Open Call for entries | Ars Electronica :: Sparks

Friday, September 4th, 2015 - Sparks is looking for artists to create artistic visions of new technologies in health, medicine and wellbeing to visualize possible developments within the next five to ten years. We expect a diversity of artistic, speculative design and exemplary ideas, as well as disruptive out of the box thinking to make such future developments more tangible. A main question is how technological innovations will influence the life and wellbeing of patients, citizens, doctors and other involved stakeholders, such as industry, policy makers and insurance companies. Applying artists should be interested in creating and building ideas and prototypes that will impressively visualize their visions. This is a unique opportunity to question, provoke and interrogate this area of research through artistic and scientific discourse. The selected three artists will work at Ars Electronica with futurologists and scientists on the development of their artistic vision on technology in health, medicine and wellbeing.

How (and when) to apply
Send the following information to sparks@aec.at (where you can ask questions, if any, as well):

• A 200 word visionary statement (no more!) in English on personal thoughts about technology shifts in health, medicine and wellbeing; an artistic idea, a metaphorical story, a philosophical or ethical perspective. Let us know why this is part of your work or why you are interested in the topic. Be concise and to the point.
• A link to a video statement about your motivation and vision for a contribution to SPARKS. The video is supposed to be no longer than 5 min. Upload the video to a video platform or dropbox and include the link into your email.
• A link to your website including your CV and portfolio
• Contact information: a phone number, skype contact, email address.
• In the subject line include the words: Sparks – your name

The deadline to submit is September 23rd, 2015 (23:59 UCT +2). Ars Electronica will notify the selected applicants within 2 weeks after the closing of the open call.


In a case you are selected, you get:

• Artist fee, travel and accommodation: € 7,500
• Production Budget: € 20,000 for four identical copies of the artwork.

Participants must make their own arrangements for travel and accommodation to and from Linz. However, the organizers can provide suggestions for hotels in the area, though they will not provide bookings.

Sparks is an ambitious awareness-raising and engagement European project (Horizon 2020-funded) that aims at promoting the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) amongst citizens and other stakeholders in 29 European countries (28 Member States of the European Union and Switzerland). The project also involves data collection and analysis to examine citizens’ perception of RRI as well as partners’ learning experience as regards the development of new participatory formats. As a result, a Toolkit on how to best engage society in RRI the field of Health will be produced.

Policy recommendations will be issued in order to foster appropriate policies towards more transparent, open and participatory research and innovation at EU, national, regional and local levels.

Sparks associates 33 influential actors from 29 European countries. The project’s core partners include the European Network of Science Centres and Museums (AEESTI/ Ecsite, the Leader), Science Museum London, Copernicus Science Centre, Bonn Science Shop, Ars Electronica, the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN), Living Knowledge (international network of Science Shops), Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), European University Cyprus, ESSRG, Institute of Social Innovations (ISI), Universitatea Sapientia din Cluj-Napoca – Labworm Science Shop at Sapienta University at the Faculty of Science Miercurea Ciuc (LSSSU), Neulogy a.s., Groussgasmaschinn (Luxembourg Science Center), Universitá della Svizzera italiana L’ideatorio (IUSI) and KEA European Affairs (KEA).

Find out more HERE.