PRESENTATION
Espronceda Institute of Art and Culture
ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture is a Barcelona-based artistic and cultural research and dissemination center. It has exhibition spaces, workshops areas and accommodation for residence.
IMMENSIVA is a platform, managed by Espronceda, for the creation and innovation on projects that are exploring immersion, interaction and gamification by involving interdisciplinary teams, art driven, who are working with advanced technologies (VR, XR, AI, 3D sound, real time scanners, sensors, robotics and many others). The projects are very experimental and social engaged because IMMENSIVA wish to generate impact in the community and innovation value. Network and partnership with international institutions are building the strength of the platform to attracting talent and to generate opportunities for startup’s creation and international promotion for the developed projects.
NUBIA (NFTs Universe in the Blockchain for International Artists) is a new platform launched by IMMENSIVA. The creation of Metaverses and the generation of new experiences is explored by invited artists. These proposals, between the physical and the digital, are connected to the blockchain economy, through the generation of NFTs associated with digital artistic works and physical works. The Metaverses proposed by the artists have their own rules, they use gamification, immersion and interaction to invite collectors, visitors and experts to be part of the immensity of NUBIA and to experience, interact and socialize in new worlds inhabited by artworks. curatorially selected, and fantastic avatars.
NUBiA LAB INCUBACIÓ consists of a local creative/ artists incubation program to help the development of innovative projects while being mentored and invited to workshops in the technological and artistic field by several mentors, in addition to a subsequent exhibition and selection of curatorial projects. Therefore, projects will have the opportunity to join the platform located at www.nubia.world.
Previously, there will be a selection of 4 projects to incubate leaded by local artists and creatives from the call promoted through social networks. The residence will take place at the ESPRONCEDA Institute of Art and Culture and will have all the services necessary for the team’s possible stay during the day. The period of incubation will be mixed: face to face and online, depending on the availability of the participant. From September to November 2023.
The process of incubation will last 8 weeks in which participants will develop their projects of the Metavers and other mixed realities within their teams. NUBIA has technological teams for development as well as a mentoring process with industry experts and teachers that will follow the projects and offer their help in every topic.
Last but not least, every artis will receive a grant of 200€ for every artist. And a price of 1500€ for the finalist project resulting from the residence, this will be selected by a professional jury
Objective of the call
Generate innovative liminal projects between the physical and digital worlds. Introduce to a jury coordinated by NUBIA different projects relating to the Metavers, Web3, Blockchain, Virtual Reality, Extended Reality, Artificial Intelligence, among others. Finally, participate in the final exhibition in the art gallery of Espronceda Institute of Art and Culture.
Inviting new artists and creatives, selected by a professional jury, to join the NUBIA community, in which we will upload their profile to the website and the project will be recorded. Projects that reach the appropriate level could be invited to participate in subsequent exhibitions in Espronceda or other associated centers.
Selection process
The calls are open to candidates from all over Catalonia who have knowledge of advanced technologies (any level), and who have an artistic, creative, or technical background. The call will be published on the 23th of August 2023 and will remain open until 7th of October. The selection of the open call will be announced shortly after the user submits their portfolio and proposal. Favoring creative young people and artists who are interested or studying undergraduate or university degrees linked to creation and new technologies.
How can I apply to this proposal?
It’s very simple, you have to fill in the form below and we’ll send you an e-mail as we accepted your proposal/candidacy!
Evaluation criteria
NUBIA Lab is not just for artists, it is for all kinds of internal-disciplinary profiles that want to participate in Metavers projects. Among the various criteria are:
Previous experience working with NFT/blockchain projects.
Knowledge of immersive technologies, to later generate a Metaverse in the NUBIA world.
Artistic concept of the proposal.
People who are willing to engage in a project and learn.
What does the residence include
NUBIA LAB Incubació participants will have access to the training of online workshops and eye-catches in advanced Metaverse technologies managed by field professionals. In site and online workshops on technologies and key competencies to go into the creation of Metaversos will be presented. These workshops will be carried out by teachers or people linked to the major universities of Catalonia or intitutions, for example: UB, UPC, UOC, Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Llull, UAB, Neapolis Vilanova, Eurecat, Artificia, Garage Stories, Ircam, Royal College of Art, etc. International experts and consolidated and visionary artists of the Metavers are also invited.
WORKSHOPS FACE TO FACE AND ONLINE
The proposed workshops are as follows: (duration of workshops from 2 to 4 hours each, exact dates to be defined).
First phase. Conceptualization Workshops.
- Storytelling for immersive installations [Àlex Ginés (Neàpolis)]
- Social impact in projects [TBD]
Second phase. Technical Workshops.
- Creative Artificial Intelligence [Javier from EURECAT]
- Augmented Reality [Kris Pilcher]
- Virtual Reality [Fran Macia (UPF)]
- Haptics [Esen (UPC)]
- IRCAM Software [Paola Palumbo (IRCAM)]
- AI Tools [Lisette Remus (Artificia)]
- Third phase. Marketing Workshops.
- Business model [Marta Ordeig (Garage Stories)]
- 16th and 17th October: International project management [Soliman López]
- International markets [Camille Baker (RCA)]
- Business management [TBD]
Workshops provide the opportunity for creative artists who do not have access to complex equipment to work with them, such as virtual reality glasses, computers with good graphics cards or computing capacity.
Workshops, will be life streamed online (via YouTube) will be open to a larger number of attendees and are also available on the project website: NUBIA. https://nubia.world/
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Espronceda has a limited number of equipment: VR headphones, laptops, PCs, projectors, displays, speakers, etc., which can be used for project exposure and development.
EXHIBITION
Metavers projects will be displayed in front of the jury and public opening. The winning project will also be announced and the production award will be delivered.
Awards and Grants
1) Free and unlimited access to Esporceda technical equipment: laptops, virtual reality glasses, projectors, LED displays, etc.
2) Lodging in the residence spaces for creator artists from outside Barcelona.
3) Maintenance gases: EUR 200/ artist.
4) Final prize of 1.500 Euro for the production of the project chosen by the jury.
Obligations
NUBIA participants are required to publicize the NUBIA program from the moment they are selected, during their work process and after it, using labels and logos provided by the organization.
Artists must provide an executable copy of the project for NUBIA, for which it may require installation on a created software hardware, as well as delivering a memory with the project description and its technical description for perfect execution.