About the project
Project “Art+Food+Next Generation” uses art and food as a medium for critical reflection on the ongoing environmental crises. The project aims to help the next generation to creatively address and deal with anxieties and uncertainties related to climate and geo-political unpredictability.
A series of online and onsite activities are created in close collaboration between the Rucka Art Foundation in Latvia and Vitenparken in Norway, targeting children and youth in Latvia between 10 and 18. The project brings together an international and interdisciplinary team from Latvia and Norway. The experts come from fields such as visual arts, performance, design, media arts, technology, bio-arts, environmental sciences, and gastronomy.
“Art+Food+Next Generation” enables children and youth to shape and co-create their own future through art and culture. The project takes a sustainable approach to food as an artistic material and product. The participants are directly involved as co-creators of the artistic events, art objects, and the final exhibition in Cesis.
Project manager in Latvia: Oskars Goba
Project manager in Norway: Zane Cerpina
Project curator: Stahl Stenslie
Project organizers
Rucka Art Foundation (Latvia)
Rucka Art Foundation was established in 2007 to attract public attention and tackle topical social and environmental issues through documentary film and photography projects. The foundation has carried out many audio-visual projects – documentaries about vulnerable groups and environmental issues, as well as exhibitions and books on socially relevant topics. In 2013 Rucka Artist Residency was established to serve as a meeting point for artists from various disciplines tackling social and environmental issues, focusing on social impact through public engagement and public and community art practices.
Vitenparken (Norway)
Vitenparken (Science Park) is a knowledge and experience center located on the premises of the Norwegian Life Science university in Ås, Norway. Vitenparken is a non-profit foundation whose main areas of activity include seminars, workshops, and hackathons about food production, and technology. Vitenparken also produces exhibitions, where themes within food, environment, and climate are staged and communicated. Vitenparken is the founder of NOBA – Norwegian BioArt Arena. BioArt is used as an umbrella term for a broad range of art forms that engage with biology, and scientific research. Bio-artists mix artistic processes and scientific methods, approaches and tools, and artworks are often created in between the field, the studio, and the laboratory.
Project financing
The project “Art+Food+Next Generation” (Nr. EEZ/2022/2/23) has been realized with the support of the European Economic Area (EEA) Grants Financial Mechanism funding period 2014. – 2021. program “Local Development, Poverty Reduction, and Cultural Cooperation” open call “Support for the Creation of Professional Art and Cultural Products for Children and Youth”.
The project’s realization period is from 1 October 2023 until 30 November 2023. The project’s total eligible costs are 164,958.33 EUR. The project receives a 140,214.58 EUR grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA Grants and a 24,743.75 EUR grant through national co-financing.
The EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and strengthening bilateral relations between the donor countries and fifteen EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics.
Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe!
For more information, please visit eeagrants.org.
