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Publication: Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook | Waterscape Imaginaries
«Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook»
Riikka Tauriainen & Marta Musso
«Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook»
Riikka Tauriainen & Marta Musso
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EN:
We are happy to share Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook, a publication emerging from the artistic-scientific research project Plankton Ecosystems. The workbook accompanies our ongoing research and documents fieldworks, workshops, and shared exercises developed through collaboration between the marine biologist Marta Musso and the visual artist Riikka Tauriainen.
Conceived as a living document, the workbook is not only a record of processes, but an open and adaptable format meant to be activated. It introduces artistic and community science exercises that invite readers to observe, sense, draw, map, and sample water bodies in their own contexts. Alongside documentation, it proposes ways of engaging with microorganisms that are central to aquatic ecosystems and climate regulation, yet largely invisible beyond scientific discourse.
The workbook brings together four Plankton Studio exercises, two field trips from mountain rivers to the Limfjord in Denmark, and a range of visual materials and research tools. It moves across scientific protocols and artistic practices, working with sampling methods, taxonomy tools, mapping, drawing, and cyanotype impressions made with sunlight and water.
Waterscapes is an invitation to think with plankton, to drift with water, and to explore ecological processes through both scientific and artistic lenses. The workbook is trilingual and works in English, Italian, and German, reflecting the multilingual nature of our collaboration.
Plankton Ecosystems is a programme by EcoArtLab at the Bern Academy of the Arts HKB in collaboration with Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne, ETH Zurich, European Research Institute, and Kunstmuseum St.Gallen, with the support of Pro Helvetia Synergies
Musso, Marta; Tauriainen, Riikka. "Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook" produced by EcoArtLab, Institute for Practices and Theories in the Arts (IPTK), Bern Academy of the Arts HKB, BFH, Bern, 2025.
DE:
Wir freuen uns Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook teilen zu dürfen. Eine Publikation, die aus dem künstlerisch-wissenschaftlichen Forschungsprojekt Plankton Ecosystemshervorgegangen ist. Das Arbeitsbuch begleitet unsere laufenden Forschungen und dokumentiert Feldforschung, Workshops und gemeinsame Übungen, die in Zusammenarbeit zwischen der Meeresbiologin Marta Musso und der bildenden Künstlerin Riikka Tauriainen entwickelt wurden.
Das Arbeitsbuch ist als lebendiges Dokument konzipiert und dient nicht nur der Dokumentation von Prozessen, sondern ist ein offenes und anpassungsfähiges Format, das zum Mitmachen einlädt. Es stellt künstlerische und Community Science Übungen vor, die Leser*innen dazu anregen, Gewässer in ihrem eigenen Umfeld zu beobachten, zu ertasten, zu zeichnen, zu kartieren und zu beproben. Neben der Dokumentation zeigt es Möglichkeiten auf, sich mit Mikroorganismen auseinanderzusetzen, die für aquatische Ökosysteme und die Klimaregulierung von zentraler Bedeutung sind, aber ausserhalb des wissenschaftlichen Diskurses weitgehend unsichtbar bleiben.
Das Arbeitsbuch vereint vier Übungen aus dem Plankton Studio, zwei Exkursionen von Gebirgsflüssen zum Limfjord in Dänemark sowie eine Reihe von Bildmaterialien und Forschungswerkzeugen. Es bewegt sich zwischen wissenschaftlichen Protokollen und künstlerischen Praktiken und arbeitet mit Probenahmemethoden, taxonomischen Instrumenten, Kartierung, Zeichnen und Cyanotypie-Abdrücken, die mit Sonnenlicht und Wasser hergestellt werden.
Waterscapes ist eine Einladung, mit Plankton zu denken, sich mit dem Wasser treiben zu lassen und ökologische Prozesse sowohl aus wissenschaftlicher als auch aus künstlerischer Perspektive zu erkunden. Das Arbeitsbuch ist dreisprachig und erscheint in Englisch, Italienisch und Deutsch, was den mehrsprachigen Charakter unserer Zusammenarbeit widerspiegelt.
Plankton Ecosystems ist ein Programm von EcoArtLab an der Hochschule der Künste Bern HKB in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne, der ETH Zürich, dem European Research Institute und dem Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, mit Unterstützung von Pro Helvetia Synergies
We are happy to share Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook, a publication emerging from the artistic-scientific research project Plankton Ecosystems. The workbook accompanies our ongoing research and documents fieldworks, workshops, and shared exercises developed through collaboration between the marine biologist Marta Musso and the visual artist Riikka Tauriainen.
Conceived as a living document, the workbook is not only a record of processes, but an open and adaptable format meant to be activated. It introduces artistic and community science exercises that invite readers to observe, sense, draw, map, and sample water bodies in their own contexts. Alongside documentation, it proposes ways of engaging with microorganisms that are central to aquatic ecosystems and climate regulation, yet largely invisible beyond scientific discourse.
