Expressions of Interest
Experimenta Emergence
Experimenta is seeking Expressions of Interest for media artworks by Australian artists for the touring exhibition Experimenta Emergence [2025-2027].
*** APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED ***
ABOUT EXPERIMENTA
Experimenta is Australia’s leading organisation dedicated to commissioning, exhibiting and touring contemporary driven by ideas and shaped by technology. We believe our exploration today through art and technology, embeds creativity at the inception of the thinking process.
We remove boundaries between art and technology, creating pathways for collaboration, audience engagement and artist development. In the age of technological acceleration, Experimenta’s role is vital to understanding what it is to be human. Our programs, exhibitions, and events encourage the exploration of contemporary issues through visual arts engagement.
Experimenta has a global reputation for high-quality curated programming. We commission new work from some of the world’s most adventurous contemporary artists working at the periphery of convention on the intersection of art-technology, and society.
THE COMMISSION
Commissioning new works by Australian artists is fundamental to Experimenta’s artistic program. Through the commissioning process we support artists to create works for a touring exhibition that draw on many artforms and may be interactive, transdisciplinary, mobile, participatory and/or performative. Our commissions provide a significant opportunity for Australian artists to undertake professional and creative development, with financial and in-kind support from Experimenta, in order to realise innovative works that engage and ignite the imaginations of our audiences.
Commissioned artists will join other exceptional Australian and international media artists selected for inclusion in Experimenta’s forthcoming exhibition, Experimenta Emergence (2025 – 2027). After premiering in Melbourne, the exhibition will tour to galleries and venues around Australia and be experienced by tens of thousands of people.
Commissioned projects will be awarded funding of up to $8,000 and will receive generous in-kind support and assistance in securing additional funding where applicable.
CURATORIAL OVERVIEW
Experimenta Emergence will present a tapestry of artists critiquing and imagining possible near futures influenced by the megatrends shaping our tomorrows.
The exhibition will engage with artists alongside a program of writers and expansive thinkers who are envisaging and asking questions of contemporary currents in research and discourse, traversing science, technology, and society.
This EOI seeks projects and practices engaged across the terrains of emergent realities influenced and shaped by scales extending past the human; as well as artworks that seek to reveal and meditate on the complexities of societal and environmental changes as they encounter, counter, and adapt.
Experimenta Emergence’s vision is to invite visitors to engage actively with the forces influencing our future, embracing the unknown and a tomorrow that resonates with our deepest aspirations and values.
The commissioning is a three-phase process comprising:
- Expression of interest applications
- Shortlisting of EOIs by Selection Panel
- Final selection from successful EOI applicants of commissions.
TIMELINE:
- Successful shortlisted EOIs notified: by May 14 2024
- Shortlisted EOIs concept development closes: June 6 2024
- Shortlisted EOI concept presentations: June 10-11 2024
- Final selection of commissions and notification of successful applicants: by June 25
- Commissioning period: July 2024 – March 2025
ELIGIBILITY:
- Individuals or collaborative groups may apply
- Applicants must be Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Australia
*** APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED ***
Experimenta Emergence EOI FAQ
Q. Do I have to present a developed concept?
A. The EOI process does not ask you to present a concept. However, we want to hear how your practice relates to the curatorial statement. Artists invited to progress to the concept development stage must present a concept responding to the exhibition themes.
Q. If I proceed to concept development, will I be paid an honorarium?
A. Yes, artists invited to present a concept will be paid a $500 honorarium.
Q. My practice doesn’t typically use new media or technology, am I still eligible to apply?
A. For this commission, Experimenta is interested in working with artists whose practice utilises contemporary digital media tools, such as interactive haptics and cameras, code, computers, robotics, and digital interfaces through which to express their ideas. Please explore our past exhibitions and alumni artists.
Q. Do I have to write my submission?
A. There are short written sections and an opportunity to describe your practice via a video or audio, whatever is the most accessible form for you. You can submit in non-English writing, but please note that we only have the capacity to put the words through Google Translate.
Q. Can more than one person apply?
A. Yes, Artists working as part of a collective can apply. We ask that one person be the primary applicant on the form for easy communication and administration.
Q. Do you provide opportunities for culturally diverse perspectives?
A. Yes, we strongly encourage applications from everyone, encompassing the full diversity of lived experience, both local and global.
Q. Who is your audience?
A. We have a broad demographic across Australia. Experimenta tours regional galleries
Q. Can I receive feedback on my application?
A. Unfortunately we are not able to supply feedback at the EOI stage. We do provide feedback for shortlisted applications at the concept stage.