In the interdisciplinary exhibition Confluence, artistic voices from several fields mingle like water currents against the backdrop of scientific knowledge of the Venetian Lagoon. The original interpretation of the coexistence of humans, living and nonliving nature, and particularly their relationships—evolving and transforming with their interaction in space and time—is articulated in a collective message of the actors.

In these new forms of cooperation between art, science, and preservation, the artists participate in addressing environmental issues through the prism of art. The project does not seek to expose the negative impacts of human activity; on the contrary, it illuminates the positive adaptive power of nature. The communicated message is not activistic, but rather highly ethical.

The primary impulse for the exhibition was the experimental video documentary by visual artist and musician Daniel Vlček, addressing the Metaphor Island with its own ecosystem, which has recently formed in reaction to a human-made technical structure. Together with biologist Giovanni Cecconi, who helped construct the Mose system protecting the city from seasonal “acqua alta” flooding, Vlček set out to the Venetian Lagoon to map out this project.

Besides Vlček, several artists joined in the unique installation—visual artist Romana Drdová, glass artist Matyas Pavlik, composer and musician Beata Hlavenková, and philosopher and planetologist Lukáš Likavčan in collaboration with leading glass engraver Pavlína Čambalová.

What is significant is not only the final form but also the creative process of the dynamic, evolving project. It reflects the diversity of different personalities with different artistic approaches while stimulating close cooperation and collective responsibility. Through their invention and mutual communication, the creators contribute to each stage of the process, from the concept and production of the objects to their presentation.

The results will include interdisciplinary overlaps in the form of multimedia installation and live performance. Thanks to the international context and rich experience of the artists, the shared message will bring a unique interpretation of the topic in a place that bears a historical legacy in all fields of art.

For visual artists who usually work in other media, glass becomes an opportunity for a new experience, while it is undoubtedly—historically and currently—linked both to Venice and the Czech Republic. Glass as a material can symbolize the fragility of the relationships addressed above, yet at the same time, it can fully stand up to specific artistic intentions.