OPEN CALL: EASTN-DC Residency

On the occasion of the artistic research and development project EASTN-DC, the ZKM | Hertz-Lab has developed a new artist-in-residence program, in the framework of which artists will be offered the opportunity to submit innovative project proposals that are located at the intersection of art, science, and technology.

The international artists can apply to three submission clusters and submit open project proposals that deal with disruptive future technologies, their reflection or technological implementation in artistic projects, as well as project proposals that concern the specific audiovisual infrastructure at ZKM | Hertz-Lab.

The ZKM | Hertz-Lab offers artists working in all genres – from the visual arts to music – to try out a diversity of technologies in collaboration with scientists and developers. The main focuses of the Hertz-Lab are art production and media technology research. Contemporary concepts in the arts and sciences, for example, artificial intelligence, immersion or sensor-enabled environments are carefully reflected on, reviewed for artistic usability, and implemented in productions. Scholars, scientists, and artists from all over the world find ideal conditions at the ZKM | Hertz-Lab to realize their theoretical and practical projects.

The EASTN-DC (European Art-Science-Technology Network for Digital Creativity) emerged from several European institutions involved in research, technology development, creation and education in the field of technologies applied to artistic creation. This network is coordinated by ACROE and supported by the Creative Europe Program of the European Union.

Submission Cluster 1) Volumetric Capturing

ZKM | Hertz-Lab calls out for new and innovative artistic project proposals focussing on the artistic use of volumetric capturing technology in areas ranging from digital video and 3D animation through to interactive installations and environments, from software systems to the realtime generation of natural or artificial environments, as well as audio-visual applications for performance contexts. At the ZKM | Hertz Lab, the artists-in-residence will have the opportunity to work with a research prototype of a volumetric capturing system (consisting of 11 RGBD sensors) developed by the US American company Evercoast. This system includes an integrated software and cloud rendering platform for real-time and captured holographic content. The research prototype makes it possible to capture three-dimensional content in a limited space (2 meters x 2 meters). The system can be used to generate three-dimensional point clouds as well as photorealistic textures and higher quality meshes, whereby in the latter two cases a higher computing time and limits in the available cloud computing time must be taken into account. The artists-in-residence will work in close collaboration with the software developers of the ZKM | Hertz-Lab, who will assist the artists in implementing the technology in an artistic production.

Submission Cluster 2) Sonic Spatialization

With the beginning of the use of space in electronic music, new aesthetic possibilities up to the simulation and implementation of acoustic environments emerged. At the ZKM | Hertz-Lab, the artists-in-residence are offered the opportunity to work with the ZKM Sound Dome and to realize innovative sonic spatialization concepts within the framework of sound-artistic or music-related projects. The dome-shaped set-up, consisting of 53 loudspeakers and four subwoofers, is an ideal place for the development of 3D audio. The artists are encouraged to develop strategies of sound placement or movement using artificial intelligence , agent based or other algorithmic systems. A special focus can be on the parametric interaction between sound and space. As tools the spatialization software Zirkonium developed at ZKM or similar softwares can provide a functioning interface between speaker and sound.

Submission Cluster 3) Disruptive future technologies

Furthermore, cross-genre artistic projects can be proposed that deal artistically with disruptive future technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, IoT or other technologies.

The content of the artistic project proposals should address the aforementioned areas of volumetric capturing, sonic spatialization or disruptive future technologies and be feasible during the one month residency period. The technical infrastructure of the ZKM | Hertz-Lab is available to all guest artists for the realization. The residence must be completed by October 2020. A presentation of the resulting works at the ZKM as part of an interdisciplinary festival that will take place at the ZKM at the end of 2020 is planned, but cannot be guaranteed. Up to seven scholarships, each endowed with a stipend in the amount of 1000 € as well as per diems, will be awarded. As part of an artist residency at the ZKM | Hertz-Lab, the selected artists will work on their project ideas and sketches over a period of one month and realize a new artistic work. During the one-month scholarship period, at least two weeks of residence in Karlsruhe is compulsory. Travel costs will be covered up to an amount of 400 €. Accommodation costs will be covered up to an amount of 500 €.