The Living Art & Ecology Lab is an interdisciplinary hub at the intersection of art, ecology, and climate science. Situated in the Department of Art, in the College of Arts and Sciences, this studio laboratory supports diverse and expansive creative research related to environmental justice, human/non-human interactions, and sustainable futures, with an emphasis on restorative and equitable practices in the arts and life sciences. The work of the lab is to facilitate connections between people and the ecosystem we inhabit, while supporting the development and adoption of sustainable practices in the field of Art.
Our educational mission as a department would be impossible without a sustainable and livable future. During their studies at OSU, Art students fulfill a learning objective in practicing environmental equity. By bringing disparate fields of research together to examine our ecological impact, we are discovering new and more equitable practices, taking into consideration the needs of generations to follow.
The emergent field of Living Art brings together knowledge and methodologies from ecology, biomimicry, art, design, landscape architecture, and indigenous stewardship practices. The lab supports curriculum, faculty research, graduate work, and student projects, as well as community engagement beyond OSU through workshops and guest artist events that are open to the general public. We have received funding for artists and events as a working group of the Humanities Institute.
Past projects have included Art & Technology research with invertebrates and artificial intelligence, ceramic vessels inspired by the form of different plants, and exploration of the biodiversity of microscopic life in campus soils. Recent workshops have covered making versatile biodegradable paints and growing kombucha fungus as an artistic medium.