As Leonardo celebrates our 5th year in partnership with Arizona State University, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of the third cohort of the Leonardo Imagination Fellowship, a virtual, global program developed in partnership between Leonardo-ASU and the Center for Science and the Imagination. This year, we received applications from 34 countries, reflecting a growing global interest in exploring Planetary Health Futures through experimental media.

Meet the 2024-2025 Fellows

Matheus Montanari (Brazil)

Matheus Montanari is a Brazilian artist and researcher who explores the intersection of art and technology from a collaborative and decolonial perspective. As a Ph.D. candidate at the University of São Paulo and an experienced participant in global exhibitions, Matheus brings his expertise to his project focused on the collaborative fishing practice between humans and dolphins in two coastal inlets in southern Brazil. This unique and endangered practice exemplifies a rare multi-species community relationship currently threatened by socio-environmental factors. Through experiments in sound and generative art, Matheus will create digital and physical structures that expand sensory perceptions, using a cross-disciplinary approach to connect local communities, researchers, artists, and a global audience.

Silke Weissbach (UK)

Silke is a multidisciplinary artist who integrates painting, sculpture, and video installations to explore themes of light, color, and the natural world. In her project, "Venere’s Song," Silke embarks on an interdisciplinary exploration of collective intelligence, bioacoustics, and ecological consciousness. Merging scientific inquiry with mythological and poetic perspectives, the project transcends linguistic and material boundaries, offering a transformative, multi-sensory experience that unveils the complex communication systems within marine environments. By integrating AI and VR technologies, Silke’s work aims to inspire reflection on themes such as love, connection, and the essence of interspecies communication, challenging us to reconsider our relationship with the Earth and its inhabitants.

æwell (USA)

Named for the Old English word meaning “the source of a spring,” æwell (ah-well) is a de-anthropocentric collective arts project that aims to uplift the voices and needs of land and land-keepers. Their project, “Wild Minds,” delves into the profound connection between language and empathy by imagining a world where humans and non-human entities—such as animals, forests, and rivers—communicate through shared languages. This hybrid novella-length work will incorporate creative nonfiction sketches of imagined nonhuman languages, dictionary definitions, etymologies, and interactive workbook spaces, providing readers with a “sandbox” for exploring how language shapes consciousness and empathy, ultimately challenging anthropocentric perspectives.

Celebrating Global Participation

This year’s fellowship saw significant growth in applications from several countries, including a threefold increase in submissions from Portugal and New Zealand. We also welcomed new applications from countries such as Egypt, Thailand, Greece, Kenya, and Estonia, among others.

Recognizing Our Review Panelists

We extend our deepest gratitude to the panelists who reviewed this year’s applications. Their expertise and dedication have been invaluable in selecting our fellows:
Bianca Collins – Director of Public Programs, Zócalo Public Square
Vanessa Chang – Director of Programs, Leonardo/ISAST
Fabrice Guerrier – Haitian-American Writer, Artist, Futurist, and Founder of Syllble Studios
Jenna Hanchey – Assistant Professor of Rhetoric & Critical/Cultural Studies, Arizona State University
Jason Lam – Program Coordinator, Leonardo/ISAST
Jason Lloyd – Managing Editor, Issues in Science and Technology
Alinta Krauth – EphemerLab Interactive Arts, Imagination Fellow 2023-2024
Tamara Krinsky – TV Host, Science Communicator, Writer, and Co-Founder of Scirens
Taryn O’Neill – Filmmaker and Co-Founder: Scirens (STEM + Climate in Entertainment)
Timothy Summers – Summers & Company, Leonardo Board member 
Regina Kanyu Wang – Writer/Researcher/Editor, University of Oslo
Santiago Reyes Villaveces – Lecture Professor, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, Imagination Fellow 2023-2024

Emerging Themes

This year’s fellows are particularly focused on themes such as interspecies relationships, channels of communication, and languages of nature. These projects promise to push the boundaries of how we perceive and interact with the natural world.

Stay Connected

We invite you to stay engaged with the Imagination Fellowship and Leonardo/ISAST by signing up for our network newsletter. Stay tuned for upcoming events including the Work-in-Progress Presentation, the Culminating LASER, and Final Exhibition at the ASU MIX Center.
Keep an eye out for more updates as our fellows embark on their creative journeys to explore and expand the horizons of Planetary Health Futures.