ARTeCHÓ – Art, Economy & Technology

ARTeCHÓ – Art, Economy & Technology was created with the aim of unlocking the potential of Crypto Art and other technological tools for the European creative industry.
In addition to MEET | Digital Cultural Center (Italy), this European initiative was supported by four European institutions: SERN – Startup Europe Regions Network (Belgium), Baltan Laboratories (Netherlands), FZC-Etopia Center for Art & Technology (Spain) and Frankfurt School Blockchain Center (Germany).

The main goal of ARTeCHÓ is to create a peer-to-peer learning community for artists so that they can learn more about the technical side of the artistic process and its intersection with new technologies, Crypto Art, blockchain and NFT markets.
To this end, ARTeCHÓ has launched a call for applications to select 15 artists and designers to be included in a 7-month fellowship program (worth 10,000 euros). This program consists of a blended approach with online meetings, training, mentorship, inspirational sessions, and a two-week physical residency. During this period, the selected fellows will work on the proposed projects and present them to the public at the end of the course.
ARTeCHÓ will combine artistic talent with technological exploration, bringing together recognized experts and artists to share their knowledge with emerging creatives and provide them with inputs to grow artistically and professionally.

The underlying approach of the program is to explore these decentralized technologies with a critical approach to their economic and ecological implications. In addition, the intention is to artistically expand the theme of decentralization beyond the merely technological aspect. To critically implement this approach, inspirational sessions and contributions highlighting the role of art in decentralized technologies will be included; the empowerment and speculation of NFTs, the ecological costs of crypto art, the costs of research, and the social implications of blockchain for alternative economic models, to name a few, will be attempted.

The program includes:

April – October ∙ Inspirational sessions. Topics that will be explored are: the promises and pitfalls of NFTs and cryptocurrencies, decentralization and society, the contribution of arts and design to decentralized technologies, DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations), crypto arts, and the social implications of blockchain.

April – October ∙ Mentoring sessions. Mentoring sessions with experienced artists/curators in the field will give artists a chance to reflect on the inspirational sessions and discuss their project ideas.

May 17 – 19, 2023 ∙ Kick-off at MEET| Digital Culture Center (Milan, Italy). A three-day on-site program with lectures, workshops and experiences. The 15 winning artists met with the 3 mentors and worked with them to develop and begin prototyping the art project.

November 02 – 16, 2023 ∙ Residency at the ETOPIA Center for Art and Technology (Zaragoza, Spain). During these weeks, practical work sessions in the new media lab are planned and collaborative projects for ETOPIA’s virtual gallery are encouraged.