MUSAE is launching a STARTS Residency Program to explore future challenges of food production and consumption by developing innovative solutions of products and services exploiting the application of AI, Robotics and Wearables technologies. Through two competitive open calls, the project will select up to 20 artists and 10 SMEs in total and implement two pilot art-tech experiments based on the DFA method, followed by the prototyping phase, where the teams of SMEs and artists will develop industrial prototypes.

MUSAE will work with three technologies — Artificial Intelligence (AI), Wearables and Robotics — enabling participants to develop concepts and prototypes validated in industrially relevant environment (Technology Readiness Level 51). The digital technologies will provide ground for experimentation and the development of new solutions for social and environmental challenges.

MUSAE is looking for 10 artists who will participate in 7 months residency programme, who are interested to engage with and apply an innovative Design Futures Art-driven method to develop future scenarios, as well as interested in application of and reflection on one of technologies – AI, Robotics and Wearables.

The goal of the residency programme is to support artists in application of the Digital Future Art Thinking method in order to create 10 scenarios based on one of the three thematic tracks (Reducing carbon footprint in dietary behaviour; Role of food in holistic human well-being; Rethinking the food chain in our scenario) and one or more of the three digital technologies (AI, Wearables, Robotics)

Artists applying to the Open Call are invited to answer to one track, providing their critical vision of the future (~10 years from now) and the implications that at least one of the 3 technologies (AI, Robotics, Wearables) will have on it. Applicants are invited to convey the social, economic, environmental challenges of the thematic track and how selected technology(ies) can be applied in an ethical and sustainable way. The selected thematic tracks base on research and are recognized as emerging trends that require envisioning and developing new innovative technological solutions (products or services).

The residency will run over a period of 7 months. As a results of this residency, by following the DFA method, the artists will develop scenarios as critical visions of the future, presented in a final exhibition in the form of an artwork.

The selected artists will participate in a support programme provided by the partners of art & design of the MUSAE consortium (POLIMI, UB-ART and GLUON), the technology partners (ABACUS, PAL, UoM, UB-TECH) and the nutrition expert partner (UCD) with travels to the different partners’ locations across Europe.

Applicants must be Artists, self‐employed individual (freelancer) that undertakes artistic activities as a profession/job occupation, such as creative technologists, media artists, creative coders, artistic front & back-end designers & hackers, digital artists, etc. Legally established in one of the Countries eligible for Horizon Europe funding.
Each proposal can request a contribution of 40.000€.

Further information: starts.eu