The “Healing Nature” project recognizes the power of nature imagery and the integration of calming environmental elements into hospital spaces through various media, with the aim of supporting the mental, physical, and spiritual health of individuals and the hospital community.
Most artworks in hospitals consist of traditional murals, paintings, and sculptures, with a lack of contemporary interactive works and animations in children’s hospital waiting rooms. Therefore, the primary goal of this project is to create an interactive experience using augmented reality (AR) and animated content to provide a comfortable and soothing hospital environment. This experience is also intended to be calming and distracting for children. The project builds upon two pilot projects previously conducted by Dr. Melinda Šefčić and Dr. Lea Vidaković at KBC Zagreb in 2021 (“Digital Fauna”) and 2023 (“Animated Forest World in Hospital Spaces”).
The project’s objectives address innovation and social inclusion through a SCREENless format, which is effective, sustainable, and low-cost, while providing a layered interactive experience. This combines murals with animated digital elements in an augmented reality format. The goal is to design innovative and engaging moving image interventions that encourage children to interact with the space and communicate with one another, rather than being passive consumers.
“Healing Nature” promotes the traditional sensory visual quality of handcrafted techniques while enhancing them with contemporary immersive technologies that blend digital animation with real-world elements. It aims to advance social inclusion through the public hospital system, accessible to all, and through workshops on nature, art, animation, and technology, whose contributions and creative outcomes will become part of the artworks.
The project also includes a research component in the form of questionnaires for patients, visitors, and staff to assess the impact of the artworks. The project outcomes will be summarized in a digital booklet that will disseminate the results upon project completion in all partner countries.
Project Deliverables:
– 3 murals in hospitals in Croatia, Bulgaria, and Portugal;
– 3 augmented reality experiences in hospitals in Croatia, Bulgaria, and Portugal;
– 6 workshops with children;
– 1 study on the impact of such content on patients and hospital staff;
– 1 digital booklet presenting the results;
– 3 press conferences to showcase project results.
The Croatian Association of Fine Artists (HDLU) is the lead of this European project in partnership with Universidade Lusófona / Cofac from Portugal and New Bulgarian University from Bulgaria.
The European Commission has recognized the importance of this project and supported the two-year initiative with EUR 199,189.30. The first activities are set to commence in 2025.
Co-financed by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2024-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
Link: https://www.hdlu.hr/