Deadline: Nov 9,2026 at 11:59pm

Hosted by: Ars Electronica, Artist in Residence Niederösterreich, Atelierhaus Salzamt Linz. In collaboration with: UNESCO Creative Cities Network – Cities of Media Arts, UNESCO Austin, Donaufestival, Kunsthalle Krems 

Opportunity Overview

Process

UNESCO Austin will nominate one artist from the Greater Austin Area by Nov 14, as determined by applicants to this call. Final determination of awarded residents will be conducted from applications to the UNESCO Media Arts Cities nomination pool by a joint jury composed of Ars Electronica, AIR – Artist in Residence Niederösterreich and Atelierhaus Salzamt Linz.

All applicants will also be notified about UNESCO Austin’s subsequent open calls.

Expectations 

UNESCO Austin’s nominated artist will be expected to submit an application to the residency between November 2026 and January 2027. During summer 2027, selected artists will live and work in Krems, engaging individually and collaboratively with a shared thematic framework. Their stay is embedded in a cooperation between the Artist in Residence Niederösterreich programme, Atelierhaus Salzamt Linz and Ars Electronica, with the opportunity to present research or results during the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz. Additional presentation opportunities in 2028 may include the Donaufestival and/or Kunsthalle.

Eligibility

  • Artist working in media arts (with a focus on digital sound art, experimental music, and sonic practices)

  • Located in the Greater Austin Area (Austin-Round Rock MSA: Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, Bastrop)

  • 2+ year history of artistic practice

  • Applicants must hold a valid passport or be able to obtain one at least six months before the residency begins. If you don’t currently have a passport, that’s okay! Just plan to apply for one soon after you’re selected, as processing times can be long.

  • Students who are currently enrolled in Bachelors or Masters programs are not eligible. 

Language: Knowledge of German is not required to apply or participate. Residents will be supported by English-speaking staff at Artist in Residence Niederösterreich and Ars Electronica.

Materials for Submission

  • Name

  • Website and/or Social

  • Short Bio (4–5 sentences)

  • CV (2 pages maximum)

  • Proposal (up to 500 words) related to the thematic framework (see below). This proposal serves to:

    • Ensure alignment with the program’s thematic and conceptual framework, and

    • Better understand the artist’s intentions regarding research, collaboration, and optional presentation formats, in order to optimally prepare the residency period.

  • 2–3 links to example showing relevant history of practice, context, or reference points (please specify what you would like the review panel to look at in the links, including timecode as needed, and why you included it). Panelists will spend no more than 10 minutes reviewing this material. 

  • Provide 2 professional references who are familiar with your work and have worked with you in some capacity. For each reference, include their name, email address, phone number and a brief description of your professional relationship.

  • Confirm availability to travel from Aug–Sept 2027 to Austria to participate in residency, if selected.

Financial Framework & Artist Support

Each selected artist will receive:

  • EUR 3,120 for the period covering artist fee contributing to living expenses

  • Free accommodation in Krems, Austria and Linz, Austria for the full duration of the residency

  • Roundtrip flight expenses between Austin and Austria

  • Institutional support and artistic context provided by Artist in Residence Niederösterreich and Ars Electronica

Artistic Focus & Disciplines

The program primarily addresses digital sound artists, or artists working in the field of sound art, experimental music, and sonic practices. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that other artistic disciplines are explicitly not excluded. Artists working with language as a medium, visual, interdisciplinary, hybrid, or media-crossing practices are very welcome, as long as they conceptually resonate with the program’s thematic framework.

Thematic Framework: The Danube River

The Danube connects Krems and Linz geographically, historically, and culturally. It is a vital natural and cultural axis, shaping the identity and quality of life of the city of Linz in particular. 

Within this program, the Danube is understood as:

  • A space of connection and transformation

  • A carrier of memory, migration, and movement

  • A political, ecological, and cultural landscape

  • An acoustic and narrative environment

Rather than a restrictive topic, the Danube functions as an open conceptual corridor—a shared reference point that artists may interpret freely through their own artistic practices.

Residency Structure

  • Duration: 8 weeks (August–Septmenber

  • Location: Krems and Linz, Austria

  • Working format: individual and/or collaborative

  • Artistic framework: open, self-directed, research-based

The residency is conceived as a shared time-space for reflection, artistic development, and exchange, embedded in the local context of Krems, Linz, the Danube region, and the broader Media Arts ecosystem in Austria.

Optional Presentation Opportunities at Ars Electronica:

While no artistic outcomes are required, Ars Electronica offers optional opportunities for visibility and exchange, including:

  • A joint panel talk or artist conversation during the Ars Electronica Festival

  • A presentation in the Soundpark (Danube Park, Linz)

  • A possible presentation in 2028 as part of the Donaufestival and/or Kunsthalle

ARS ELECTRONICA RESIDENCY

Open Call for Nominations

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