At EGU we take our science seriously, but we also value creativity and the role it plays in all aspects of being a researcher, from designing your study to science communication! The EGU26 General Assembly offers plenty of avenues for creativity in every way, shape and form. If you’re keen to indulge your creative side or curious about the possible intersections between science and art, look no further.
This blog lists some of our unique (and highly anticipated) creativity-based sessions at EGU26. So browse through and make sure to add at least a few of these to your personal programme!
EGU26 Photo Competition: vote for your favourite!
Each year EGU runs a photo competition for attendees of the General Assembly shortlisted into the top 10 submissions. These submissions are then open for you to vote on, to select the top three winning photos, announced on the Friday of the meeting! Voting will open on Sunday 3 May, so watch out for the shortlist announcement soon! Those joining us on-site in Vienna are also invited to cast their vote Monday–Thursday at the EGU Booth in Hall X2 (Purple level). For more information, visit the EGU Photo Competition page on Imaggeo. You can also check out all of the 2010 to 2025 winners here.
Sessions
Curious about how games can enhance geoscientific work, education and communication? Join the session EOS1.3 Games for Geoscience on Wed, 06 May, 16:15–18:00 (CEST) at PICO spot 4 or online. Following the session, on-site participants get the chance to try out some games first-hand at the Networking event NET15 Geoscience Games Night, taking place Wed, 06 May, 18:00–19:30 (CEST) in Foyer D!
If you are interested in learning about how blending science and the arts can be used to address societal and environmental issues that encourage action, don’t miss out on EOS1.2 Building Bridges: Art-Science Collaborations for a Sustainable Future on Thu, 07 May, 10:45–12:30 (CEST) for posters in Hall X4 / Thu, 07 May, 14:00–18:00 (CEST) for oral presentations in room -2.93 and online.
Find more art-science related sessions by visiting the Art-Science tag in the ‘Cross-cutting themes’ section of the EGU26 Programme!
Artist(s) in Residence
One of the many highlights of EGU’s General Assembly is the annual Artists in Residence programme. It offers scientist-artists an opportunity to engage with scientific research in a dynamic setting and be inspired by the many new discoveries presented at the conference. This year our Artist in Residence is Núria Altimir, a data visualisation artist and biogeoscientist from Spain and Finland who will be hosting a participatory data art project at her booth in Foyer D (Purple level).
The pieces will explore networks, uncertainty, and design awareness. Participants become the data points themselves, so I warmly invite everyone to stop by, leave their mark, and help shape an evolving collective artwork. -Núria Altimir, EGU26 Artist in Residence
In addition to her custom booth, you can catch Núria at her Short Course; SC5.1 The why and how of beauty as a tool for effective science communication on Wed, 06 May, 08:30–10:15 (CEST) in room -2.32 and online, where participants will learn practical strategies for integrating beauty with purpose and accuracy in their own work.
Interested in seeing what else is possible in the art-science realm? Explore works by past EGU Artists in Residence at the Art-Science booth in Foyer D (Purple level). If you’re lucky, you may even catch one of the artists in the flesh! For more information about about the last years’ Artists in and (not) in Residence, visit our Youtube playlist and EGU’s GeoLog blogs.
EGU26 participants will be able to see images of the artwork produced by artists via our official social media channels (using the hashtag #EGUart), on the EGU GeoLog blog and live at the conference centre.
Children’s Art
Don’t miss the growing display of art created at EGU26 by our very early career scientists! Stop by the Children’s Art Exposition, set up in the “Art-Science gallery” of Hall X2 (Purple level) to see this year’s creations. To help guide our young artists, the exposition has an annual theme reflecting the topics covered at the EGU General Assembly. The theme for EGU26 is Wonderful Watery World inspired by our Cryospheric Sciences (CR), Hydrological Sciences (HS) and Ocean Sciences (OS) Divisions, allowing us to explore water in all of its forms!
Any kid at the conference can contribute to the exposition. If you want to share the work of your kids, hand in their art-science submissions at the childcare reception desk or use the designated baskets at at one of the two unsupervised family rooms (Purple level). Bonus: the family rooms have all the supplies needed to foster creations! Contributions are welcomed from kids of various ages and talents and will be hung up for display. Should you like to bring your contribution home with you, we invite you to collect it from the exposition by the end of the EGU26 week.
Looking for another way to get your kids involved in art-science? Check out the Short Course SC3.7 Growing Curiosity – Geoscience Education for Children on Wed, 06 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) in room -2.82 and online.
EGUart: celebrate new forms of science communication
The EGU26 demonstrates a diversity of creative outlets used in collaboration with science! Still can’t get enough? Check out the EGU26 GeoCinema programme for evening screenings in room E1 (Yellow level) and online, join us for a musical night of celebration at MAL0 EGU Award & Medal Celebration on Wed, 06 May, 17:00–19:30 (CEST) in room E1 and online, or download one of the EGU colouring books for some fun of your own!
We hope this list has inspired you to add some of these creative options when you plan your EGU26 conference experience! If you wish to browse through other sessions, we recommend a visit to the EGU26 Programme page. Choose “Please Select” and then pick your category of interest on the session programme page.
