Climate Histories Art Interventions Project

We are searching for 6 artists to create art interventions to coincide with the international 2025 European Society for Environmental History Climate Histories Conference to be held in Uppsala August 18th – 22nd, 2025. The conference is an environmental history and interdisciplinary conference centered around the Climate Histories theme – exploring the experiences and histories of living with climatic change. Presenters and attendees from across Europe (and some from across the globe) will congregate in Uppsala this summer to engage with this theme. In addition to traditional papers and panels, the conference has many unique workshops and sessions that are participatory and bridge the divide between art and research.

The art interventions we are seeking to commission should be on this theme, and they will be exhibited/activated during the week of the conference. The Climate Histories Art Interventions Project is a concurrent event to the Climate Histories Conference, and the aim is to open up the discussion of how climate change is experienced to the public, mainly in the afternoons and evenings after the conference sessions. The art interventions, as well as several linked activities, will be free and open to the general public. The commissioned artworks will also be exhibited virtually after the conference via a website we are creating.

More information about the conference can be found here: https://eseh2025.com/

Eligibility

Applicants should be practicing artists.
There is no requirement for country of residency, however, arranging and funding travel to and lodging in Uppsala are the responsibility of the artists.
It is possible to apply as a team or group, however only one fee of 15,000 SEK can be awarded for each selected intervention, regardless of the number of collaborators.
The art interventions can be in any medium including (but not limited to) performance, public participatory projects, or film.
The art interventions should ideally be new works created specifically for this event, however, in some cases (such as films) works that have already been completed will be considered as well.

Selection Criteria

Preference will be given to applications that: 

• Clearly respond to the Climate Histories theme
• Have potential to engage the public in a meaningful way
• Suggest original, thoughtful, and informed approaches for addressing the theme
• Demonstrate a high level of artistic ability through a portfolio and past professional experience

Fees and Expectations

Six artists will be selected to each contribute one intervention, and they each will be awarded a fee of 15,000 SEK. No additional funding will be provided for travel, accommodation, or other expenses. Artists are expected to be on-site in Uppsala during the Art Interventions events and exhibition, the week of August 18th – 22nd, 2025. Exact times for the events during this week are to be determined, but tentatively they are scheduled to be during August 19th – 21st. Selected artists will also be offered free tickets to attend the conference, which includes an invitation to the conference dinner, daily lunches, and daily fika. Attendance at the daily conference sessions is completely optional, while presence during the art intervention events is compulsory.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying, please send the following 3 PDF files by April 30th to: art@eseh2025.com

• A 2 page project description of your proposed art intervention including what the medium is, how it engages with the conference theme, what the anticipated impact of the intervention is, and what your requirements for space/exhibiting might be (PDF format)
• A CV (PDF format)
• A PDF portfolio of past work with a maximum of 5 A4 pages (which should also include a link to an artists’ website, if possible). When necessary the portfolio PDF can also direct to online links and files (ie – Vimeo or Youtube videos, Dropbox or Google Drive files, etc).

Please make sure to include your name, email address, website, and phone number with your application.
Please do not attach any videos, images, or other file types with your application.
Feel free to also direct any questions to the application email address above.

Selection Committee

The committee to select artists for the Climate Histories Art Interventions will be:

• Julia Lohmann, Artist. Associate Professor of Design at Aalto University
• Signe Johannessen, Artist. MA, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Norway
• Rebecka Wigh Abrahamsson, Curator of Contemporary Art Exhibitions at Uppsala Art Museum
• Anneli Ekblom, Professor of Archaeology at Uppsala University and Conference Coordinator for the ESEH 2025 Climate Histories Conference
• Nicole Miller, Artist and Environmental Historian. Research Assistant at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Project Assistant for the ESEH 2025 Climate Histories Conference and Art Interventions
• Hampus Thörnqvist, Student Representative from Uppsala University’s Global Environmental History MA Program

Funding for the Climate Histories Art Interventions Project has been generously granted by Nordic Culture Fund and Future Earth.

Decisions are expected to be made by late May.
All applicants will be notified when decisions are made. 

The last application date is April 30th, 2025.