Estudio Nuboso is a platform for exchange between art, ecology, culture and society. We aim to reconnect people with nature by designing a variety of multidisciplinary encounters to explore different ways of knowing, collaborating and experiencing different ecosystems and disciplines. We are a flexible constellation of people working collaboratively to facilitate residencies, short workshops, experiential exchanges, consultancies, or to create publications and audiovisual projects.
I founded the organization in 2012, as a way to address environmental issues in Panama using the transformational force of the arts and ecological principles as a conceptual base. As creative director, I coordinate the overall running of the organisation, hold space and guide our direction in dialogue with a wonderful board of directors/advisors.
Our mission for the next 10 years is to promote living in right relationship with all of life while supporting individuals and environmental organizations in Panama and beyond in their efforts to protect and restore vulnerable ecosystems and communities.
The nature-culture corridor of solidarity and action beyond borders aims to encourage ecological connectivity and resilience across ecosystems, from the local to the planetary, through practices of care for the Earth and all its systems. It is a vision that highlights biological corridors and routes of migration as key areas of the planet that need our protection, so as to avoid the catastrophic extinction cascades we are faced with today.
It is an invitation to shift our focus from human to planetary solutions for all of life, which consider us part of the Earth as a whole and not as primary beneficiary. The invitation extends to cultural institutions to take action on ecological topics beyond representation. It is an invitation to environmental organisations and scientific institutions to truly count on culture as partners with whom to spearhead the changes we want to see in society. It is an avenue to support communities and existing networks on the ground and frontlines of the polycrisis with resources and allies of kinship to thrive.
The work consists of mapping and collaborating with key places, corridors and partners in the culture and nature research and action sectors. Hosting gatherings in key locations to allow local knowledge holders, researchers and changemakers to share experiences and generate transformative gestures for the region (including global North-South and South-South collaborations). The goal would be that
these gestures become common practice rather than unusual, altruistic or exceptional cases. A thread of audio, visual and written correspondences weaves together the various processes, research, case studies, artistic outputs and reflections – working title: Vereda, weaving corridors / tejiendo corredores.
A way of activating connections in selected locations is to support folks using the SUELO Field Guide to reconnect with the places they inhabit and expand the nature-culture corridor.
SUELO: a methodology to reconnect with the places we inhabit. It articulates the natural and cultural value of a selected location by revealing all of its layers (as with a soil profile) of history, present and potential futures through an experiential knowledge exchange between local community members and guests from different fields of study. The methodology, which can be applied by individuals, organizations or communities, aims to increase awareness and connection to soil/land/territory through the many avenues/disciplines/practices that relate to and address the ground we stand on.