FishArt 

Participatory Art for environmental sustainability and aesthetic transformation of Anzio Fishermen’s Harbour

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[photo G.Lupinacci/Raw-News for SeaPaCS]

FishArt is a 10-month international project funded by the New European Bahahus Cross-KIC Connect 2024 written by and granted to Chiara Certoma’ (UniTo – now at UniRm1) and led by Laura Corazza (UniTo), in collaboration with Raw-News, Platoon and the fishermen cooperatives of Anzio (Rome, Italy). FishArt promotes a radically participatory art and education process supporting the requalification of the Fishermen’s Harbour in the coastal city of Anzio, Italy.

[photo G.Lupinacci/Raw-News for SeaPaCS]

It raises awareness and public acceptance of sustainable behaviours against marine and coastal pollution and promotes the synergic and co-creative transformation of a functional but degraded public space into a place for community life. Building upon the local ecosystem analysis, the wide social network and the results of the recent EU project “SeaPaCS”, FishArt envisages multistakeholder workshops with target groups (fishermen and artists cooperatives) and local stakeholders (administrations, students, associations, migrants, seagoing people, businesses and enterprises, scientists); multidisciplinary (social geography, oceanography, communication) and multi-sectorial (fisherman, artists, businesses) learning sessions; a Living Lab for co-design and realisation of artistic works and a final FishArt Event.

[photo G.Lupinacci/Raw-News for SeaPaCS]

FishArt aims to support and complement infrastructural requalification processes of the Fishermen’s Harbour in the coastal city of Anzio (50,000 in., 60 km South of Rome, Italy) undertaken by the Local Administration via the realisation of a marine litter collection area. The FishArt participatory aesthetic and cultural transformation of the area is intended to revitalise a public space, functional for the local economy and closely connected with coastal waters, from the current state of dumping and degradation.

[C.Certoma’, own graphic @GoogleMap]

The 1km-long Fishermen’s Harbour is located in the city centre and is used for the unloading of fishing boats and the retail sale of fish. Although it offers a wonderful walk about the sea, it is not frequented by citizens because of the marine and fishing wastes abandoned on the quay. By request of fishermen cooperatives, galvanised by the success of the EU project “SeaPaCS – Participatory Citizen Science against Marine Pollution” (led by UniTo in Anzio in 2023), FishArt intends to produce participatory cultural and art installations and performances in the Harbour. The cultural revival of the Harbour is intended as a trigger for collective engagement toward sustainability and a bulwark against abandonment.

The Fishermen’s Harbour is a crucial economic and social area, with many seagoing professionals and business people operating there, as local economy is highly dependent on the sea (fishing, commercial boating, and tourism). Nevertheless the disregard for public goods and space brought a progressive and severe degradation of the area, aggravated by the presence of corruption in the waste management sector. The project offers the opportunity to bootstrap local efforts for a revitalising marine and public culture and connect it at the international level. Moreover, coastal and functional public spaces are often neglected and at risk of vandalization and deterioration. This is particularly detrimental for both those people who frequent them on a daily basis for their work, such as seagoing professionals, and the citizens at large. Coastal and maritime public space, when derelict, are also characterised by visibile pollution which easily reverse into the sea further affecting the already compromised healt of our seas and the coastal water. To contrast this trend, target groups involved are innovatively experimenting with the dialogue between fishermen cooperatives and artists societies to fostering a sense of community, attachment and care for the sea and the local environment.

News on FishArt

FishArt Diary

May 2024: Remotely taking part in the EU NEB cohort session

Materials

Fish presentation for kick-off meeting

FishArt First Collaboratorium_presentation to citizens and stakeholders

FishArt First Collaboratorium Youtube video (Video F.Fornaro, G.Lupinacci, M.Dato)

FishArt gadgets:

Press release/Comunicati stampa

FishArt on Media

https://www.uniroma1.it/it/notizia/progetto-europeo-neb-fishart-arte-partecipativa-loceano-al-porto-di-anzio

FishArt, al via il progetto di Arte Partecipativa per l’Oceano al Porto di Anzio

Promoters and funders

With the endorsement of:

Contacts

• fisharteu@gmail.com

• Chiara Certomà (chiara.certoma@uniroma1.it; 3383858424)

• Federico Fornaro (federico.fornaro@raw-news.net)

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Trattamento dei dati personali durante il progetto FishArt soggetto alle previsioni dell’Università di Torino: https://www.unito.it/sites/default/files/informativa_privacy_trattamento_dati_personale_ta.pdf