[artinfo] Masters & Servers: OPEN CALL for work

[Domenico Quaranta]

Masters & Servers: OPEN CALL for work
www.mastersandservers.org

ÐMasters & Servers is a programme of activities 
devoted to the investigation of networked 
cultures in the post-digital age. Five key 
organisations in the European contemporary and 
media arts - Aksioma (Slovenia), Drugo More 
(Croatia), Link Art Center (Italy), Abandon 
Normal Devices (UK) and The Influencers (Spain) - 
have joined forces to map - and possibly 
contribute to - a constantly shifting territory 
where media-savvy artists, hacktivists and 
creators traverse the frontiers of contemporary 
art, social intervention and amateur invention.

Masters & Servers now launches an open call for a 
new commissioned project across the forms of 
interventions, data manipulation, representation, 
research or storytelling. Inspired by D. 
Rushkoff's thesis that in the aftermath of the 
digital revolution, an uncertain condition has 
emerged: "instead of optimizing our machines for 
humanity, we are optimizing humans for 
machinery". Can art be a key force in reversing 
this process? How will it deal with the current 
social media euphoria (or paranoia)? How should 
the world be represented and lived after Edward 
Snowden's revelations?

Download PDF: http://aksioma.org/mastersandservers/M&S-OpenCall.pdf

WHAT KIND OF PROJECT?

We are interested in work that can cast light 
over the dark life of data and other 
controversial, invisible aspects of networked 
societies. Welcoming proposals related to 
practical first-hand experiences in:

*	the control of information by governments and private companies;
*	the representation of the invisible, 
especially in relation to private and public 
power structures;
*	the dark side of slick and apparently open social media;
*	under-reported people's habits in "the cloud".

The call is open to artists, technologists, 
activists, inventors and individuals and 
collaborators that occupy the spaces inbetween. 
We are interested in different approaches, 
including performance, uncanny experiences, 
examples of direct resistance or playful 
experiments in the grey area where counter-power 
is face to face with power.


HOW WE WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT

1.	Masters & Servers will support the 
production of the selected proposal with 5.000 ¤ 
towards fees and production costs.
2.	Masters & Servers will assist in all phases of the production process.
3.	The final project will be exhibited in at 
least two off-line exhibitions in spring 2016.
4.	Depending on the nature of the project 
Masters & Servers will be excited to present and 
distribute the new project through partners' 
channels and communication networks. Which a 
diverse range of organisations, from museums to 
online galleries and project spaces to festivals, 
with a range of specialisms across production, 
participation, engagement, critical thinking and 
publication.


CONDITIONS

*	This call is open to individuals or 
groups working across any artforms and/or 
technology in Europe.
*	The proposed project can be online and/or 
offline. If online only, please consider how it 
could be translated (i.e. shown, exhibited, 
narrated) in physical IRL space.
*	Applicants should either have an 
established background in their respective fields 
and/or explain how this opportunity will assist 
the development of a new project.
*	We will especially welcome proposals for 
new work. Yet, we will be happy to help in the 
extension of existing projects if our 
contribution will be key to develop them towards 
a new direction or critically enhance them so 
they will achieve a new dimension.


DEADLINE & HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be received by the 23:59 (CET) on Sunday 20 September 2015.

Complete application must include the following:

1.	Resume or CV - including contact information, maximum 2 A4 pages
2.	Project Proposal -  detailing the project concept, maximum 2 A4 pages
3.	Project Budget proposal - with a 
breakdown of how you will spend the ¤5000 budget, 
maximum 1 A4 page
4.	Support Material - including examples of 
previous work, any relevant urls, any visuals 
(data flow, sketches, timeline, schematics, etc.) 
that will help us better understand the proposal 
and your practice.

Please send ONE .pdf format including materials 
1-4 above to info at mastersandservers.org.

For >5MB attachments, please use file transfer 
services like Wetransfer or provide a link to 
your own server space.
Ð
This project has been funded with support from 
the European Commission. This communication 
reflects the views only of the author, and the 
Commission cannot be held responsible for any use 
which may be made of the information contained 
therein.