MUSAE S+T+ARTS OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS AND SMEs – APPLY UNTIL 21st May 2024 (13:00 CET)

Residency Program

MUSAE is looking for 11 teams* composed of 1 SME and 1 artist who will engage with and apply a Design Futures Art-driven (DFA) method to develop innovative prototypes (TRL5) based on future scenarios deploying digital technologies – AI, Robotics, and Wearables.

*at least 1 team (artist and SME) will be specifically selected from one of the Widening Countries.

MUSAE will support selected teams through a residency, as well as exhibitions and public events during the residency. The program is divided into 2 phases – Concept generation and Prototype building. The program includes funding, training, and access to the expertise of the MUSAE network and consortium. As a result of the residency, the teams will develop prototypes of TRL5 based on the DFA method, which will be presented at the final exhibition in Brussels.

Timeline of the Residency Program

What Do We Offer

MUSAE will select 11 teams (artists and SMEs) that will participate in a residency program where they will develop prototypes of TRL5 based on the Design Futures Art-driven method.

MUSAE will offer the selected teams the following: 

• Up to 80 000 EUR as a lump sum grant (of which 24 000 EUR to artist and 56 000 EUR to SME) 
• Mentorship and support by the consortium partners (art, design, technologies, and nutrition)
• Access to S+T+ARTs and MUSAE networks and experts
• Participation in exhibitions showcasing the outcomes of the residency
• Visibility through high-impact communication activities to promote art-tech collaboration and innovation

Who Can Apply

MUSAE is looking for proposals from teams consisting of artists and SMEs (See Guide of Applicants for Eligibility criteria).

At least one team will be specifically selected from one of the Widening Countries.

Matchmaking

Are you an artist looking for an SME? Or are you an SME looking for an artist? In collaboration with Enterprise European Network we organized a Matchmaking Platform to give you the opportunity meet your partner for this project. Click here to find more information, register your profile and start looking for collaborators!

What Do We Expect

After signing the agreement, selected teams in the Open Call are expected to produce a prototype of TRL5 by moving from experimental proof of concepts (TRL 3 – Experimental Proof of Concept) to validation in relevant environments (TRL 5 – Technology validated in a relevant environment).

In order to apply for the Second Open Call, the teams are expected to choose one of the future scenarios as a context, which will serve as a starting point to develop concepts and prototypes if selected. In particular, the teams (SME and artist) are invited to submit a proposal consisting of (1) Scenario Exploration: choosing one of the Future Scenarios and exploring it together as a team to identify specific hopes, fears and values they would like to bring forward in this scenario; (2) Brief: creating a brief by identifying a challenge they want to tackle as a team in this scenario, as well as describing a specific opportunity they foresee to respond to the challenge; and finally (3) Feasibility, proving the technological feasibility of the proposal, as well as the expertise of the team.

Explore the future scenarios in detail below. If you click on “EXPLORE THE SCENARIO IN DETAIL” you can find trends and elements of the scenario that can inspire you further.

MUSAE Second Open Call Webinars

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MUSAE 2ND OPEN CALL – 12 FUTURE SCENARIOS

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SCENARIO 1: The Microbial Renaissance: A Culinary Tech Revolution

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

The Microbial Renaissance marks a transformative era in culinary practices and sustainable food innovation, with the culinary arts seamlessly transitioning to cutting-edge technology. The use of animal-based ingredients and the depletion of our natural resources have become outdated practices. What if we replace animal-based products with biologically identical ingredients synthesized directly by microorganisms, paving the way for a more sustainable world? Microbes, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and microalgae, can be used as ‘cell factories’. Scientists can ‘program’ these organisms to produce a specific protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, or aroma in a growth tank. This is called precision fermentation. After harvesting the ingredients, they can take on any shape, flavor, and texture we want using digital production techniques. However, imagining interesting, novel food products that do not resemble existing products but still look edible is very difficult. By making smart use of artificial intelligence tools, we can go beyond the limitations of our own imagination and revolutionize the products we consume. But just adjusting our diet is not enough for this culinary transformation.
A cultural revolution is needed – one that involves the entire community and generates enthusiasm for an alternative approach to food production, cooking, eating, and social interactions around food.

