
About the EkOtisak project
Through the EkOtisak project, the Center for the Promotion of Science continues its activities to combine science and art with a program dedicated to climate challenges and multidisciplinary research in this field. In cooperation with the Faculty of Philosophy and the Academy of Arts of the University of Novi Sad, as well as with the organization Zeleni Sad, the traditional art+science event will be realized in Novi Sad through the EkOtisak project, during July and August 2022. Based on the practice of scientific and artistic research and the active involvement of artists, researchers, civil society organizations and citizens, we examine the daily habits of citizens and assess the ways in which they are reflected on the carbon footprint, as a kind of trace that we all leaves on our planet.
The activities of the EkOtisak project are carried out continuously and in parallel for a period of one year, including the final segment within the "The Danube Sea" program during July and August 2022. One of the key activities of the project is the creation of a questionnaire aimed at raising awareness and educating citizens on the topic of sustainable living and environmental protection.
In the period from December 2021 to July 2022, a series of multidisciplinary educational workshops will be organized in order to exchange knowledge on the topic of everyone's carbon footprint in the context of global challenges. Through intensive dialogue and joint research of those involved, students of the Academy of Arts of the University of Novi Sad will develop unique artistic content that leads to awareness of the role that each of us has in the process of climate change. Emphasis will be placed on the very process of creating these transdisciplinary, collaborative works. Starting from the notion of the carbon footprint as a measure of human impact on the environment and climate in general, developed artistic content will localize the experience of climate change, (too) often seen as temporally and spatially abstract and distant phenomena.
As of April 2022, an educational-informative meeting point "Eko-punkt" will be set up in the Rectorate Building, where citizens will have the opportunity to learn more about the ecological and carbon footprint, and how as individuals they can contribute to environmental protection. Also, within this place, additional research and data collection will be performed through surveys of citizens.
In the final phase, several works by established domestic and international participants of the contemporary art&science scene, dedicated to different climate topics, will be exhibited, in order to compare experiences and approaches in different environments. Additional value to the program will be provided by the presentation of the climate capsule as a mobile and modular art-scientific and educational platform.
The EKotisak project is co-financed by the Foundation "Novi Sad 2022 – European Capital of Culture" within the program arc "The Danube Sea".
Activities
- Creating a questionnaire and conducting a survey that examines our daily habits and assesses the ways in which they are reflected on the carbon footprint, as a kind of trace that each of us leaves on the planet.
- In the period from December 2021 to July 2022, a series of multidisciplinary educational workshops will be organized in order to exchange knowledge on the topic of carbon footprint in the context of the global challenge.
- Educational-informative meeting point "Eko-punkt" is a spatial element placed in the physical space where the citizens of Novi Sad will have the opportunity to learn more about the ecological footprint, and how as individuals they can contribute to environmental protection.
- A series of artistic interventions by students of the Academy of Arts created through the EkOtisak project will bring the results of research and workshops closer to the citizens of Novi Sad and open the door to alternative and speculative views on the future and invite them to interact.
- During July and August 2022, in Novi Sad, several works by established domestic and international participants of the contemporary art&science scene will be exhibited, dedicated to different climate topics, in order to compare experiences and approaches in different environments.
- Setting up a climate capsule as a spatial platform for the presentation of various artistic, educational and scientific content developed through national and international cooperation.
Citizen science

The specificity of the EkOtisak project in relation to other art+science activities of the Center for the Promotion of Science is the introduction of the citizen science methodology in the development of transdisciplinary works created through the cooperation of scientists and artists. Through a series of educational and artistic activities, citizens will be invited to be actively involved in the process of scientific research and analysis of the impact of the carbon footprint on climate change. As one of the innovative ways to involve as many people as possible in finding solutions to the challenges posed by climate change, the concept of citizen science means that the public together with scientists addresses a problem through data collection and analysis, interpretation of results and actions, but also designed actions and the development of new technologies. Citizens will work directly with representatives of partner organizations and the scientific community, participate in data collection, reflective workshops and the development of artistic interventions.
Partners

Academy of Arts
University in Novi Sad
The Academy of Arts is a higher education institution dedicated to education, promotion of cultural and artistic activities, internationalization of the art scene, teaching and scientific staff and artists. The role of the Academy is, through the work of the Department of New Media Art, to contribute to the artistic shaping of the research work of project partners and thus bring the outcomes of the research work closer to visitors and citizens. By working on the design and production of artistic interventions in public spaces, the research material will be communicated in a different way. The created artistic contents will localize the problems and engage the citizens in an interactive way.

Faculty of Philosophy
University in Novi Sad
The Faculty of Philosophy is one of the two oldest faculties of the University of Novi Sad, which offers more than 45 accredited study programs at all three levels of study. It brings together the social sciences and humanities, educating future experts in philology, history, psychology, pedagogy, philosophy, sociology, social work, as well as future journalists and communication scientists. Within the project, the Center for Behavioral Genetics will be in charge of conducting a comprehensive research on the habits of citizens that affect the increase of greenhouse gas emissions. The research will be conducted according to the principles of civil scientific research.

Ecological Association
Zeleni Sad
Ecological Association Zeleni Sad, founded in 2013 in Novi Sad, is a non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit organization, which advocates for the protection and improvement of environmental quality, the concept of sustainable development, rehabilitation of endangered areas, as well as changing habits and raising awareness in terms of preservation of nature and cultural heritage, and promotion of healthy living. The role of Zeleni Sad in the project is based on research activities in cooperation with project partners, aimed at educating citizens about the importance and impact of climate change on the entire population, as well as the factors influencing climate change with a focus on the carbon footprint of the individual.
Support

Foundation "Novi Sad 2022 – European Capital of Culture"
The European Capital of Culture was established to emphasize the richness and diversity of European cultures. The most important goal of the project is to put culture at the very center of social development and to view culture as the key to the economic development of a society based on knowledge, innovation and creativity. Novi Sad is among the first cities outside the European Union to be declared the European Capital of Culture. The main idea of the program narrative "For New Bridges" aims to leave Novi Sad firm legacies that improve the cultural life of the city: new programs, new processes, engaged people, new spaces for culture.

TeRRIFICA project
The aim of the TeRRIFICA project (Territorial RRI fostering Innovative Climate Action) is to comprehensively integrate data, research and activities, in order to prepare a general overview of the state caused by climate change in mapped parts of Europe. A variety of approaches involving the widest range of citizens, local activists, researchers, decision-makers and other engaged individuals should provide comprehensive guidance for further combating climate change, adapting to changing circumstances and anticipating future developments.


Evropske platforme za medijsku umetnost (EMAP)
The European Media Art Platform (EMAP), initiated by the Werkleitz and co-funded by the Creative Europe programme in 2018, is a consortium of 15 leading European media art organisations specialising in Digital and Media Art, Bio Art and Robotic Art. EMAP acts as a marketplace for associated partners to select artists and works for their own festivals and exhibitions. In addition to production support for artists, EMAP provides an international platform to promote and disseminate the work of media artists.