The WATERFRONTS project helped people in Gothenburg turn emotions about climate change into art. Four community workshops took place at Omställningslabbet, a creative space by the water. Designers Darja Nordberg and Martina Claesson guided the sessions.
25 residents drew, cut paper, mixed colors, and wrote short notes. Every activity focused on feelings such as fear, hope, and responsibility. Bright tones showed optimism. Dark shades reflected worry and loss. Each artwork told a personal story about how people experience the climate crisis.
In the last workshop, participants talked openly about the future. Some felt strong hope. Others spoke about fear, grief, or the choice not to have children in an unstable world. These talks showed how art can build trust and care within a group.
The workshops now guide the creation of new glass artworks. The artists are translating the emotional material into physical form through the shape, texture and colour of the materials they work with. Each surface will carry traces of the natural world and of the shared process that inspired it. Later this year, the works will appear in exhibitions linking Gothenburg with partner communities in Lesvos, Greece and Zadar, Croatia.
Art can make climate change personal. By turning complex emotions into color and shape, people can see their feelings, share them, and imagine better futures together.