The workbook brings together four Plankton Studio exercises, two field trips from mountain rivers to the Limfjord in Denmark, and a range of visual materials and research tools. It moves across scientific protocols and artistic practices, working with sampling methods, taxonomy tools, mapping, drawing, and cyanotype impressions made with sunlight and water.
Waterscapes is an invitation to think with plankton, to drift with water, and to explore ecological processes through both scientific and artistic lenses. The workbook is trilingual and works in English, Italian, and German, reflecting the multilingual nature of our collaboration.
Plankton Ecosystems is a programme by EcoArtLab at the Bern Academy of the Arts HKB in collaboration with Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne, ETH Zurich, European Research Institute, and Kunstmuseum St.Gallen, with the support of Pro Helvetia Synergies
Musso, Marta; Tauriainen, Riikka. "Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook" produced by EcoArtLab, Institute for Practices and Theories in the Arts (IPTK), Bern Academy of the Arts HKB, BFH, Bern, 2025.
DE:
Wir freuen uns Waterscapes: An Art-Science Workbook teilen zu dürfen. Eine Publikation, die aus dem künstlerisch-wissenschaftlichen Forschungsprojekt Plankton Ecosystemshervorgegangen ist. Das Arbeitsbuch begleitet unsere laufenden Forschungen und dokumentiert Feldforschung, Workshops und gemeinsame Übungen, die in Zusammenarbeit zwischen der Meeresbiologin Marta Musso und der bildenden Künstlerin Riikka Tauriainen entwickelt wurden.
Das Arbeitsbuch ist als lebendiges Dokument konzipiert und dient nicht nur der Dokumentation von Prozessen, sondern ist ein offenes und anpassungsfähiges Format, das zum Mitmachen einlädt. Es stellt künstlerische und Community Science Übungen vor, die Leser*innen dazu anregen, Gewässer in ihrem eigenen Umfeld zu beobachten, zu ertasten, zu zeichnen, zu kartieren und zu beproben. Neben der Dokumentation zeigt es Möglichkeiten auf, sich mit Mikroorganismen auseinanderzusetzen, die für aquatische Ökosysteme und die Klimaregulierung von zentraler Bedeutung sind, aber ausserhalb des wissenschaftlichen Diskurses weitgehend unsichtbar bleiben.
Das Arbeitsbuch vereint vier Übungen aus dem Plankton Studio, zwei Exkursionen von Gebirgsflüssen zum Limfjord in Dänemark sowie eine Reihe von Bildmaterialien und Forschungswerkzeugen. Es bewegt sich zwischen wissenschaftlichen Protokollen und künstlerischen Praktiken und arbeitet mit Probenahmemethoden, taxonomischen Instrumenten, Kartierung, Zeichnen und Cyanotypie-Abdrücken, die mit Sonnenlicht und Wasser hergestellt werden.
Waterscapes ist eine Einladung, mit Plankton zu denken, sich mit dem Wasser treiben zu lassen und ökologische Prozesse sowohl aus wissenschaftlicher als auch aus künstlerischer Perspektive zu erkunden. Das Arbeitsbuch ist dreisprachig und erscheint in Englisch, Italienisch und Deutsch, was den mehrsprachigen Charakter unserer Zusammenarbeit widerspiegelt.
Plankton Ecosystems ist ein Programm von EcoArtLab an der Hochschule der Künste Bern HKB in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne, der ETH Zürich, dem European Research Institute und dem Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, mit Unterstützung von Pro Helvetia Synergies
Nomination: Creative Climate Changemaker Switzerland 2026 | Riikka Tauriainen
Creative Climate Changemaker Switzerland 2026
Congratulations to our EcoArtLab Researcher Riikka Tauriainen for the nomination as a Creative Climate Changemaker Switzerland 2026!
What is Creative Climate Changemakers?
Previously named Creative Climate Leadership, CCC is a transformational residential programme for creative changemakers committed to taking action on the climate crisis through the arts and culture. Acknowledging the urgent need for renewal, our approach is rooted in reciprocity and care, creating an immersive experience where participants can learn and unlearn together, develop new creative approaches, strengthen communities of practice, and reimagine what leadership looks like in driving meaningful climate action through arts and culture.
CCC will be held at Mattli Antoniushaus in Morschach, Switzerland in 2026. This year’s candidates work in areas as varied as critical theory, architecture and visual art.
Creative Climate Changemaker Switzerland 2026
Congratulations to our EcoArtLab Researcher Riikka Tauriainen for the nomination as a Creative Climate Changemaker Switzerland 2026!
What is Creative Climate Changemakers?
