ENG / SVE
Green Light
An Interdisciplinary Project for Knowledge Exchange
Across the Baltic Sea
About the project
The Baltic Sea influences millions of lives, though it is rarely visible in our everyday lives. It is closely tied to regional economies, coastal communities, food systems, and research work. Yet for many, it remains abstract — a surface we look at and enjoy in paintings or during walks, rather than a presence with meaning and significance that we truly grasp. Beneath that surface, significant shifts are underway — declining fish populations, changing ecosystems and coastal livelihoods, and ongoing scientific efforts to understand and respond to these dynamics. At the same time, knowledge about the sea exists in many places — in research institutions, in community knowledge passed down through generations, in education, and in cultural practice. Yet these forms of knowledge rarely meet. The project is grounded in a simple premise — the Baltic Sea can be better understood through interaction between knowledge systems. Scientific research, professional practice, cultural interpretation, and lived experience each hold valuable insight. The project therefore creates
a possibility for this knowledge to meet.
Why Green Light?
The title originates from a conversation with a solid-state physicist who comes from a long line of fishers. He chose a different path and became a scientist, but the imprint remained. He mentioned a rare optical phenomenon at the horizon — the green flash. When it appears, it is traditionally taken as a sign of a good catch. What stayed with him was its meaning. Over time, he said, he began to “look for the green light” in other people. This story reflects how knowledge formed through coexistence with the sea becomes part of how a person thinks, perceives, and relates.
Through a series of short documentary episodes and interdisciplinary workshops, the project explores new ways for knowledge about the Baltic Sea to move across different fields. Each episode centres on a guiding question, explored from multiple perspectives by people whose lives are, in one way or another, connected to the Baltic Sea. The accompanying workshops will look for new ways to collaborate and exchange knowledge.
The Baltic Sea belongs to many, and its future rests in our hands—in how we understand it and what we choose to do with that understanding.
This project is about creating space for conversation and for listening to those whose lives are deeply connected to the sea — fishermen, researchers, coastal communities, policymakers, and others who have dedicated their work to the Baltic Sea. Follow the project’s development as it unfolds through encounters, insights, and unexpected discoveries.
