Estudio Nuboso

About us

We are an art and ecology organization based in Panama – we are a collective of artists, designers, educators and researchers who facilitate space and time for encounters between people, nature, science, culture and diverse communities. Meet our team

Our vision and mission

Our vision is to restore the relationship between humans and nature, as part of the global movement that seeks to create greater harmony and reciprocity with the planet. Our mission is to generate experiences and share knowledge that promote awareness and regenerative practices in individuals, communities and the environment.

What we do

In practice, we design multidisciplinary programs and encounters in different ecosystems, from residencies and workshops to publications and audiovisual projects. We believe that sustainability is strengthened by networks, so we promote and value our partnerships, working with individuals and organisations in Panama and the rest of the world.

Programs

Our programs are knowledge exchange formats and multidisciplinary encounters that we design using art and ecology as a conceptual basis. The combination of these disciplines promotes intersectional thinking and research, as well as free and creative action as we address the interconnectivity of life.

We are motivated by the possibility of transforming the way in which specialisation and individualistic development ideals have devastatingly divided us as a society. In order to collectively find solutions to the complex problems we face, we need to join forces and understand the full set of relationships and effects of every action and situation. We love to facilitate these connections.

Our programs offer time and space for reflection, collaboration and encounter between people who would not usually meet and collaborate in their day-to-day life, but who seek exchange outside their fields and benefit tremendously from it. In addition to these programs we collaborate on special projects, publications and offer advice to individuals and organisations. Get to know them by clicking on each image:

Publications

A portrait in words, voices and images of SUELO in SaLo, Punta San Lorenzo, Veraguas, Panama taken by 15 guests and community members of Arrimadero. The hand-printed and hand-bound limited edition is no longer available.

The LAB 2015: Chiriquí publication is a digital and physical edition of 100 copies. It has an introductory booklet and one for each project (3). The limited edition is held by a cloth belt dyed with the natural dyes of Professor Viviana Morales. The printed version is still available.

The LAB de Arte y Ciencia 2017: Panama City publication is available in digital format online and for those who prefer physical books, the printed version is a limited edition of 150 copies that is still available.

Here you can view and download the digital Flash LAB 2019 Fanzine (only in Spanish) where you can find more details about the workshop experience and the projects developed. The printed version is still available.

Vision: 2021-2030

According to several studies on climate change and the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, the next 10 years are crucial to forge a path of better practices to transform the ways in which we relate to nature, with other people and living beings. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2021-2030 the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. And along the lines of the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, we face a “universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.” (United Nations Development Program)

In light of this and what we are already experiencing around the world – the Covid-19 pandemic, wildfires, unprecedented heat, drought, floods and tornadoes – we at Estudio Nuboso feel it is now not only important but urgent to rethink our ways of life. And in Panama, to really focus on protecting our ecosystems and tropical rainforests that are key to climate regulation and the well-being of life on Earth.

For these reasons and because of our deep love for the tropics and its inhabitants, we present our Vision 2021-2030 for this important decade:

To put our creative, communication, cultural management and networking resources at the service of the protection, restoration and better understanding of tropical ecosystems in Panama and their importance to the planet.
To continue promoting collaboration and dialogue between people, communities and different worlds of knowledge, creating alliances and support networks with initiatives that share similar values.
Promote and be part of the movement of change of perception and action necessary to achieve a better human-nature relationship.
To bring economics and ecology closer together – that is, to relate the concepts of economic development to the principles of life and resilience; to rethink what is valuable, how much is enough and what abundance really means.

In relation to our work as a platform for ecological thinking and artistic, creative, multidisciplinary action, this vision is already beginning to manifest itself in the following ways:

We make our resources and programs available to institutions and organizations, to support them in generating cross-sector collaborations, community outreach, and the integration of thoughts and actions more aligned with ecology and creativity. All our programs and workshops are tailored to the needs of the requesting institution.
Among our special projects, we are collaborating with Carolina Borrero and her multimedia project, La Selva Llama, whose objective is to redefine for Panamanian youth the magic and importance of biodiversity for our country and the planet; giving voice to existing initiatives working for the protection and restoration of the diverse tropical forests in our territory.
As soon as possible, we will activate our Nuboso Retreats as a practice to reconnect with nature and to develop ideas, activities and visions. We will be expanding these retreats to collaborators, supporters, allies (individuals, organizations and companies) interested in developing their environmental awareness and creative connection.

Photographs by Tova Katzman.