In the age of the Microbial Renaissance, each moment becomes an exploration, every dish a creation, and every encounter a celebration of the boundless possibilities unlocked by the wondrous world of microbial-based foods.

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SCENARIO 2: Holobiont Gardens

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

Holobiont Gardens explores a future where healthcare is shaped by environmental microbial justice, and emerging technologies converge with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Public access to beneficial microorganisms is recognized as a human health right, and as such, accessible microbiome testing is widely available, along with community-embedded science, to develop care plans alongside prescriptions for pre-and probiotics, soil contact time plans, and medicinal foods. Pharmacies open connected Holobiont Gardens, which facilitate access to these prescriptions, as well as being a space for mapping information on Holobiont connections. Public awareness of microbial equity is more prevalent following protests against the ‘Silent Microbiome Crisis’ – the unseen depletion of global microbial diversity and the effect this has on individual, collective, and planetary health. In addition, scandals surrounding extractive methods of biobanks, as well as their targetability for biohacking, have resulted in more legislation around the protection of microbial species. Government-funding training in microbiome stewardship has created new occupations and jobs in ecological restoration, regeneration, and care work. Traditional ecological knowledge guides urban dietary choices, incorporating a rich tapestry of locally sourced, plant-based, and fermented foods that support a resilient and balanced gut ecosystem. Additionally, increasing urban biodiversity influences the diversity of available food sources, creating a more complex and dynamic landscape for the gut microbiome. Community-driven initiatives promote sustainable agriculture, local food production, and waste reduction, further enhancing the diversity of nutrients available. Nourishing growth, transformation, mapping, mystery, and healing, the Holobiont Gardens are a space for people and microorganisms to come together with the aim of nurturing multispecies and collective health.

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SCENARIO 3: Soil Skinships: soil fertility and our reproductive futures

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

In the year 2034, a transformative shift in human consciousness has reshaped the way we interact with our planet and envision our future. The narrative of human existence, deeply intertwined with the soil, has taken center stage.

In this new reality, ‘skinship’ symbolizes the intimate bond between human skin and the Earth’s skin, the soil. It marks a departure from the Anthropocene era towards a more harmonious coexistence. This shift was catalyzed by crises that forced us to reevaluate our priorities, moving away from short-term thinking and nationalism. Instead, inclusivity, diverse perspectives, and technology as a connector with nature guided our path.

Advanced technological augmentation devices, seamlessly integrated with human skin, allow people to connect intimately with the land. These devices collect real-time data about soil health and fertility, translating it into physical sensations that wearers can feel. Communities adopt rituals that harmonize with the rhythms of the land, empowering individuals to understand their own personal fertility in sync with the Earth. The rise of In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG) technology, allowing the creation of human reproductive cells from human skin cells, further deepens this bond. Some pioneers even started to explore the idea of ‘genetic babies’ with the Earth, envisioning offspring inextricably linked to the soil.

This transformative narrative extends beyond human reproduction; it revolutionizes food production, shifting from conventional to regenerative practices. Augmentation devices contribute to a global network of soil health monitoring, creating a harmonious cycle where the Earth’s skin’s well-being sustains humanity.

In this possible future, survival is a collaborative effort, a testament to the resilience of communities navigating the delicate balance between human and soil fertility. ‘Skinship’ emerges as a symbol of unity, emphasizing the physical bonds between human life and the living, breathing skin of the Earth.

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SCENARIO 4: One Health Alliances

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

In 2033, a profound shift in governance models is underway, challenging traditional notions of authority. Fueled by a lack of trust in human leadership’s ability to address the environmental crisis, breakthroughs in AI development have given rise to unprecedented collaborations between humans and nonhumans. The EcoMind Alliance, led by the Artificial Intelligence – GAIA, emerges as a pioneering political party, uniting scientists, farmers, indigenous communities, activists, and technologists.

In this envisioned future, the planet undergoes unprecedented monitoring through an intricate network of satellites and sensors, gathering data from diverse ecosystems—forests, oceans, insects, and plants. GAIA-AI interprets this wealth of information in collaboration with local communities, fostering a synergistic relationship between artificial intelligence and human insights. This dynamic interaction gives rise to new policies, the implementation of regenerative farming practices, and the establishment of Earth Rights — recognizing the Earth as a community of interconnected subjects.

