MTF Aveiro 2022
50 experts from 22 countries joined in person and five global satellites joined online for a week of creative brainstorming and co-creation in response to grand challenges under the theme ‘Ecosystem Living’. The week resulted in 18 original new projects and culminated in a final collaborative performance.
“It was a really great experience! I met great people and excellent professionals from very different areas of science, technology and art, and we had the chance and time to share views and knowledge, and work together. I learned a lot!”
Prof. Luis Menezes Pinheiro
Ecosystem Living
Harmony, Alignment, Balance
Building on Another Green World in 2020 and Just Ocean in 2021, the MTF Labs Aveiro 2022 theme Ecosystem Living challenged MTF Labs participants to consider ways in which we cohabit in relation to our environment and other species.
This challenge moves beyond and away from the concept of urban planning because we reject ‘urban’ as a necessary (or even desirable) condition for human habitation.
Ecosystem Living transcends the idea of spatial planning, since the focus of spatial planning is limited to the physical space and not the complex interactions between cohabiting species
Nor is it ecosystem planning because we do not seek to impose order, encourage extractive practices or create the conditions for entirely anthropocentric habitation.
We consider human beings and their activities to be part of nature and not separate from it, and so true ecosystem living is about harmony, alignment and balance, and finding an entire value network within a holistic cohabitation. This balance must synthesise, and integrate artistic practice, scientific research, traditional craft professions and local cultural practices.
PEOPLE
Meet the MTF Labs experts. These are the brilliant artists, academics, scientists, inventors, industry professionals and creators gathered from 26 countries who attended and contributed to MTF Aveiro 2022: Ecosystem Living.
PROJECTS
A week of creative brainstorming and co-creation in response to grand challenges under the theme ‘Ecosystem Living’ resulted in 18 original new collaborative projects that were presented at the Saturday night showcase event, in addition to a final improvised performance by all participants.
EXCLUSIVES
The Labs featured high-level presentations from around the world, including the United States, Singapore, Bangladesh, Germany, New Zealand, and Britain as well as international artists and scientists from around the world live on stage in a blend of online video presentations and in-person exclusive VIP talks.
SATELLITES
Satellites from five countries participated in simultaneous labs connected to the Aveiro event by live stream and online collaborative brainstorming. Projects were submitted as video presentations and developed the themes explored during the Brainstorming sessions, such as food ecosystems and beyond-human ecosystem living.
PEOPLE
Meet the MTF Labs experts. These are the brilliant artists, academics, scientists, inventors, industry professionals and creators gathered from 26 countries who attended and contributed to MTF Aveiro 2022: Ecosystem Living.
PROJECTS
A week of creative brainstorming and co-creation in response to grand challenges under the theme ‘Ecosystem Living’ resulted in 18 original new collaborative projects that were presented at the Saturday night showcase event, in addition to a final improvised performance by all participants.
EXCLUSIVES
The Labs featured high-level presentations from around the world, including the United States, Singapore, Bangladesh, Germany, New Zealand, and Britain as well as international artists and scientists from around the world live on stage in a blend of online video presentations and in-person exclusive VIP talks.
SATELLITES
Satellites from five countries participated in simultaneous labs connected to the Aveiro event by live stream and online collaborative brainstorming. Projects were submitted as video presentations and developed the themes explored during the Brainstorming sessions, such as food ecosystems and beyond-human ecosystem living.
Situated Knowledge
Building on Place-Based Research
I was astonished by the accumulation of different backgrounds, mindsets, and personalities in one room. I was challenged to reframe my perceptions and expectations of the outcomes produced in one week.
- Deborah Habermacher
The ecosystem of people was amazing. I felt enabled and playful the whole time around even when sleep deprived - that says a lot!
- Tuuli Utriainen
Honored and grateful for being part of the MTF family. It gives me lots of meaning, happiness, goals, and friends.
- Eyal Weisz
An amazing experience with very smart people. Great to see how everything came together at the end.
- David Muhr
I loved everything about this event. The talks were inspiring and people were happy to talk about anything.
- Pavlo Apisov
Incredible and heartwarming as ever! Waves of creativity have rejuvenated us! Very well organised
- Alexandra Antonopoulou
Great to meet so many different people from such different backgrounds and exchange ideias not only for the projects done during the event but also for future work.
- Xavier Marques
Challenging, life-changing, month-in-a-week’s worth of inspirational development.
- Tim Canfer
MTF Labs provide a ‘safe’ space wherein concepts can be deeply explored by the plenary. New understanding can only be achieved when you are prepared to ask the ‘stupid’ question, the one where you find you misunderstood something, and can only happen in a forum where you can do so in complete confidence that you will not be censured. MTF Labs provide that space, it is your special sauce.
- Peter Keen
It felt like a safe and energised space for airing insights, demonstrating possibilities and experimenting with truly ground-breaking solutions for both creative communications and real-world design.
- Ravi Kapur
It was for me a true experience of a process of emergence. Each participant had the possibility to express his/her potential in a very organic manner. All the conditions were there for creative exploration with great insights and analysis of the current state of society and its underpinning modalities of operations.
- Romain Muller
I loved it. It was mind-blowing to have the opportunity to collaborate with such a diverse mix of talented and extremely nice people. The talks, the activities, and the environment were thought-provoking. I was inspired by the talent and moved by the performances.
- JP Carrascal
The group was amazing, a balanced group of different fields who did even more interactive projects, with great conversations, ideas and hands on.
- Francisca Siza
The MTF Lab was not only successful, but it also lifted the very format of a lab/workshop to a unique level of both personal and structural innovation. With injections from the highest level experts in so many fields, paralleled with a process of co-creation the MTF Labs Aveiro 2022 has achieved results that will continue to grow for years to come.
- Jan Åman
Getting to know & learning from brilliant minds with very varied areas of expertise, in an environment where everyone was looking towards common ground, openly and constructively sharing their interpretations of each other’s ideas and growing these ideas collectively.
- Unknown
I think you have created a beautiful setting for people to listen and explore ideas together.
- Jan Bunge
It was an eye opening event in which I could learn different perspectives from other people.
- Jung In Jung
Superbly curated event, managing to combine the best of what the MTF community had to offer with the specialisms of Aveiro’s creative practitioners and highlighting the scale of the city’s tech integration and commitment to culture. Wonderful week!
- Anthony Cowie
The most creatively challenging and inspiring week I have ever participated in. A life affirming week which I feel privileged to have attended.
- Geraint Rhys Whittaker
Manifesto For Ecosystem Living
New European Bauhaus Conference DAY @MTF Labs 2022
The launch of the Manifesto for Ecosystem Living with Michela Magas, Jan Åman, Jan Bunge and Marco Zappalorto.
“Since MTF Labs in 2021, several results have travelled the world. One is the documentary produced about local communities and culture in Aveiro facing climate change.”
- Michela Magas
In the multiple award-winning documentary Wetlands MTF Labs Director Andrew Dubber discovers the culture of Aveiro, a city under imminent threat of ocean rise due to climate change and undergoing the loss of cultural heritage and traditional industries.
MTF Aveiro Experts
Meet the MTF Labs experts, artists, inventors, creators and students who contributed to MTF Aveiro.
