korp
foundation
to protect the living world.
.
to protect the living world. .
Why we exist
Life on our planet is being dismantled by systems that treat nature as a resource, endless growth as progress, and exploitation as an inevitable part of doing business.
Korp is an independent foundation working at the intersection of art, science, and ecological activism. We seek to challenge the systems and assumptions driving ecological destruction and social injustice. We are concerned with the accelerating degradation of ecosystems, the erosion of biodiversity, the unequal distribution of resources and power, and the economic and political structures that perpetuate these crises.
Knowing about these crises is rarely what is missing. Facts on their own tend to overwhelm, numb or divide, and many people turn away. We are here to let people stay with experiences and difficult truths long enough to be changed and challenged by them.
We explore these interconnected challenges, support those addressing their underlying causes, and create space for different ways of seeing, thinking and relating to the world.
Our main mission is to protect the living world.
What we do
Korp Foundation supports creative, critical and practical work that protects nature, challenges destructive systems and explores more just and regenerative relationships between humans and the rest of the living world.
From conserving biodiversity and restoring ecosystems to questioning the economic and political forces driving ecological destruction, we bring attention and resources to the challenges shaping life on Earth.
We bring critical thinkers, artists, scientists, and researchers together to explore difficult questions, amplify marginalised perspectives and make space for untold stories, suppressed knowledge and possibilities that dominant systems overlook or exclude.
We see art as a serious form of knowledge production: a way to investigate complexity, unsettle assumptions and transform how we perceive our place within the living world.
Through films, publications, art residencies, interdisciplinary research, education, nature conservation initiatives, exhibitions, public gatherings and project support, we nurture ideas, collaborations and practices that contribute to the protection and flourishing of the living world.
How we work
A small-scale, intergenerational learning initiative within the Korp Foundation ecosystem
Critical
independence.
We are independent of corporate interests and political allegiances. We critically examine capitalism and other systems of power that drive ecological destruction and social injustice.
Humility in
complexity
We remain curious about what we do not know, attentive to our own blind spots, and mindful of the wider consequences our actions may produce.
Free art,
careful encounters
Artists keep full freedom over what they make and how. Our responsibility lies around the work: where and how people meet it, how they are prepared for it and how they are supported to reflect on it afterwards. We study how the work is experienced over time, beyond first reactions, and share what we learn with artists as an offer.
Care and
accountability
We aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for the people who work with us, with particular attention to confidentiality, security, safeguarding and the protection of vulnerable participants.
Openness
without capture
We welcome collaboration with individuals and organisations that share our purpose, while safeguarding the independence of our work and preventing its exploitation for purposes contrary to our values.
Who we are
Korp was founded by Stefan Nilsson, with a small board of trustees and advisors. We are funded by our founder, and by patrons, grants, donations and contributions from partners who share our values, as well as income from some of the projects we engage in.
Registered in Portugal, Korp works internationally and aspires to become a respected contributor to the fields of art, science and ecological thought
Action Plan, Year One (2027)
In its first year the Foundation will carry out the following activities:
nstitutional setup and official launch
Appointment of the Foundation’s bodies, adoption of internal regulations and policies, accounting and annual reporting, fundraising, and public communication. Official launch of the Foundation in August 2027 in the Azores, alongside the 10th anniversary of Re_act Contemporary.
Documentary film on traditional ecological knowledge
Co-production of a documentary on Zachari, one of the last bark-cloth artisans in Bayanga, Central African Republic, and his relationship with the Dzanga-Sangha forest. The work is with Think-Film Impact Production, Ndara and WWF/APDS. In 2027: development, permits, pre-production. Filming will take place either end of 2027, or in 2028. Release is planned for 2028.
Ocean conservation and community cooperation
Cooperation with Peniche Ocean Watch (Portugal), including financial support for a joint project on ocean conservation and the involvement of local communities, including people with intellectual disabilities. In 2027: financial support to Peniche Ocean Watch and launch of the joint project.
Inaugural Art Residency programme (subject to external funding)
Partnership in the Beneath the Surface residency programme on art, ecology and science, with ESTUFA (Portugal), Re_act Contemporary (Azores),NESR Foundation (Angola), Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador) and the University of Oxford (United Kingdom).
Support for nature conservation
The Foundation intends to direct proceeds from the documentary film to community-based conservation initiatives in the Dzanga-Sangha landscape. In 2027: preparatory work, identifying potential initiatives together with local partners. The first grants are expected following the film’s release.