České Budějovice ECoC 2028 and Ars Electronica invite artists, designers, creatives, and artic collectives to apply for a fully funded program designed for direct collaboration with local scientists. The aim is to explore how art and science can collaborate to address urgent environmental challenges, with a special focus on climate emergence, sustainable agriculture, geoengineering, permaculture, water resource management, and the broader ecological impacts on local communities. The two residency positions offer opportunities to integrate scientific research into new or ongoing artistic practices, culminating in a public presentation through the collaboration with Ars Electronica and other partners. The main science partner for the residency 2027 is the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The two scientific directions are guided by the Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry and by the Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology at the Institute of Hydrobiology.

Wanted are artistic proposals for a spatial ArtXScience artwork that goes beyond screen-based explorations and public engagement formats involving the local community connected to the artwork. The final artistic outcome will be presented in the Ars Biologica Festival in spring 2028.

Timeline:

• Jan-Feb 2027 – Kick-off meeting online and on-boarding meeting in České Budějovice
• Mar-Oct 2027 – Online and on-site exchange meetings
• Early 2028 – Artwork production
• Spring 2028 – Ars Biologica Festival

The artist(s) will be expected to:

• be present – first stay up to 1 month in February/March 2027, optional second stay up to 1 month in August/September 2027, third stay up to 1 month in March 2028 for Ars Biologica Festival
• engage in remote and on-site exchange with the scientists, Ars Biologica and Ars Electronica team.
• develop and produce artwork for the Ars Biologica Festival 2028 with a public engagement activity in 2027 and 2028.
• share updates on social media and provide České Budějovice 2028 with images of the residency process.

Benefits:

• 24 000 EUR in total funding:
• 6 000 EUR Artist Fee
• Up to 15 000 EUR Production Budget (proposal required)
• Up to 3 000 EUR for transportation, travel, accommodation, and subsistence
• Exchange with leading experts in climate-resilient agriculture and scientific communication.
• Project development and production support from Ars Biologica and Ars Electronica team.
• International exposure through the Ars Biologica Festival including an exhibition.
• Video and photo documentation of public engagement activities and the artwork at Ars Biologica 2028.
• Possible engagement with Ars Electronica Festival.

Eligible are artists with prior experience in interdisciplinary collaborations, ArtXScience productions and community engagement. The applicant should have produced enough documented work to allow the assessment of their artistic portfolio. They must have more than 5 years of professional creative practice. The candidate must show a deep interest in collaborating with scientists involved and being part of a team that will jointly work on the co-production of a new artistic output. The applicants must be 18 years old or older and can be of all nationalities, but must be eligible to work and travel in the EU.

Applications must be submitted via online platform by September 28, 2026. The two winners will be notified by November 2026. In case of any questions please contact Zita Čechová, České Budějovice ECoC 2028: zita.cechova@budejovice2028.cz.