BALATORIUM was an ecological and cultural programme that addressed the challenges of Lake Balaton and its wider region through interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement. It brought together researchers, artists, institutions, and the public to reflect on the lake’s ecological state and to imagine more sustainable futures for the landscape.
SCIENCE, ART, AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION
The programme was initiated in response to the increasing environmental pressures affecting Lake Balaton – including water level regulation, shoreline development, land use change, and climate stress. Balatorium aimed to translate complex ecological knowledge into shared experiences and public discourse by connecting natural sciences with contemporary art, pedagogy, and design.
It provided a platform to collectively explore how local and regional environmental challenges relate to global transformations, and how cultural tools can foster critical awareness and new modes of engagement.
FORMATS AND ACTIVITES
Balatorium operated through multiple formats over several years, including:
• Artist-in-residency programmes
• Field research and interdisciplinary collaborations
• Thematic workshops and performative field walks
• Public art and landscape interventions
• Educational collaborations with schools and universities
• Publications, audio works, and visual storytelling
• An exhibition and an open-air ecological-cultural festival held in the summers of 2022 and 2023
• The creation of the Balatorium Library, a curated mobile collection on ecological and cultural knowledge
COLLABORATION AND LEGACY
PAD developed the original concept of Balatorium and served as its professional coordinator. The programme was realised in collaboration with szabadonbalaton, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, the Balaton Limnological Research Institute, the Balaton Uplands National Park Directorate, the Bakony-Balaton Environmental Education Center Association, the Pannon University Limnological Research Department, and other regional ecological and cultural actors.
Balatorium was implemented within the framework of Veszprém–Balaton 2023 – European Capital of Culture.