Previously named Creative Climate Leadership, CCC is a transformational residential programme for creative changemakers committed to taking action on the climate crisis through the arts and culture. Acknowledging the urgent need for renewal, our approach is rooted in reciprocity and care, creating an immersive experience where participants can learn and unlearn together, develop new creative approaches, strengthen communities of practice, and reimagine what leadership looks like in driving meaningful climate action through arts and culture.
CCC will be held at Mattli Antoniushaus in Morschach, Switzerland in 2026. This year’s candidates work in areas as varied as critical theory, architecture and visual art.
Public Lecture: Interdisciplinarity a process of negotiated imagination? | Center for Applied Ecological Thinking (University of Copenhagen)
«Interdisciplinarity a process of negotiated imagination?»
Our EcoArtLab Researcher Johanna Paschen co-organised an exiting lecture on why the humanities matter for climate research, that was taking place at the Center for Applied Ecological Thinking (University of Copenhagen).
This talk addressed the limitations of siloed expertise and science-technocratic solutions that lack critical, reflexive, and cultural grounding.
The talk also asked whether and how interdisciplinarity can be more than a buzzword. Because what does interdisciplinarity really mean? Can it be something that serves as a meaningful mode of shared inquiry? A way of working that values epistemic justice and embraces productive friction tensions not only between the humanities and natural sciences, but also among social sciences and the arts?
The talk with professor Marianne Achiam, Science Communication at the Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, was followed by a conversation with artistic postdoc EVA la Cour and visiting PhD Johanna Paschen about shifting interdisciplinary terrains and how artists, scientists, and citizens can collaborate to shape more just forms and cultures of knowledge.
«Interdisciplinarity a process of negotiated imagination?»
Our EcoArtLab Researcher Johanna Paschen co-organised an exiting lecture on why the humanities matter for climate research, that was taking place at the Center for Applied Ecological Thinking (University of Copenhagen).
This talk addressed the limitations of siloed expertise and science-technocratic solutions that lack critical, reflexive, and cultural grounding.
The talk also asked whether and how interdisciplinarity can be more than a buzzword. Because what does interdisciplinarity really mean? Can it be something that serves as a meaningful mode of shared inquiry? A way of working that values epistemic justice and embraces productive friction tensions not only between the humanities and natural sciences, but also among social sciences and the arts?
The talk with professor Marianne Achiam, Science Communication at the Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, was followed by a conversation with artistic postdoc EVA la Cour and visiting PhD Johanna Paschen about shifting interdisciplinary terrains and how artists, scientists, and citizens can collaborate to shape more just forms and cultures of knowledge.
Public Event | Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB)
«Public Event»
Public Program & Workbook Launch
Saturday 29 November 2025; 14:00 – 19:30
Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB)
Public Workshop (EN/DE/FR)
14:00 – 16:00
“Plankton Studio: Observing the Unseen”
With Riikka Tauriainen & Marta Musso
This transdisciplinary workshop invites participants to explore plankton through artistic and scientific lenses. Led by visual artist Riikka Tauriainen and marine biologist Marta Musso, the workshop offers hands-on activities and reflections on microbial aquatic life, ocean literacy, and ecological entanglement. Families and anyone interested in plankton and art–science dialogue are warmly welcome.
Registration: until 24 November via this LINK
Where: Library, 1st floor
Costs: Free of charge
Access:Recommended for families with children aged 6 and over. Held in spoken English with optional translation to basic German. Wheelchair-accessible space with adjustable lighting. During the workshop, we will engage in visual activities using microscopes and drawing materials, and reflect on ecological issues. We hope to facilitate interactive exchange formats. Most of the work will be done at tables.
Public program with Study Group on Relational Ecologies (EN)
16:00 – 17:30 (Foyer)
“Taste library- eat the city!”
With Seraina Grupp
This edible installation invites you to map the city through taste. Artist Seraina Grupp shares the story of her hometown, from her childhood garden to today’s pavement gaps. Collectively, we will explore recipes, memories, and tastes of Biel, guided by research into stories and taste profiles that silently disappear in a mega-industrial food system.
17:30 – 19:30 (Screening at Filmpodium Biel/Bienne)
please note that the space is not accessible with wheelchairs
“On Extraction, Relations and Care:
Knowledge Production in Artistic–Scientific Processes”
With Andrea Bordoli, Celestina Widmer, Jinat Hossain, Marta Musso, Nicolle Bussien and Riikka Tauriainen
This afternoon, the Study Group on Relational Ecologies will present a screening of four short films, followed by a collective discussion. The programme will reflect on how different approaches to knowledge production influence artistic-scientific work and explore practices of care, collaboration and shared methodologies.
The Study Group emerged from an interest in relational ecologies and the need for sustained, intimate formats of exchange, offering a space where research is shaped through mutual learning and imagination. The group brings together researchers and practitioners focusing on visual anthropology, feminist political ecology, ecofeminist activism, marine science and art.
