S+T+ARTS Open Call for Artists

STARTS – an acronym of Science + Technology + Arts – is a European Commission initiative launched in 2015 to foster collaborations between artists, scientists, engineers and researchers to develop more creative, inclusive and sustainable technologies. In particular, the aim of S+T+ARTS is to promote a new approach to technological development, one that is rooted in human values and needs.

Nesta Italia, supported by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and the European Commission, launches "City of the future" with the aim of enhancing the collaboration among European artists, tech companies and research centres based in the Piedmont region, in developing innovative, sustainable and more human-centered applications of emerging technologies applied to the urban context. The open call is addressed to artists, collective and creatives from Italy and all over Europe to present artistic concepts based on emerging technologies (e.g. AI, Big Data, Blockchain, 5G, IoT), considering their applications and usability into an urban and social context (for example, projects aimed at finding medtech solutions for COVID19 or solutions to enhance an ecological transition).

Nesta Italia firmly believes that the synergy between Science, Technology and the Arts can be a driving force for innovation and socioeconomic development, that it can widen the scope of the artistic practice, giving back to artists a pivotal role within the urban and social context. The Open Call ‘City of the future’ is a tool by which they want to enhance collaborations between usually separated areas of work, thus contributing to Turin’s and the Piedmont region’s development, transforming this territory into a hub for talents, skills, creativity and entrepreneurship. In order to promote an effective synergy between companies, research centers and cultural spaces, a series of local stakeholders are involved, engaged at national and international level in the contemporary art research, production as well as residency programmes. Confirmed partners are: a.titolo, Arteco, ARTiglieria/Paratissima, Bunker, Cripta747, Progetto Diogene, Superbudda, Viadellafucina16 Condominio Museo.

Before submitting your proposal, read carefully the terms of the Open Call.

• Step 1: check out the challenges described in this document and choose only one to respond to your proposal.
• Step 2: check out the list of producers / cultural spaces where you would like to carry out the artistic residency period.
• Step 3: download the application form template and fill in the information and materials requested (it’s a word document, download a copy before filling it).
• Step 4: access the application portal and follow the steps. It will not be possible to save a draft of your application, so check carefully before submitting!

If you have any questions about the application, please send an email to [email protected]. The deadline for submission is 30 November 2020.

An independent jury will evaluate the proposals and select three winners, who will receive 17,000 euros each and will develop their projects during a three-months residency (from February to May 2021) to be carried out in Turin for at least 30 days (in compliance with the rules and safety measures against the spread of Coronavirus). For further information on eligible expenses, reimbursements and residency process read the terms of the Open Call. The ranking list will be available on this website by the second half of January. The three winners will be notified via email.