Drawing on the transformative artistic practices explored within the Transformative Territories programme, the Inter-Species Refuge by ArtMill is emerging as a living lab at the intersection of art, science, and social practice. It is a place of refuge and regeneration—for humans and non-humans alike—centred on alternative agricultural practices, queer ecologies, and community resilience in the face of climate change.
Located in the Šumava region, this experimental and participatory project brings together artists, researchers, farmers, and local communities to co-create a sanctuary. The refuge integrates regenerative agroforestry and pastoralism, climate adaptation research, and holistic health practices—while also serving as a safe, inclusive space for historically marginalised and oppressed groups.
The Inter-Species Refuge is seasonally open to the public, offering experiential, hands-on learning through workshops and residencies. Educational programmes are developed in collaboration with schools and universities, and through initiatives such as OUT:HERE – Queer Šumava, launching in Summer 2025, which creates space for queer ecologies and political imagination in the landscape.
Update on research-creation activities:
- Agroforestry Research and Food Forest Planting
A participatory weekend marked the start of the project’s agroforestry work. Community members gathered to co-design and plant a food forest on the Inter-Species Refuge site—laying the groundwork for a regenerative ecosystem that will evolve in the years to come.
- Workshops with FAMU (Film and Television Academy of Prague):
Photography and Documentary Strategies Department (23 students)
Students took part in immersive environmental observation, including 3D scanning sessions led by Transformative Territories resident artist Jakub Tulinger, forest bathing therapy with Jonáš Jauernig, and eco-somatic healing through soundscape recording with Tomáš Vobořil.
Audiovisual Studies Department (16 students)
Students created short films on-site using natural film development techniques, working with plants harvested directly from the refuge.
- Residency Programme – Starting August 2025:
The following artists and researchers will join the Inter-Species Refuge as part of its first official residency cycle:
- Yeva Kupchenko
- Lwrds Duniam
- Anjan Salzer
- Jakub Tulinger
- Jan Fabián
- Fuad Alymani
- Upcoming Activities (Summer–Fall 2025) :
Further workshops will include natural building using local clay, planting native trees, and constructing hedgerows to support biodiversity. These hands-on processes contribute to a shared learning environment, where ecological knowledge and creative practice are cultivated together.
- Towards KlimaHouse 2050:
The Inter-Species Refuge is expanding through the development of KlimaHouse 2050— a prototype greenhouse simulating local climate conditions as projected for the year 2050. This interdisciplinary collaboration involves climate adaptation specialist Leslie Ryan, artist-architect Jan Fabián, and other Inter-Species Refuge residents. The KlimaHouse will serve as both a research space and a speculative tool for imagining and preparing for future ecologies.
Pictures credit : © ArtMil
Read more at the partner’s website