A workbook developed within a collaborative project on 'Plankton Ecosystems' will also be launched at the event. This documents artistic-scientific processes and invites further engagement.
«Public Event»
Public Program & Workbook Launch
Saturday 29 November 2025; 14:00 – 19:30
Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB)
Public Workshop (EN/DE/FR)
14:00 – 16:00
“Plankton Studio: Observing the Unseen”
With Riikka Tauriainen & Marta Musso
This transdisciplinary workshop invites participants to explore plankton through artistic and scientific lenses. Led by visual artist Riikka Tauriainen and marine biologist Marta Musso, the workshop offers hands-on activities and reflections on microbial aquatic life, ocean literacy, and ecological entanglement. Families and anyone interested in plankton and art–science dialogue are warmly welcome.
Registration: until 24 November via this LINK
Where: Library, 1st floor
Costs: Free of charge
Access:Recommended for families with children aged 6 and over. Held in spoken English with optional translation to basic German. Wheelchair-accessible space with adjustable lighting. During the workshop, we will engage in visual activities using microscopes and drawing materials, and reflect on ecological issues. We hope to facilitate interactive exchange formats. Most of the work will be done at tables.
Public program with Study Group on Relational Ecologies (EN)
16:00 – 17:30 (Foyer)
“Taste library- eat the city!”
With Seraina Grupp
This edible installation invites you to map the city through taste. Artist Seraina Grupp shares the story of her hometown, from her childhood garden to today’s pavement gaps. Collectively, we will explore recipes, memories, and tastes of Biel, guided by research into stories and taste profiles that silently disappear in a mega-industrial food system.
17:30 – 19:30 (Screening at Filmpodium Biel/Bienne)
please note that the space is not accessible with wheelchairs
“On Extraction, Relations and Care:
Knowledge Production in Artistic–Scientific Processes”
With Andrea Bordoli, Celestina Widmer, Jinat Hossain, Marta Musso, Nicolle Bussien and Riikka Tauriainen
This afternoon, the Study Group on Relational Ecologies will present a screening of four short films, followed by a collective discussion. The programme will reflect on how different approaches to knowledge production influence artistic-scientific work and explore practices of care, collaboration and shared methodologies.
The Study Group emerged from an interest in relational ecologies and the need for sustained, intimate formats of exchange, offering a space where research is shaped through mutual learning and imagination. The group brings together researchers and practitioners focusing on visual anthropology, feminist political ecology, ecofeminist activism, marine science and art.
A workbook developed within a collaborative project on 'Plankton Ecosystems' will also be launched at the event. This documents artistic-scientific processes and invites further engagement.
Exhibition, Vernissage, Public Event | Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB)
«Waterscape Imaginaries»
Vernissage: TH 16 October, 5.30 pm
Exhibition: 17.10. – 7.12.2025
Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB)
Public Program & Workbook Launch: Saturday 29 November 2025
The exhibition „Waterscape Imaginaries“ explores microbial aquatic life through the lens of an art–science collaboration between visual artist Riikka Tauriainen and marine biologist Marta Musso. In dialogue with the Plankton Ecosystems project and selected works from the Glicksman Collection of environmental art from the 1970s, the exhibition traces connections between past and present visions of ecological art.
The show brings together videos, soundscapes, drawings and mappings, collected from field trips between the Alps, the rivers and the Sea, alongside blueprints of the historical artworks such as the Survival Pieces and Portable Fish Farm. These resonances invite reflection on the shifting imaginaries of water, relationality, and ecological entanglement.
The exhibition is organised by EcoArtLab, HKB (BFH), in collaboration with Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB), ETH Zurich, European Research Institute and Kunstmuseum St.Gallen. With the support of Studies in the Arts (SINTA) and Pro Helvetia Synergies.
«Waterscape Imaginaries»
Vernissage: TH 16 October, 5.30 pm
Exhibition: 17.10. – 7.12.2025
Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB)
Public Program & Workbook Launch: Saturday 29 November 2025
The exhibition „Waterscape Imaginaries“ explores microbial aquatic life through the lens of an art–science collaboration between visual artist Riikka Tauriainen and marine biologist Marta Musso. In dialogue with the Plankton Ecosystems project and selected works from the Glicksman Collection of environmental art from the 1970s, the exhibition traces connections between past and present visions of ecological art.
The show brings together videos, soundscapes, drawings and mappings, collected from field trips between the Alps, the rivers and the Sea, alongside blueprints of the historical artworks such as the Survival Pieces and Portable Fish Farm. These resonances invite reflection on the shifting imaginaries of water, relationality, and ecological entanglement.
The exhibition is organised by EcoArtLab, HKB (BFH), in collaboration with Kunsthaus Biel Centre d’art Bienne (KBCB), ETH Zurich, European Research Institute and Kunstmuseum St.Gallen. With the support of Studies in the Arts (SINTA) and Pro Helvetia Synergies.
