Capsula

art-science-nature since 2006

Capsula was founded in Barcelona by two independent curators, Mónica Bello and Ulla Taipale, who developed together (2006-2008) several long-term projects that engaged artists, scientists, thinkers and cultural agents internationally. The first projects introduced the Biological Arts in Spanish art scene, through events like Days of Bioart 2006-7 (Centro de Arte Santa Mónica, Barcelona), three editions of Neurótica2006-8 (Centro de Cultura Contemporanea de Barcelona) and El Matadero Art Center in Madrid, 2007 and Taxonomies, 2008 at Centro de Arte y Pensamiento Comafosca. After these intensive year Monica Bello continued her professional trajectory at LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial in Gijon and currently, as a Head of Arts at CERN in Geneva.

The second period of Capsula trajectory, 2008-11, focused in traveling and investigating natural phenomena in the spirit of great explorers. Curated Expeditions project by Ulla Taipale invited and resourced likeminded artists to join cross-disciplinary ventures, the first one to Siberia, at the zone of the total solar eclipse in 2008. Three artworks created were exhibited in Kiasma, Museum for Contemprary Art in Helsinki in 2009 under the title Curated Expedition to the Total Eclipse. The second Expedition explored the ecosystem of Baltic Sea. Artist and biologist Merja Markkula and Ulla Taipale produced and curated together The Curated Expedition to the Baltic Sea, that was exhibited in the program of Turku2011, European Capital of Culture. Capsula was registered as a non-profit cultural association in Finland in 2010.

Between 2009-11 Capsula took part to the Herbologies/Foraging Networks, and several events and encounters were celebrated in Pixelache Festival, Kiasma, Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden and Serde in Finland and Latvia. This program was an initiative of Andrew Gryf Paterson and realised in collaboration with Signe Pucena and Ulla Taipale.

In 2011 Taipale co-curated the third exhibition Food Chains of Halikonlahti Green Art -trilogy together with artist and curator Tuula Nikulainen.

In 2011 Taipale was invited to develop a laboratory for biological arts at Aalto University, together with Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr, pioneers in biological arts and leaders of Symbiotica in Australia. Biofilia - Base for Biological Arts, was opened in 2013. In 2014 as part of Dinner is ready course, ArtMeatFlesh event was celebrated at Teurastamo (Abattoir) in Helsinki. The concept of this event is created by Oron Catts in collaboration with The Center for Genomic Gastronomy, Kat Cramer and Zack Denfeld.

In 2012 a long-term project Melliferopolis - Honeybees in Urban Environments is launched together with Austrian artist and scientist, Christina Stadlbauer.

From 2013 Capsula collaborates with climate researchers of University of Helsinki, in a long-term project called Climate Whirl, with an artist-in-residency at Hyytiälä forestry research station and related art&science program. In 2019 Taipale started her job as an Art & Science curator at INAR ( Institute for Atmospheric and Earth Science Research) at University of Helsinki.

Capsula continues combining arts, natural sciences, nature and technology; creating cultural contents in multiple formats. It is a non-profit organisation registered in Finland, working internationally and trying to keep a light, organic model while collaborating with all kinds of professionals, from independent makers to great institutions. The projects are of collaborative and organic nature; many times organised out of official art venues, at places like biolgical field stations, public parks, botanic gardens or cemeteries. Always looking for new audiences that have one thing in common - eternal curiosity and search for knowledge.

Recent and on-going collaborations include Arts at CERN, Melliferopolis -Honeybees in Urban Nature, Pixelache network, Aalto University and Master of Landscape Architecture (MBLandArch-ETSAB-UPC) in Barcelona.