Art & Science Residency ‘A Call to the Sea’
Fully funded three-month international residency for collaborative projects between visual artists, scientists, and the local community aimed at rethinking zoologic museum collections. ‘Underwater Ecotones’, led by artist and researcher Francisca Rocha Gonçalves, was the project chosen for this residency.
This project aims to investigate underwater soundscapes, noise, and vibrations in the aquatic world, directly engaging with the existing species in the Aquário Vasco da Gama Collection.
Building on this research, it advocates for the expansion of the museum’s space to the coastal area of Oeiras, envisioning the potential and impact of a future museum-aquarium. This approach envisions a museum that goes beyond preservation and exhibition, actively engaging with and adapting to its ecological context. It aims to foster a deeper connection between visitors and the environment, creating a dynamic, interactive space.
The team, led by artist and researcher Francisca Rocha Gonçalves, is in residence at the Aquário Vasco da Gama and other locations in the municipality of Oeiras, between the months of August and December. As a final moment of the residency, ‘Underwater Ecotones’ will include public presentations of the work developed during the research, between January and June of 2025.
Team
Francisca Rocha Gonçalves (Portugal), with the collaboration of Pedro Frade (Portugal), Kira Gama Rocha (Portugal) and Johannes Goessling (Germany)
Francisca R. Gonçalves
Francisca R. Gonçalves is a multidisciplinary researcher and artist based in Berlin, specialising in acoustic ecology and environmental awareness. With a background in Veterinary Medicine, a master's in interactive music and Sound Design and a PhD in Digital Media, her work focuses on noise pollution in underwater environments. She aims to raise awareness of this invisible issue through artistic practices, revealing the impact of anthropogenic noise on aquatic life, Co-founder of Openfield Creative Lab and ØSAW.
Pedro Frade
Pedro Frade is a marine biologist and benthic ecologist by education, with a long-term focus on coral reef science, spanning the fields of macroecology and microbial ecology of coral reefs, with a strong emphasis on molecular phylogenetics, eco-physiology and evolutionary ecology of scleractinian corals. Over recent years his research has also included macroorganisms other than corals, such as macroalgae, seagrass, marine turtles and fish, and have recently become the coordinator that represents Austria in a restoration consortium focused on coral reefs, seagrass meadows and seaweed banks, all included under the recently coined term “marine forests”.
Kira Gama Rocha
Kira Gama Rocha is a project management and collaborative assessment expert. She holds a PhD in the field of Science and Communication Technologies and has vast experience in project management of inter-institutional, multistakeholder, and multidisciplinary EU-funded projects. Akira brings strategic thinking and proven expertise in managing communities, teaching innovative science communication methods, and organising collaborative hackathons.
Johannes W. Goessling
Johannes W. Goessling, PhD, is a researcher at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, in the Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources. He earned his PhD in marine biology from the University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on the photonic crystal properties of diatom frustules, their implications for the organisms, their applications in cutting-edge technology, and their potential as bioinspiration for improved energy management systems.
Partner institutions
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, CAM – Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian, Câmara Municipal de Oeiras, Instituto Superior Técnico / Instituto de Tecnologias Interativas, Gulbenkian Institute for Mulecular Medicine (GIMM) and Aquário Vasco da Gama