In a time of escalating environmental crises and ocean degradation, art can play a powerful role in shifting mindsets, sparking dialogue, and inspiring collective action. Recognizing this, the REMEDIES program, working to eliminate plastic pollution and restore the health of Mediterranean marine ecosystems, has placed artistic engagement at the heart of its public outreach strategy.
Led by Impact Hub Athens, Work Package 6 (WP6) of the REMEDIES program focuses on awareness-raising, civic engagement, and behavioral change. One of its most creative pillars is the Artists’ & Researchers’ Residencies: a series of site-specific residencies that invite artists and researchers from REMEDIES demo sites to curate and/or create original works aligned with the project’s mission.
These residencies are not merely artistic showcases. They serve as critical interventions in local communities, turning data into experience, science into emotion, and marine litter into public narrative. Through design, street art, and participatory formats, they contribute to the cultural shift needed to phase out single-use plastics and embrace zero-waste living.
Launching the Residencies: From Waste to Wonder at EXIT Festival
The first of these residencies will debut in July 2025 as part of the iconic EXIT Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, one of REMEDIES’ demo sites and partner events. In collaboration with EXIT and under the creative direction of Rajmonda Zajmi, the festival will host a groundbreaking eco-fashion show titled WASTELAND: From Waste to Wonder.
Rajmonda Zajmi, a renowned eco-educator and artist from Albania, has been using upcycled fashion as a medium of environmental storytelling since 2013. Her work is driven by the belief that art and sustainability are inseparable. Through her long-standing initiative Eco Fashion Show Albania™, she has turned waste into wonder, one garment at a time.
On July 10, as part of the EXIT Festival 2025 opening programme, Zajmi will present a series of wearable artworks constructed from discarded materials—plastic cups, Nespresso capsules, banners, straws, even Kinder egg packaging—each carrying a message about overconsumption, pollution, and the possibility of transformation. The live runway show, involving 10–12 local models, will take festival goers on a visual and emotional journey through the environmental consequences of waste and the creative power of reuse.
As she writes in her artist statement:
“Waste isn’t glamorous, but it tells a story. Through my art I want to show in a playful way, just how much waste hides in every household. Instead of letting it end up in the landfill, I gave it a second chance and like a Wizard , I transformed them into pieces of art to show that when we rethink and redesign, even waste can become magic. Through my artwork I want to showcase that what is once discarded can be reimagined, transformed, rescued from the wasteland, and turned into wonder. “
Second Residency: Art Meets Circular Innovation
The second residency will take place in Greece, where artist Dimitris Marinis, in collaboration with circular economy innovator and REMEDIES partner Alchemia Nova Greece, will create a street art intervention on the “PLUG-AND-PLAY 2 ZERO-WASTE” container.
This mobile innovation is one of REMEDIES’ most promising technological pilots: a transportable cleaning infrastructure that supports the use of bio-based, reusable cups and glass bottles at festivals and tourism hotspots. Designed to drastically reduce the use of disposable plastics, the system integrates with on-site logistics and event management, tackling major pain points like lack of infrastructure, high waste volume, and limited stakeholder coordination. The innovation will be tested and applied in both small and large scale venues, such as festivals and open air events.
In this context, Marinis will transform the functional container into an artistic landmark, a visual and conceptual invitation to rethink our systems of consumption. The intervention will draw on themes of circulation, transformation, and environmental responsibility, turning the innovation itself into a conversation piece and cultural asset.
By blending infrastructure with storytelling, this residency bridges the worlds of innovation and engagement, offering a tangible example of how design, function, and expression can merge in the service of sustainability.