The EcoMind Alliance operates under the guiding principle of ‘One Health,’ embracing a holistic perspective that acknowledges the intricate interdependence of all earthly beings. The alliance’s endeavors, such as the “seed currency,” mark a crucial step toward harmonizing the human economy with the delicate balance of the Earth’s ecology. Through collaborative efforts, they navigate the complexities of environmental challenges and seem to be a step towards a future where humans and nonhumans coexist in a mutually beneficial and sustainable equilibrium.

However, amidst the promise of the EcoMind Alliance, the RealNature group emerges as a formidable opposition. Comprising tech skeptics echoing the historical Luddite movement, they adamantly resist the integration of advanced technologies. Fearing the perceived threats of AI, this group actively sabotages the AI-driven pilot farms established by the EcoMind Alliance. Messages exchanged within this group reveal a deep-seated fear of losing the authenticity of nature to the encroachment of artificial entities.

In light of these tensions between technological progress and natural preservation, a crucial question arises: To what extent should AI be entrusted with decision-making in areas crucial to environmental sustainability, and what safeguards should be in place?

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SCENARIO 5: PATTERNS THAT PERSIST: Biodiversity As The Measure Of Healthy Human Food Systems

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

What if… Biodiversity became the main measure of healthy human food systems?
This scenario imagines that in 2033, the buzzword in every part of the food system will be biodiversity. Attempts earlier in the 21st century for food systems to be chemical-free or carbon-neutral had limited uptake and impact. The scenario suggests that in 2028, the European Commission approved quite radical legislation called Maximizing Biodiversity. Since then, the increase in agricultural and wild biodiversity has had a big impact on the food system, with tangible and measurable changes and impacts, both good and bad. The story follows a journalist named Max, who travels through Europe in 2033, where he meets various stakeholders affected by this European focus on maximizing biodiversity.
From radical fringe groups in remote areas to the largest ag-tech corporations, everyone is looking for ways to make kitchens, farms, and rural landscapes more biodiverse. Max is particularly interested in talking to the farmers and citizens who feel left behind by the new focus and the network of regenerative farmers and food producers who work to heal agricultural landscapes.
For example, in Poland, he speaks with a traditional farmer who struggles to adapt. As the farm adapts to new requirements, the less the farmer is sure what he is even farming. However, in Portugal, he meets a technician who designs monitoring tech for food forests, a pioneer in optimizing community-based emerging technologies for biodiversity and environmental healing. She has developed open-source DIY technologies that monitor the health and biodiversity of food forests, such as an AI-enabled audio ecology device and software and an online platform that connects producers with eaters. He also attended the filming of a talk show in Serbia about the future of food, where he observed that food is a playground for new possibilities and hybridities but also a battleground of polarised identity politics. Who do you think Max should visit?

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SCENARIO 6: The Cooking Ape Institute

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

The preparation of food can have an important role in our society in the context of the umbrella term „Food as medicine“. It can have mental, physical, and ecological benefits. How is it possible to support and revolutionize the process of cooking, baking, and food preparation? Cooking can take on a whole new role in our society through a holistic approach, with the cornerstones being personalized and environmentally friendly nutrition (such as the Planetary Health Diet) as well as mental health through multi-sensory perception during the preparation process. This concept, leading to improved mental and physical health, is by no means the romanticization of grandma’s cooking. In an increasingly digitalized society, the physical and psychological needs of sensory activities are often neglected. Our senses provide us with orientation and mental balance. It is always an interplay of several senses that allows us to perceive the world. In psychology, this is known as multi-sensory experience and is particularly prominent in the culinary world, where haptics, acoustics, olfactory, gustatory, and visual senses create a shared experience. Looking at the preparation of food in evolutionary terms, we could argue that our fine motor skills, the development of various technologies, and the handling of new materials are strongly linked to the preparation of food. In addition to the multi-sensory aspects of preparing food, especially when working with sourdough or other fermented products, there is a microbial exchange that can benefit both the product and the person cooking it. The current discourse on inter-species relationships in the context of the ecological crisis shows that there can be no debate on human well-being without including other life forms. Could we reinvent the way how we prepare food and create a multi-sensorial and inter-species experience for a physically, mentally, and ecologically healthier life?

