HOME – a story about loneliness, earth-weaving and whakapapa
I created this interactive installation for the 𝟮𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 (ICUH2025), taking place at the Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wellington (New Zealand) 🇳🇿. 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿: International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) – 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼-𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: University of Otago, Wellington/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke – 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼-𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Absolutely Positively Wellington City Council/Me Heke Ki Pōneke — 𝗖𝗼-𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿: World Health Organization (WHO). For more information: https://www.icuh2025.org/
A first visual glimpse, live from the conference (a more detailed conceptual description of the installation will follow shortly):
The 21st International Conferences on Urban Health (ICUH 2025) sets the stage for a transformative dialogue on the future of urban health. We invite thought leaders, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and innovators to share insights and solutions that address the pressing challenges of urbanization, climate change, and health inequities. ICUH 2025 will focus on diverse perspectives from across the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) while also fostering a global exchange of ideas. Together, we'll explore how to build healthier, more resilient cities that prioritize sustainability and wellbeing for all.
Giselle Sebag, MPH (Executive Director, International Society for Urban Health – ISUH):
“Roman has been selected to participate in the conference due to his unique artistic interdisciplinary profile, his meaningful contributions to the field of urban health and their alignment with the goals and mission of our conference: Roman’s submission has been accepted as an oral research abstract/case study presentation with the title “ART Goes Urban Health: Discover a Weaving Medium of Interdisciplinary Research, Reflection and Storytelling in Resonance with Indigenous Knowledge Systems” as well as an artistic contribution to our exhibition with the title HOME – a story about loneliness, earth-weaving and whakapapa". This year, ICUH 2025 received over 350 submissions from across the globe. With limited space and a commitment to curating an engaging, high-quality program, the Scientific Committee was faced with tough decisions. Fewer than one in three proposals were selected – making this our most competitive year to date. Roman’s acceptance reflects the significance, originality, and impact of his work. We are convinced that Roman’s presence and engagement would greatly enrich the conference program and spark meaningful conversations.”