The PartArt4ow project recently made a significant impact at the "Living the Sea: Coastal Lives, Knowledge and Collaborations" event, held in Lisbon and Trafaria, Portugal, from June 30th to July 1st, 2025. Hosted by the EBANO Collective and MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre at NOVA University Lisbon – SST, and organized by OLO-Ocean Literacy Observatory, this transdisciplinary gathering provided a vital platform for PartArt4ow to showcase its innovative approach to connecting society with our oceans and waters.
The CO>SEA team, a research group active at the MEMOTEF Department of Sapienza University of Rome and integral to PartArt4ow, was at the forefront of the event. On June 30th, at NOVA/FCT University (Campus Caparica), the team presented the European Project "PartArt4OW" during the "Living the Sea" workshop. This workshop, organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ project AYE – Action-research with Youth in Europe, fostered a rich dialogue on the intricate relationships between coastal communities and the ocean. It critically examined the epistemological, methodological, and representational challenges inherent in collaborative research that seamlessly integrates scientific inquiry, artistic expression, and invaluable local knowledge.
A highlight of PartArt4ow's engagement was the presentation of the new short documentary, "The Sense of Place: Documenting Ocean Relationship." Realized in collaboration with the documentary production agency Raw-News, and directed by Federico Fornaro with cinematography by Fornaro and Giuseppe Lupinacci, this film was shot in the waters of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. Building on the theoretical framework of CO>SEA's previous video-reportage "Blue Kinship," "The Sense of Place" serves as an experimental application of Marine Social Geography, demonstrating how visual storytelling can profoundly deepen our emotional attachment to the ocean. It powerfully exemplifies how seamless collaboration between researchers and media professionals can catalyze engaged, transformative, and participatory research on the ocean.
Beyond the formal presentations, the CO>SEA team dedicated July 1st to hands-on participatory field-research and documentation within the vibrant harbour community of Trafaria. Engaging directly with citizens and seagoing individuals in areas like 2° Torrao, Costa do Vapor, and Costa de Caparica, the team aimed to challenge conventional geopolitical interpretations of marine territorialization—often limited to exploitation and ownership. Instead, the exploration sought to illuminate the nuanced and complex relationships maritime communities forge with the sea. These relationships are woven through shared imaginaries, narratives, symbols, languages, daily practices, and deep affective bonds between human and non-human beings.
Through these discussions with local communities, the CO>SEA team, in collaboration with EBANO Collective and MARE, actively explored how these intertwining elements contribute to generating an "oceanic sense of place." This concept describes a unique form of belonging and knowledge that evolves from the daily, lived experience with the ocean—a fluid, moving, and seemingly elusive environment.
PartArt4ow's active participation in "Living the Sea" underscores our commitment to fostering genuine societal engagement with ocean and water sustainability. By integrating art, science, and community knowledge, we continue to reveal the multifaceted ways in which humanity connects with the marine world, inspiring deeper understanding and collective action for its preservation. These reflections from Lisbon will undoubtedly enrich the collective investigation into the future of our global ocean, offering stimulating insights and reinforcing the power of collaborative, transdisciplinary approaches.
Photos by Giuseppe Lupinacci