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SCENARIO 7: Food Beyond Food: what is food without its origin?

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

The assessment of food and its quality has traditionally hinged on its geographical origin. Within the food industry, scrutiny and investigations into a product’s origin have played a crucial role in determining its quality. Prestigious products from various corners of the globe have been manufactured and exported as premium offerings, undergoing rigorous testing and certification as “protected and certified origin,” thereby elevating them to a status of luxury on our dining tables.

It is now the year 2044. The increasing global population and the environmental impact of climate change on conventional food production have compelled us to explore alternative resources for the food industry. Many staples that have long defined our cultural cuisine are now produced through lab-grown, hydroponic, and genetically modified methods. However, this approach standardizes food quality and characteristics globally, transcending geographical origins and traditions.
In a world where the best can be found anywhere, the concept of “authentic” is redefined. As food remains an anchor to traditions and community belonging, what is a national cuisine without the geographical ties we once knew? This transformation prompts contemplation on the essence of food, its identity, and cultural significance in a world where origin becomes a malleable concept.

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SCENARIO 8: What the World Eats. Agro-technologies in Earthly Futures

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

The scenario includes past and contemporary patterns to envision a future transformative paradigm in the convergence of technology, agriculture, and the environment. Should we broaden our consideration of who benefits from our food choices, placing emphasis on the concept of gratitude for the gifts the world provides us and recognizing our obligation to ensure the care of more-than-human lives and the overall well-being of our planet? In recent decades, the world has been quite literally eating the waste chambers of packaging, plastics, electronic waste, etc. At the same time, our reliance on agricultural and ecosystem knowledge, to a larger extent, will rely on digital and technological apparatuses.
Nothing nutritious will grow in the digital rubbish, nor will anything pollinate in a digital twin; few earthbound intimacies can rummage in the excess work of software and hardware maintenance. Do these elements take the appearance of the Talmudic myth: the Golem, an automated being gone on a killing frenzy until returning to dust? We need machines, just as rock-based machines one day will turn to dust and become soil again. The Rooiboit Nutritura Antessorem takes this life span of technological apparatuses seriously and explores the ancestral dimension of imagining agro-technological machines. It includes past and contemporary patterns to envision a future transformative paradigm in the convergence of technology, agriculture, and the environment. Not only should it nurture and express gratitude to its predecessor—the Earth, its minerals, and soils—but also to the future generations of life and the potential for differentiation. If opening up for symbiosis across intergenerational time-space, then what is the agri-technological machinery of the future? Can technology itself become compostable for the earth? Should the conception of tech be expanded to include traditional ecological knowledge (tek)? Can we incorporate non-human sensibility and bio-machines in food systems, as well as affirmative towards difference?

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SCENARIO 9: From Farm to Table in a Hyperconnected World: A Journey Through Macro to Micro Experiences

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

From Farm to Table in a Hyperconnected World explores a dynamic journey through three interconnected scenarios that traverse the realms of macro-to-micro experiences within the contemporary food landscape. Rooted in a complete food chain, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of AI technologies, robotics, and immersive technologies. These innovations enable real-time monitoring and adaptive processes throughout the entire agricultural and culinary continuum.
The overarching scenario envisions an innovative hybrid encompassing traditional agriculture, agroforestry, and lab-grown food products. This symbiosis is powered by a diverse array of cutting-edge technologies, including AI, IoT, robotics, and remote sensing. The integration of these technologies is humanized through communal experiences enriched by immersive art and gamification, ensuring data transparency and compliance with AI ethical standards.
As the scenarios transition from macro to mezzo and micro levels, novel features emerge, such as edible electronics and soft robotics. A distinctive highlight is the introduction of personalized augmented sensory dining experiences, intricately woven with personal data. This approach not only allows for the incorporation of the individual into the culinary process but also addresses the complexities of data ownership in a hyperconnected, post-globalized world characterized by both centralized and decentralized influences, impacting every facet of our in-real-life (IRL) and online (URL) existence.
In this narrative, the coexistence of natural and digital ecologies is paramount, presenting a holistic vision where technology and nature seamlessly intertwine to shape the future of our food experiences.

