More-than-Planet

The European project More-than-Planet researches with earth observations, satellite data, art, culture and philosophy how we can create new forms of knowledge, planetary imaginaries and narratives on how to envision our planet. This is very urgent, since 75 percent of the planet's land surface is experiencing measurable human pressure, and the way people imagine the planet substantially impacts the environment itself.

Even if earth observations are open source available, the raw data often remains inaccessible for the wider audience. How to interpret it, how to make it into a meaningful narrative? One that also takes into account the more-than-human life, public concerns, and climate justice?

Mission
The European project More-than-Planet finds an urgency to re-examine the way people understand and picture the environment on the level of the planet as a conceptual whole, together with partners Ars Electronica (AT), Northern Photographic Finland (FI), ART2M/Makery (FR), Leonardo/Olats (FR) and Zavod Projekt Atol (SI). In a collaboration with artists, critical thinkers, and various experts from cultural, environmental, and outer space institutions, the project will address a crisis of planetary imaginary. 

Vision
Artists and (artistic) researchers can contribute in a unique way to face the ecological and space challenges of the world. Oceans in Transformation from artistic research collective Territorial Agency serves as a striking example of a groundbreaking planetary narrative. It was created by bringing together scattered pieces of open source oceanic data from several research groups. Their art installation was able to make an abstract theme like sea level rising, visible and tangible for a wider audience.

Within More-than-Planet, Territorial Agency will research the so-called sensible zone the coastal line that will most likely be influenced by climate change. 

Goals
More-than-Planet aims fo facilitate collaborative, transdisciplinary research by conducting open calls, conferences, exhibitions and publications. Examples are the More-than-Planet expo at the Old Observatory Leiden (NL, until 23 December 2022), the collection of essays Space without Rockets (2022), and the More-than-Planet open call for residencies in Finland (2023).

One of its final outcomes will be a More-than-Planet Atlas, that will serve as a reference book for policy makers, the general public, artists and researchers.

History
In general, the project builds on decades of individual efforts by many artists, scientists, and cultural organisations who enabled artistic production in the context of outer space, with space technologies, or even in outer space itself. 

This project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.