Presentation short abstract

Applying participatory action research with the Danish 'Institute for Eternal Utopias', focusing on ecofeminist approaches, the study explores how art-science-activist collaborations integrate methods and practices to challenge dominant epistemologies and advance climate justice.

Presentation long abstract

The climate crisis has intensified debates on the transformations needed for ecological and social sustainability. Ecofeminism provides a crucial analytical and political lens for understanding intertwined ecological and socio-economic injustices. This contribution examines how ecofeminist perspectives materialise in practice within transdisciplinary collaborations that bring together art, scientific inquiry, and activist engagement. Focusing on the Copenhagen-based initiative 'Institute for Eternal Utopias', the study explores how intersectional, care-based, and embodied ecofeminist approaches shape collaborative knowledge production and modes of resistance.

As scientific research, artistic practice, and activism increasingly intersect, researchers adopt artistic methods, artists engage in climate activism, and activists draw on academic concepts. However, the impacts of these convergences remain insufficiently understood. This project examines how artists, scientists, and activists collaborate to create practices that challenge dominant epistemologies, transcend disciplinary boundaries, and foster alternative imaginaries for ecological and social futures.

Applying creative and participatory research methods, including participatory action research (PAR), the study traces how ecofeminist practices illuminate often invisible forms of labour, exploitation, and care. The research unfolds in three stages: first, mapping situated working practices; second, examining collaborative processes, strategies, and ecofeminist interventions; and third, analysing how these collaborations transform individual and collective repertoires of methods, practices, and engagement.

By foregrounding ecofeminist approaches to co-creation and resistance, the study contributes to debates on how transdisciplinary, practice-based engagements can deepen analyses of interconnected ecological and social injustices. Ultimately, it offers practical insights for fostering more pluralistic and justice-oriented forms of knowledge integration within art-science-activist collaborations and wider climate justice movements.