LIVING LAB FESTIVAL 2025

The International Art and Science Program (IASP) invites artists, curators, researchers, and the public to explore new creative practices and ecosystems along the Mediterranean coast through an innovative ecological art and science festival.

The goal of the program is to create a dynamic creative community that fosters dialogue about nature, culture, and contemporary art while promoting environmental protection and the preservation of biodiversity.

Participants will develop projects that emphasize solidarity and collective efforts aimed at restoring life and creating alternative realities, which illustrates harmony with nature.

Festival Framework

The two-day, research-driven festival will take place in a coastal nature park, specifically in the natural area of the Blue Trail of Belcaire, located between the dunes and the sea in the southern part of Moncofa. This unique coastal space was awarded the ADEAC-FEE designation as a European Blue Trail in 2017 for its ecological value and the quality of its crystal-clear waters. The final month-long exhibition will be held in the historic center of Valencia at the Claustro (UCV Valencia). Participation in this art program allows you to join the creative process, engage in art and music performances, participate in discussions with scientists and artists, and enjoy the experience of beach camping and local cuisine.

Key offerings of the program include a series of meetings and workshops aimed at mastering practices that not only deepen knowledge, create networking opportunities, and develop artistic skills but also forge connections with concepts of coexistence, organic evolution, and the fragility of ecosystems.

These offerings include:

Science: Exploring marine and terrestrial biodiversity, as well as the physical and symbolic characteristics of the marine element in collaboration with experts.

Art: Experimenting artistic techniques in collaboration with artists, including the creation of works with natural elements (printmaking), sunlight and seawater (photograms and luminograms). Participation in creating living sculptures that evolve and transform through the use of virtual reality (VR).

Craft: Mastering ancient applied arts that interact with natural materials (ceramics and carving). 

This experience inspires creativity and deep reflection on nature, its creative power, and the mutual influence between human intervention and the environment

The Program

September 3 – Gathering and DJ Set (Opening Event)
Location: La Mina, Valencia
An opening gathering and DJ set to kick off the program and welcome participants

September 6 and 7 - Two-Day Festival (Main Event)
Location: Senda Azul in the Belcaire Coastal Natural Park, Moncofa, Spain

• September 6 – Science & Nature Day

  • Meetings with scientists

  • Exploration of the natural landscape and its biodiversity

• September 7 – Workshops and collaborative artistic creation with artists.
  Techniques include analog photography, printmaking (engraving), sunlight and seawater (photograms and luminograms), virtual reality, and exploring the potential of algae at the intersection of nature, technology, and textile art, as well as stone carving workshops.

Final Night – Sunset Gathering on the Beach
An exclusive evening for participants, artists, scientists, and art professionals.
Includes an ephemeral beach dinner, a guest acoustic performance, and a DJ set to close the festival.

September 11 – Exhibition Opening
Location: Claustro Hall, Catholic University of Valencia (UCV)
A public exhibition showcasing the outcomes of the festival’s collaborative creations.

Living Lab Festival 2025

Art, Science and Ecology in Dialogue on the Mediterranean Coast

Dates: 6–7 September (festival) and 11 September – 5 October 2025 (exhibition)
Locations: Senda Azul, Belcaire Coastal Natural Park (festival) and Cloister of the Catholic University of Valencia, San Carlos campus (exhibition)

The Living Lab Festival 2025, part of the International Art and Science Programme (IASP), is consolidating its position as a key meeting point for artists, scientists and the general public. With a transdisciplinary approach, the festival offers a deep immersion into the intersections between contemporary art, science and ecology through sustainable and innovative practices.

Two-Phase Programme

The programme unfolds in two complementary stages:

• 6–7 September: Artistic activities and gatherings along the Senda Azul path of the Belcaire Coastal Natural Park, including site-specific interventions, performances and interdisciplinary dialogues within this exceptional natural environment.
  

• 11 September – 5 October: A group exhibition at the Cloister of the Catholic University of Valencia, San Carlos campus, showcasing the works developed during the festival alongside new proposals that expand the dialogue between art, science and sustainability.

Objectives and Philosophy

The main objective is to foster an active community exploring the connection between nature, culture and artistic creation, highlighting the importance of environmental care and biodiversity conservation. Conceived as a living laboratory, the festival brings together artistic experimentation and scientific research to generate new ways of understanding and relating to our environment.

Specific Locations

The festival takes place along the Senda Azul in the Belcaire Coastal Natural Park, a protected natural area that offers an exceptional setting for artistic experimentation and scientific inquiry. This Mediterranean coastal environment allows for direct exploration of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems that inspire the artistic proposals.
The exhibition will then move to the Cloister of the Catholic University of Valencia, San Carlos campus, establishing a compelling dialogue between the natural environment in which the works were conceived and the academic and historical setting in which they will be presented to the public.

Participating Artists 2025

International and local artists will take part, presenting proposals that explore the fusion of art and science from ecological perspectives:

• Alessandra Carosi (Italy/Paris): Works with seawater on photosensitive paper to create photograms that evoke emotional and alchemical landscapes, exploring water as a feminine and transformative entity. Her artistic practice investigates natural processes as generators of image and meaning.

• Manel Bafaluy (Valencia): Combines digital sculpture and virtual reality to generate a real-time living sculpture on the beach. His work reflects on the organic evolution of living beings and their relationship with technology, creating bridges between the natural and the digital.

• Alexandra Knie (Germany/Valencia): Investigates the artistic and ecological potential of algae in her project Intervened Algae, merging textile techniques with marine materials to create hybrid forms between the natural and the synthetic, challenging the boundaries between art, design and biotechnology.

• Hugo Dezellus (France): Artisan and biologist who transforms a traditional agricultural space into a natural reserve through bioremediation techniques, wild foraging and stone sculpture, connecting art, ecology and ancestral knowledge in an integrated practice.

Programme of Activities

The Living Lab Festival 2025 invites artists, researchers and the general public to participate in this collective experience that links the natural environment of the Senda Azul with the academic space of the university cloister. The programme includes specialised workshops, interpretive walks, expert talks and participatory activities in the natural park, followed by the exhibition in the cloister. These activities aim to deepen understanding of the environment and rethink our relationship with nature.
The activities are designed for different ages and levels of knowledge, ensuring accessibility for a broad and diverse audience.

Organisation and Collaborations

Curator and Programme Director: Elena Posokhova

Elena is a contemporary art curator and project manager based in Paris, specialising in cultural relations and the natural environment of the Mediterranean region. Her work focuses on the creative process through collaborative projects with artists, scientists and the public. She aims to create spaces for co-creation and the development of new works, while analysing the factors that influence creativity.

Organised by:
Art Made Association
IMEDMAR – UCV: Environmental and Marine Science Research Institute, Catholic University of Valencia (UCV)

With the support of:
Vice-Rectorate for Research at UCV, member of EU-CONEXUS – European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability

In collaboration with:
Moncofa City Council

Contact and Information
For more information about the full programme, registration and specific activities, visit:
https://artmadeassociation.com/es

The Living Lab Festival 2025 is part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation within the Mediterranean cultural landscape, promoting new forms of collaboration between art, science and society.