UNESCO City of Media Arts Karlsruhe opens call for media art projects 2025

The UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts Karlsruhe is accepting applications for its 2025 Media Art Project Funding Program - The Shape of Tomorrow. The call is open to professional media artists and art collectives, especially those from other UNESCO Media Arts Cluster cities. The project calls for the creation of a visually engaging, interactive media artwork that incorporates technological media or tools in its conception, presentation, or execution. While a range of media art forms are acceptable, certain works cannot be considered due to spatial limitations—specifically, sound artworks, VR and AR pieces, and video projections, unless they are part of an installation designed for a (semi-)enclosed space, the construction of which must be included in the project budget. An expert jury from the arts, culture, and creative industries will select the winning proposals, each of which will receive a €10,000 grant for project realization. The selected works will be exhibited at art KARLSRUHE 2026 during February 5-8, with further presentations to follow as part of the UNESCO City of Media Arts Karlsruhe's exhibition program.

Karlsruhe has been designated a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts since 2019 and is a member of the global UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The city's mission is to promote media art as a catalyst for social and technological innovation, integrating art and science to enrich public life and support sustainable urban development. Karlsruhe actively supports international networking and the presentation of contemporary digital, interactive, and virtual media art in public spaces.

The selected project is being realised with the support of the Werner-Stober Foundation.