dinamica globale. I candidati devono mostrare come intendono esaminare elementi ed ecosistemi all'interno della Val Taleggio, ridimensionando o collegando i loro soggetti a concetti rilevanti a livello globale.
In linea con il tema di quest'anno, NAHR incoraggia le applicazioni che propongono un approccio interdisciplinare o transdisciplinare attraverso una gamma di forme e modalità espressive creative, che potrebbero assumere la forma di disegni, azioni, eventi e così via, in cui l'uso dell'ecosistema della Valle rimarrà un elemento chiave della proposta. I progetti che propongono l'osservazione degli animali nel loro habitat con tutti i suoi elementi, compresi gli stati naturali e quelli modificati dall’uomo, sono particolarmente incoraggiati.
Insieme a NAHW(Workshop Giugno), i partecipanti a NAHR (Residency) visiteranno pascoli alti e bassi, cammineranno sulle montagne, parteciperanno a lezioni tenute da specialisti dell'area e saranno guidati attraverso i paesaggi circostanti (naturali e costruiti), al fine di esplorare le interconnessioni locali e confrontarle con quelle delle valli limitrofe, come la Val Brembilla, Brembana, Seriana e Imagna. Offrendo l'opportunità di ricerche specifiche per sito, NAHR incoraggia i partecipanti a esplorare le interazioni e le relazioni all'interno degli ecosistemi delle vallate.
Cerchiamo di offrire un ambiente fertile per una serie di ricerche interdisciplinari e, in cambio dell’offerta di queste opportunità, ci aspettiamo che i NAHR Fellows completino le loro elaborazioni (progetti, azioni, eventi, ecc.) e le presentino al termine del loro tempo in Val Taleggio.
References:
vedi links nel testo in inglese
ISCRIVITI