Call for Web Residencies No. 21 »Polymorphic Futures«

About the Open Call

»Polymorphic Futures« Exploring blockchain as a tool for care, participation, and collective governance beyond markets. Blockchain is not just a technical infrastructure: It is a site of contestation, a tool for rethinking the systems we take for granted. Not all of Web3 is about finance, nor is it only about NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). The technology is a many-headed hydra: It can power hyperextractivist ventures, or nurture commons-oriented experiments. Why, then, do we keep reducing blockchains to money? These polymorphic machines are capable of staging any social reality. Tokens could be more than currency – they can signify belonging, participation, membership, care. DAOs are not merely libertarian fantasies but can be infrastructures of governance grounded in the shared values and goals of translocal communities. This call is an invitation to move away from blockchain’s market-centric approaches, and to imagine and reimagine the technology as an agent of change. We seek artistic projects that do not simply represent, but prefigure: projects that provide the experience of building a world they would want, in preparation for a future to come. We seek rehearsals of futures worth living, prototypes of solidarity, worlds that stretch beyond the logic of scale or linear time. We are looking for imaginations of blockchain as a kin-making device, an infrastructure of critique, and a tool for speculative governance. With this call for proposals, we raise difficult, necessary questions: How might we govern ourselves differently? What futures become possible when technology is not extractive but generative? Could art actively shape these emergent structures? We invite projects that dare to dream, to experiment, to build »as-if« worlds where blockchains serve as the structural backbone of emancipation. Text: Barbara Cueto. Akademie Schloss Solitude initiated the Web Residencies program in 2016 to support young talents from the international digital scene, as well as artists from all disciplines engaging with web-based practices. The program offers a platform to present both the process and outcomes of artistic work online. Its aim is to promote and give visibility to digital art and artists; foster discussion on issues at the intersections of digital art, net culture, technology, and society; and explore and test new forms of artistic practice outside geographical and institutional boundaries. For each call, Akademie Schloss Solitude collaborates with international curators or curatorial collectives to develop a thematic framework and select four to six project proposals. The chosen participants receive a four-week online residency, an online presentation of their projects, and a grant of 1,200 euros. Akademie Schloss Solitude launches several calls for Web Residencies each year. The program invites artists to experiment with digital technologies and new art forms, and to critically engage with the topics proposed by the curators or curatorial collectives. The Web Residencies take place exclusively online. An overview of all projects and interviews can be found HERE.

What is Offered

Six project proposals will be selected and rewarded with an online residency and a grant of 1,200 euros. Chosen participants receive a four-week online residency and an online presentation of their projects.

Requirements

Selected projects should be carried out in open-source formats that are well-documented, shareable, and consider the accessibility of its users, who may range in age, race, gender, economic class, and ability. Artists of all disciplines may apply. There is no age limit. The submission is free of charge. It is possible to apply with an already existing project if the project is not finished, is process-oriented, and allows for embedding in Akademie Schloss Solitude’s online environment. Only one submission per applicant (individual artist or collectives) is accepted.

How to Apply

You can submit your application on the application platform from November 3, 2025 until November 28, 2025 (06:00 pm CET) in the form of a project proposal, including: – a headline – a header image (websize, landscape format, JPEG or PNG, < 400 KB) – a short concept text in English (1.000–1.500 characters) – a short text describing in which format the project should be presented (500 characters) – a short bio (400 characters) – previous works/projects dated by year (300 characters) – prizes and fellowships/grants dated by year (300 characters) – a PDF portfolio and/or project description (max. 10 pages, max. 10 MB) – additional links to previous works Since our jury is international, please submit your application in English. Artists of all disciplines may apply. There is no age limit. Applications can only be submitted via the online application platform. APPLY UNTIL: November 28, 2025 (06:00 PM CET). For questions, please contact webresidencies@akademie-solitude.de. We recommend that you submit your application well in advance and not wait until shortly before the deadline, as any last-minute questions may not be answered.