Open Call: Rauschenberg Residencies 2026/27

Residency Details

• Duration: 3 months (October 1, 2026 – December 18, 2026), plus a final rehearsal week with a public showcase (January 7–15, 2027).
• Locations: On site at ZKM | Hertzlab with studios and rehearsal rooms provided (studios, sound studios, wet lab, VR lab, co-working space), showcase in the Kubus (versatile venue with ~100 seats)
• Showcase: Presentation of the results in a public showcase on Friday, January 15, 2027
• Technological openness: From slide projectors to projection mapping, from Arduino to Lidar, from Eliza to Alexa: we are less interested in tech buzzwords than in a compelling connection between the theme and the selected technology and in the creative use of the selected method
• Formal openness: Digital theater is characterized by its combination of performative art and the use of technology. All forms of connection are welcome and permitted: dance, performance, spoken or musical theater, physical or object theater, mixed and hybrid formats

Thematic focus

• Reference to the central themes of the ZKM | Hertzlab (see focal points under ZKM Hertzlab)
• Inspiration from E.A.T.'s "Projects Outside Art" (including "City Agriculture," "Children and Communication," "Recreation & Play"). The ZKM Archive, which has housed the Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) archive package with expanded material since 1999 and is available for research during the residency. This includes correspondence and informational materials from group members, as well as publications and slides.

We offer

• €1,000 subsidy for travel expenses
• Accommodation in a ZKM artist flatshare apartment
• €4,000 scholarship
• Up to €2,500 for material costs
• Mentoring & support

Application documents

• Portfolio: Relevant digital theater works or interactive performative works using technology from the last 5 years
• Concept: Description of the project with content and technological approach, schedule, and brief cost plan (maximum 2 DIN A4 pages)

Application Requirements

• You must have valid health insurance or international health insurance for Germany at the start of the residency.
• The ZKM can assist with visa applications by providing letters of invitation, for which the artist must pay the costs.
• There are three places available for three individuals. Team applications are possible in principle, but the ZKM cannot cover additional accommodation or travel costs. 

Application deadline: Sunday, April 12, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Central European Time CET

Please send your applications in a single PDF file to Silke Sutter at image@zkm.de.