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Paper short abstract

This paper draws on an artistic research experience situated within an eco-social conflict surrounding the installation of wind turbines in a high-biodiversity zone (Montaña Central Leonesa, Spain) to examine the role of models as tools for collective mediation concerning agreeable futures.

Paper long abstract

What forms of collective mediation exist in STS and artistic research to address territorial conflicts related to energy extractivism in the green transition? How can we develop mechanisms that help us understand the natural, material, but also political and civic realities behind the fight for wind sovereignty? These questions underpin the situated artistic research project ‘Modelar el aire’, which explored the conflicts surrounding the future of wind energy in the central mountains of León (Spain). This is a territory historically affected by energy extraction, and with the imminent installation of several wind and solar farms in one of the country's most biodiverse areas, a significant eco-social conflict has emerged.

The research developed a territorial model based on extensive fieldwork with stakeholders, affected individuals, scientists, and technicians. This made it possible to expand the boundaries, impacts, and territorial desires beyond a simple dichotomy regarding the (in)appropriateness of its installation. A physical model was created to represent diverse agents across different areas, illustrating how wind management could influence their future. Consequently, wind transitioned from being merely a climate factor to a strategic resource and catalyst for territorial change.

The proposed model, in turn, served as a platform where representatives, through role-playing, embodied various agents involved and mediated to reach agreements or resolve conflicts that would ensure a better future for the central mountains of León. This presentation will explore the tools and methodologies used, emphasising the model as a mechanism for debate rather than merely a representation of a fixed reality.