WIPES OUT! Turning Hidden Pollution into Shared Action is a participatory art–science initiative based in Barcelona and Badalona that addresses marine pollution caused by flushed wet wipes. Often mistakenly disposed of in toilets, wet wipes travel through sewer systems to the Besòs River and ultimately the Mediterranean Sea, where they damage ecosystems and affect fisheries and coastal communities. The project brings together citizens, students, fishers, scientists, artists and decision-makers to make this invisible pathway visible and actionable.

Through ocean literacy workshops, citizen-science activities tracing the journey from bathroom to sea, and co-creation sessions, participants transform scientific evidence into a collective artistic performance that turns data into emotion and shared responsibility. The initiative culminates in a public event at Port Vell and produces an open-access “Suitcase Toolkit” to support replication in other coastal contexts. By linking behaviour change, creative expression and civic dialogue, WIPES OUT! fosters ocean literacy, community engagement and tangible reductions in marine pollution.

THALASSONIA is a transdisciplinary Participatory Art Initiative based in Salerno that transforms locally collected marine litter into playable musical instruments, combining citizen science, circular economy principles and artistic co-creation. Responding to the growing challenge of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean, the project mobilises coastal communities, students, musicians and environmental organisations to collect, classify and upcycle marine waste through scientifically guided clean-ups and hands-on workshops.

Participants act as citizen scientists, generating structured datasets while engaging in the creative process of building and testing instruments made from reclaimed plastic. The initiative culminates in a public orchestral performance at Marina d’Arechi, where the community hears the instruments they helped create, transforming pollution into a collective artistic expression for the ocean. By integrating open science, artistic innovation and inclusive participation, THALASSONIA strengthens ocean literacy, fosters civic stewardship and proposes a replicable model for sustainable coastal engagement and environmental governance.

MEDSAIL –  is a participatory art–science initiative transforming Naples’ western coastline into a living laboratory for inclusive coastal regeneration. Focusing on the contaminated Bagnoli-Coroglio area, a Site of National Interest affected by decades of industrial pollution, the project addresses both environmental degradation and social exclusion. MEDSAIL combines urban and environmental research with participatory artistic practices to make water pollution visible, strengthen ocean literacy, and amplify marginalized voices.

Through international seminars, site visits, artistic residencies and co-design workshops, residents collaborate with scientists and artists to translate environmental data and lived experiences into co-created artworks, performances and public dialogues. Special attention is given to underrepresented groups, including women from Bagnoli’s former industrial district and youth from the Nisida juvenile prison. The initiative culminates in a public three-day festival and produces open-access outputs, spatial data and a replicable methodology. MEDSAIL fosters social cohesion, civic engagement and long-term, citizen-driven stewardship of coastal landscapes.

Isola Alter Ego is a participatory art–science initiative based on the island of Ventotene in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Led by Illuseum (Berlin) in collaboration with the local association Lavica, Refunc.nl and marine scientists, the project addresses marine plastic pollution through circular design, citizen science and collective storytelling. The project brings together cultural organisations, designers, local associations and marine scientists to transform locally collected plastic waste into modular architectural structures co-designed and built with citizens. These reusable panels, shelters and seating elements become temporary public spaces for workshops, dialogue and community events in the harbour, connecting environmental data with everyday life.

Participants—including schoolchildren, families, fishermen and local businesses—collect and classify marine plastic following citizen-science protocols, contributing to research while reshaping their relationship with the sea. The initiative culminates in a public multi-day event and continues through an open-access digital platform and integration within cultural institutions, ensuring long-term visibility, replication potential and sustained environmental and social impact.

Anzio R.I.S.E. for the OCEAN is a participatory art and science initiative that mobilises fisherfolk, migrant workers and residents in the coastal town of Anzio, Italy, to address marine pollution caused by single-use expanded polystyrene (EPS) fish crates. Combining citizen science, artistic co-creation and supply-chain innovation, the project supports the transition to 3,000 reusable eco-crates, reducing waste at its source while generating data on environmental and social impacts.

Fisherfolk and community members track the crates’ journey “from catch to table,” documenting waste reduction and barriers to change. In parallel, participatory clean-ups and art workshops transform discarded EPS into a large-scale harbour installation symbolising regeneration. Through the Marinella Art Hub, the project also creates a multimedia archive of testimonies that reveal the lived effects of marine degradation. Culminating in a public harbour festival and a transferable digital toolkit, Anzio RISE fosters ocean literacy, community ownership and inclusive, bottom-up coastal resilience.