For the third retreat of The Big Green project, we were invited to an ecological farm just next to the Spanish border by the Portuguese foundation Sciaena, whose everyday work focuses on ocean research and conservation. For The Big Green, this was the “Year of Water” – a theme particularly close to the host organisation. Sciaena approached the programme in a very methodical, and from a cultural studies perspective almost textbook, way: instead of treating Portugal merely as the location of the meeting, they made it an important part of the programme – a source of knowledge, but also a carrier of meanings, local culture and specific relationships between people and the environment.
The retreats are in-person gatherings of the people who co-create The Big Green and, as such, they are an inherent part of the life of this international group. They provide an opportunity not only to plan future activities, but above all to build relationships without which it would be difficult to imagine several years of cooperation between organisations from different parts of Europe. What became particularly clear to me in Portugal was that the environmental responsibility of cultural institutions should not function as a separate topic or a set of declarations. Instead, it can become a way of thinking about where, with whom and how we work, as well as what kinds of knowledge we consider important.
The retreat programme consistently combined discussion with experiencing the place itself. The first day included a workshop on gastronomy, tradition and sustainability. The following days brought a guided visit to the farm, a conversation with experts about the ocean, water and sustainability, as well as sessions devoted to research, artivism, diversity and inclusivity, and the environmental dimension of The Big Green itself. One of the most memorable parts of the programme was a several-hour excursion dedicated to nature, salt and water: a guided visit to local saltworks, a nature walk and a salt spa experience. In the evening, we watched *Ocean with David Attenborough* together. On the final day, we visited Museu Zer0 in Santa Catarina together with Miguel Neto (Boris Chimp), an artist collaborating with Sciaena.
The most important conversations, however, took place not only during the scheduled sessions but also in between them – over shared meals, during walks and at evening gatherings. From Art Transparent’s perspective, the opportunity to exchange experiences directly with representatives of partner organisations and artists working in different European contexts was particularly valuable. Such informal situations make it possible to better understand not only individual practices but also the differences in the conditions in which the cultural sector operates across different countries.
The retreat in Portugal also demonstrated an interesting approach to programme-building: rather than discussing ecology in isolation from our surroundings, Sciaena enabled us to explore it through a specific landscape, local practices, food, water, salt and the culture of the region. This experience can inform Art Transparent’s future activities, particularly when thinking about artistic projects that are more deeply rooted in a specific place and its community. In a broader perspective, it also offers an important lesson for the cultural sector in Poland: international cooperation can be not only an exchange of methods and knowledge, but also a form of cultural diplomacy based on attentiveness to local contexts. Ecology then becomes not simply another “theme” for art, but a practice that influences how we organise cooperation, build relationships and engage with public space.
