Flow of Creativity and Sustainability

The Role of Art in Shaping a New Perspective and Fostering Ecological Awareness

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/2238-2046.2025.58977

Keywords:

Eco Showboat, ecological art, interdisciplinarity, landscape, community engagement

Abstract

This paper examines the Eco Showboat project, led by Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly in Ireland (2022-2023), which travelled along waterways to unite scientists, local artists, and communities around ecological and climate challenges. The study critically explores art’s role in fostering ecological awareness and community-based action. Using a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach, it shows how the project facilitated dialogue among artistic, scientific, and local perspectives. Findings reveal that this collaborative, participatory model goes beyond merely representing environmental issues, contributing to the definition of “ecological art” as a transformative and interventionist practice with tangible social and environmental impacts. Ultimately, the project illustrates ecological art as a living practice, reconnecting nature and culture and inspiring sustained, community-driven engagement with ecological challenges.

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Author Biographies

  • Maria Luiza Almeida Cunha de Castro, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

    Architect, Permanent Professor at the post-Graduate Program in Built Environment and Sustainable Heritage, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) ; Associate researcher at  the reserch unit AMP / ENSAPLV / MC France

  • Rosa De Marco, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris la Villette

    architect, professor of "City and Territories" (Geography and Landscape) Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris la Villette, France; co-director of the "Architecture, Environment, Landscape" research unit AMP/ ENSAPLV / MC. France

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Published

2025-09-13

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 34 (2025): maio/ago

Section

Articles - Open section

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Copyright (c) 2025 Maria Luiza Almeida Cunha de Castro, Rosa De Marco

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How to Cite

Flow of Creativity and Sustainability: The Role of Art in Shaping a New Perspective and Fostering Ecological Awareness. PÓS: Journal of the Arts Postgraduation Program at EBA/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, v. 15, n. 34, p. 287–314, 2025. DOI: 10.35699/2238-2046.2025.58977. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/revistapos/article/view/58977. Acesso em: 26 feb. 2026.

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