Background and objectives
ARTeCHÓ – Art, Economy & Technology – Unleashing the potential of Crypto Art and other tech tools for European creative industry, regions and society is a European flagship initiative created by five European institutions: SERN – Startup Europe Regions Network (Belgium), Baltan Laboratories (Netherlands), FZC-Etopia Center for Art & Technology (Spain), Frankfurt School Blockchain Center (Germany) and MEET Digital Cultural Center (Italy).
The main goal of ARTeCHÓ is to create a peer-to-peer learning community for artists to learn more about the technical side of the art-making process and its intersection with new technologies, Crypto Art, blockchain, and NFT marketplaces.
To do so, ARTeCHÓ is launching this European call for participants to select 15 artists and designers to join a 7-month Fellowship Programme consisting of a blended approach with online meetings, training, mentorship, inspirational sessions, and a 2-week physical residency. During the 7-month programme, selected fellows work on their proposed projects and present them to the public at the end of the trajectory. The Fellowship Programme focuses on digital productions but does not exclude other forms. The selected fellows will receive a grant of €10.000.
Program
Inspirational sessions
April – October | online + on-site during kick-off meeting and sprint residency.
7 gatherings with presentations and discussions from/with invited speakers. Topics we will explore: promises and pitfalls of NFTs and cryptocurrencies, decentralisation and society, arts and design’s contribution to decentralised technologies, DAOs (decentralised autonomous organisations), crypto arts and ecology and the social implications of the blockchain.
Mentoring sessions
April – October | online + on-site during kick-off meeting and sprint residency.
Mentoring session with experiences artists/curators from the field, will give you the chance to reflect on the inspirational sessions and discuss your project idea. In groups of five, fellows are followed and mentored throughout the program.
Kick-off meeting in Milan MEET Digital Culture Center (Italy) | 17 – 19 May 2023
A 3-day on-site program with talks, workshops and experiences. This will be the first occasion during the fellowship to meet each other in person. The mentors will also join the program.
Sprint-residency in Zaragoza ETOPIA Center for Art and Technology (Spain) | 2-16 November, 2023
To produce your project for presentation at Zaragoza at the end of this sprint residency. You can use the facilities of ETOPIA. There will be practical working sessions in the new media lab, encouraging collaborative projects for the media facade and the virtual gallery of ETOPIA.
How to apply
You can apply by filling out this form with the following information/materials (in English):
1. Your motivation letter (max 1 page)
2. Your CV (max 2 page)
3. A portfolio highlighting max 5 of your projects most fitting to the topic of this call
4. A short proposal of the project you want to work on during the fellowship (max 1 page)
5. A portrait picture of yourself
The deadline for application is 15 March 2023, 23:59 CET.
To be admissible your application needs to comply with the guidelines, meaning that you need to submit it in English, before the deadline and provide all the requested information in the form.
Paper or email submissions are NOT admissible. However, if your submission failed and you believe this is due to a fault in the submission system, you should immediately contact info@artechoproject.eu, explaining the circumstances and attaching a copy of the proposal (and, if possible, screenshots to show what happened).
For questions, please send an email to info@artechoproject.eu
Who can apply
We are looking for artists and/or designers working with decentralised technologies, cryptocurrencies and/or NFTs, or who have the ambition to do so. In order to be eligible, proposals must be presented by a single applicant meeting the following criteria:
● Be an artist and/or designer, , working with decentralised technologies, cryptocurrencies and/or NFTs, or with the ambition to do so.
● Be established in one of the 27 EU Member States or non-EU participating countries that, on the date of the publication of the call, participate in the Creative Europe Programme.
● Be registered as a legal entity – this means that you are registered in the Chamber of Commerce and have a VAT number.
We ask artists and/or designers to apply individually (even if you are part of a collective or artist/designer duo). For 3 of the 15 spots available we prioritise artists and/or designers with no experience with decentralised technologies or who are just starting in this field.
Selection process
The selection process will be as follows: applications will receive a score from Baltan Laboratories, MEET and ETOPIA for 3 different categories: motivation letter, project proposal and previous experience.
o Motivation letter (max 8 points – threshold to be selected 4 points)
o Urgency (insight in how the fellowship is contributing to the applicants development) (max 3 points)
o Momentum (insight in why this is the right moment for the applicant to join the fellowship) (max 2 points)
o Long term motivation (is this fellowship part of a longer development of the applicant) (max 3 points)
o Project proposal (max 7 points – threshold to be selected 4 points)
o Is the project fitting to the fellowship’s vision and content (max 2 points)
o Feasibility for completing a prototype of the project within the timeframe and budget of the fellowship (max 2 points)
o Projects that take into consideration issues of inclusion, diversity, gender equality and environmental sustainability (max 2 points)
o Does the project challenge and/or expand the vision of the fellowship (max 1 point)
● Previous experience of applicant (max 6 points – threshold to be selected 3 points)
o Previous experience related to the field of cryptoart and decentralised technologies (max 1 point) o Previous accomplishments that show thought leadership in the artfield – such as awards, publications, exhibitions, talks etc. (max 2 points) o Artistic quality of the portfolio (max 3 points)
Additional criteria:
Baltan and the mentors of the fellowship program will assure that all selected projects comply with the following:
● Group diversity: looking at different levels of experience in the topics and angles, treating the group as a learning community, where the mix of backgrounds, personalities and motivations creates an enriching exchange beyond the content provided by the fellowship.
● Matchmaking with the mentors: to ensure that the mentors have the right expertise to mentor the selected fellow and do a matchmaking of 5 fellows per mentor.
● Compatibility with the overall program: with the aim to establish a group that is fitting with the inputs the Fellowship Programme provides through the online gatherings.
The selection will be communicated latest 21 days after the application deadline.
Download the call: