Art, Ecology and Environmental Activism
Organization: Node Center for Curatorial Studies
Course dates: Oct. 20 – Nov. 17, 2026
Enroll by: Oct. 19, 2026
Course fee: 189 € (incl. VAT)
Lecturer: Ela Spalding
How can art address issues such as nature, regeneration and climate justice? What can we learn from activist methods to create projects that bring actual change? This course focuses on expanding the potentials of ecologically engaged art practices.
Over five weeks, we will learn from case studies and thinkers who offer innovative approaches to climate justice and to reimagining our relationship with nature. With the aim of moving beyond mere representation, we will explore how to apply ecological principles to creative projects that inspire action. These efforts will draw from environmental activism and gestures that help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Since the essence of ecology is relating, the course will take the form of an open dialogue where you can share your processes. Importantly, you are invited to develop your own projects and ideas through exchange and mutual support in this space. We highly encourage live attendance to make the most of this shared experience.
Designed for artists, curators, activists, and researchers, this course will provide you with a critical framework to ensure your work contributes meaningfully to the urgent conversations shaping our planet’s future.
You’ll learn how to:
- Apply strategies for creating art projects that have a tangible, positive effect on the environment.
- Critically understand key ecological debates and influential initiatives, including climate or nature-focused museum programmes, exhibitions, interdisciplinary collaborations, solidarity networks, and art collectives.
- Develop and refine your own project ideas through group discussion and feedback.
- Integrate evaluation strategies to assess your project’s potential to shift minds and its longevity.
About the Lecturer
Ela Spalding (Panama/United Kingdom, 1982) is an artist and facilitator who uses art to explore our connection with nature and with one another. She is the founder of Estudio Nuboso, a platform focused on art and ecology that addresses environmental issues in different cultural and ecological contexts in Panama and beyond.
She currently lives in Mallorca, Spain, where she works on projects about the relationship between nature and culture, including the podcast series Tejiendo Corredores / Weaving Corridors. Through her SUELO Methodology, she also shares practical tools to help people reconnect with the places they inhabit. Ela collaborates with museums, universities, cultural and scientific institutions, environmental NGOs, and individuals worldwide. She is also a member of GALA (Green Art Lab Alliance)
Image: USGS