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OPEN CALL
Artistic concepts for a synthesis of XR & AI
Submit until: 31.03.2026

Art and culture are predestined to explore the opportunities and risks of digital technologies and to increase media literacy among the public. Artists and cultural professionals provide important impulses for the discourse on the influence of technologies on our society and vice versa. The exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR) – augmented, mixed and virtual reality as well as projection-based 3D worlds – has so far taken place largely separately from one another.

This is where the new EU-funded project IUNO – Innovation Centre for Intelligent and Immersive Technologies in the Independent Cultural Scene at HTW Berlin steps in with its annual open call.

The OPEN CALL 2026 is aimed at individuals and teams from the fields of visual arts, music, literature, performing arts, design, photography and video art. It addresses the independent scene as well as small enterprises of the creative industry in Berlin.

We are looking for a strong artistic concept that innovatively combines AI and XR in an interactive cultural project. This synthesis could be, for example, the use of AI as an artistic subject, as an agent (e.g. as an avatar) or as a tool in XR.

We look forward to your ideas and topics! Especially welcome are concepts that harness the immersive potential of XR to contribute to social discourse on the opportunities and risks of AI.

From all submissions, our expert jury will select one concept to be co-developed at HTW Berlin as part of an Artistic Fellowship starting in May 2026. For the timeline, please see the schedule below.

*** INFO EVENT ON THE CURRENT OPEN CALL ON 18.02.26 AT 5:00 PM VIA ZOOM (Link) ***

The Fellowship includes:

• Support in fine-tuning the concept for subsequent development
• Insight into and experience with agile development methods
• Close collaboration with our interdisciplinary IUNO team, providing expertise in XR development and AI, user navigation, digital media production, storytelling, and project management
• Premises at the FKI – Research Centre for Culture and Computer Science at HTW Berlin
• State-of-the-art equipment (hardware/software)
• A public networking event at HTW Berlin as a platform for presenting the project after completion of the collaboration
• Interdisciplinary research and a scientific paper on the project (open access)

Rough Schedule:

Requirements/experience:

• A basic understanding of XR and AI technologies
• Openness to interdisciplinary collaboration
• Willingness to share information relevant to interdisciplinary research (e.g. through interviews or co-authorship)
• Commitment to regular meetings throughout the collaboration (approximately once per week, except in August/September)
• Consent to work independently during August/September
• Ideally, experience with interdisciplinary cultural projects

Application

The application documents should include the following files (font size 12):

• A letter of motivation of 1 x A4 page
• The concept of 2–5 A4 pages with at least one visualisation (e.g. sketch, model). The use of AI should be described as precisely as possible.
• Outline of required work packages and responsibilities
• Short CV(s) with a maximum of ½ A4 page per person
• For each team member, a link to website(s) or a portfolio of previous relevant work

Applications may be submitted in German or English.

Further information on the application

• Applications will only be accepted by email to hi-iuno@htw-berlin.de.
• The application deadline is 31.03.2026 at 11 p.m.
• The decision will be made in mid-April 2026. Applicants will be notified by email.
• Save the date: The concept selected in 2026 will be presented at the first public IUNO networking event on 19 June 2026, 1–6 p.m., at HTW Berlin (Wilhelminenhof campus).

If you have any questions, for example about the schedule or the outline of the required work packages and responsibilities, please send us an email to hi-iuno@htw-berlin.de or attend the information event on 18.02.2026 via Zoom (link).