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SCENARIO 10: Bio-Intelligent Data

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

The future is embodied by divergent food systems and complex food value chains, each giving rise to a vast repository of data. The food system, struggling to respond to changing climate, resource distribution, and increased population-related demands, has evolved along a set of opposed pathways. Consequently, these pathways represent distinct value systems and exert long-term impacts on the landscape and environment. Vertically integrated industrial agriculture, including organic practices, has taken over even more of the food system market. The lab-grown food sector, particularly lab-grown meat, has developed substantially. Meanwhile, smallholder farming persists, albeit to varying extents.

In this unfolding landscape, data economies are not merely an emerging force but stand as the dominant economic sector, fundamentally reshaping the foundations of commerce. At the heart of this transformation lies big data, a ubiquitous force seamlessly integrated into the food value chain. The symbiotic relationship between big data and the food value chain has become so pronounced that they are virtually synonymous. Across the globe, electronically stored chronological lifespans document every nuance of food production.

Leveraging the biological intelligence of the human body as a source for decision-making, new horizons for understanding and harnessing the intelligence of the natural world exist, paving the way for a deeper understanding of the biological world. An organic and emotion-based network connects people to their environment, rooted in living data. The visual representation of this data and the built and natural environment have fundamentally changed and represent a more flexible and responsive tapestry, leaving the transitions between data and reality blurred.

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SCENARIO 11: Poetry of Nutrition

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

What are our true priorities? Is nutrition the most extensive field of destructive consumerism or a noble means of survival? Poetry of Nutrition is a realistic dystopian industrial saga with an optimistic and brave revolutionary twist. Let’s imagine the future we really want to have in spite of everything.

The global health crisis in the near future will reach its peak by 2030. The mental and physical health of all generations rapidly deteriorated. Huge protest outbreaks and changes of governments follow all around the globe due to this immense threat that 35% of the previously employable population is unable to work and economically contribute.

A new additional health system is established. The Nutritional Health System is merging sophisticated technology with the valuable therapeutic tradition of psychotherapy. Soft robots are used to bring people closer, especially among different generations, while learning how to control the food production and market. With beautiful somatosensory and visually opulent behavior, the robots appeal to humans much more than the dry warnings of doctors in the past. This empathetic appearance of robots opens people’s true motivation to change and implement new habits. Art, humanities, medicine, and science completely fuse and intertwine.

Industry follows the lead and offers plenty of products that can help the general cause of the battle for collective health. Food therapy apps, pesticide monitoring drones, statistical dishes, and educational, therapeutic computer games mold the new everyday experience.

Outside of the health system, the creation of communities branches out, and people start to connect and nurture relations with local farmers and food producers. They switch from global brands to local small sources of food. They turn to the food that they can trust and feel as theirs truly. A communal chain of practical empathy is established. People rediscover the true meaning of community and collective health.

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SCENARIO 12: HEALTHY FOOD PROTOCOLS

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SCENARIO NARRATIVE

The deep political, economic and social crisis has seen Serbia of 2034 as a country of the poor, leaving almost every seventh resident below the minimum survival income. The “Right to Food” protocol has been adopted to enable a sustainable, social and united economy of healthy food chains in big cities by operating within community urban farms.

It deals with concepts, methodologies and technologies to construct an innovative concept of community that aims to empower vulnerable populations by testing different configurations of life, work and farming. What if food can act as a catalyst for societal change and community building?
The scenario introduces several community tech gadgets (brace, brick, balloon, robot bee) from the belief that they contribute to retrieving faith in the concept of community built on ecological, cultural and humanist values of communal living in this hyper-individualized tech world. The scenario envisions the capacities of the collective intelligence of all involved citizens to bring closer the future well-being of the most vulnerable members of our society while allowing them to actively participate in future changes in their local communities and food practices.

Moreover, moving from standard practices of farming to algorithmically generated farms with underlined machine learning and robotic systems, AI technologies enhance the decision-making processes to maintain food security, increase the nutritional value of food, secure the most personalized food consumption model and therefore improve our health and the overall human condition. It is a technology that not only administrates farm infrastructure and enhances the types of necessary data models in support of farm management and types of crop production and responds to a poly-organized farm production area but also contributes to our understanding of the reality of current food production in the city and size-optimization of the city farming.

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