Dynamics and roles in art and climate science collaborations: experiences from the University of Hamburg

Abstract. Art and science collaborations enable new means for science communication, knowledge production, and activism. Previous work has often focused on the outcome of such endeavors and on an external description of these collaborations, and less on the personal dynamics in the collaboration itself. Our study of art and science collaborations in the project "Portraits of Climate" at the University of Hamburg takes a closer look at internal dynamics and roles and shows that the value or success of a collaboration does not depend on whether it is a one-way or a two-way collaboration, or whether the roles are classically separated in artist and scientist or are mixed. Instead, the decisive factors lie in mutual understanding, acceptance of team dynamics, and the subjective perceptions of participants – shaped by their motivations, backgrounds, and relationships with the partners – which often differs from an objective external description of the process observed. The project highlighted the importance of safe spaces, trust, and openness, while also revealing the fragility of these conditions without active facilitation and support. Although constrained to a small group of participants and visitors, the project demonstrated the potential of art and science collaborations to stimulate intellectual growth, to overcome one's predefined role, and to open a gateway for critical reflection, thereby catalyzing new approaches to addressing the environmental challenges of our time.