For this 8 th edition of ARTICULATE, the annual research festival at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, our research groups put forward the topic of the ecosystem. This serves as the starting point for a diverse programme of exhibitions, research classes, performances and lectures. Ecosystems are intricate networks, critical to our planet’s health and sustainability, where living and non-living, human and non-human elements interact and coexist. By incorporating the theme of the ecosystem into our programme, we aim to ignite critical thinking about interconnectedness, adaptation and resilience.