Mediamatic is now accepting applications for the upcoming year, starting July 1st - September 30th, 2026.

We invite you to be part of our Living Labs Residencies for 2026! Work in the Haptic Lab and join our monastic sense of living.

Mediamatic’s practice has always been strongly inspired by its venue and environment. We understand our locations as a test-site for knowledge useful on a global scale. While our current venue, Biotoop Dijkspark on the Oosterdok in Amsterdam, is centrally accessible, it also forms a sequestered calm environment. Forming both a refuge and a hub, our program responds to urgent social and ecological topics. Our program for 2025-2026 aims to expand on this through the concept of the Open City Monastery.

Main Research Topics:

The Haptic Lab is all about the senses, a versatile and practical space. With a pleasant and inspiring private atmosphere, this space lends itself a perfect setting for brainstorming sessions, meetings, or workshops. The space is a tactile environment including a Material Archive.

• Touch

• Collective art

• Art in Public Spaces

• More-than-human

• Monastery

Who can apply?

• This Open Call at Mediamatic is open to all visual artists, researchers, writers, and designers at the beginning of their professional careers, from all countries and nationalities, that are based in The Netherlands and possess a KVK registration.

• Makers thinking outside the box, if you think it's possible, it's possible at Mediamatic.

• We are mainly looking for adaptations of existing work.

• A formal or completed (art) education is not required.

• Collaborations and collectives are welcome to present their projects.

What do we offer?

• To work in our freshly renovated living lab around the sense of touch.

• Access to our digital and material archive.

• A residency period of two months at our Haptic Lab (July - August). This period is flexible; you do not need to be present continuously, but we consider you a member of our team during the residency.

• We offer accommodation and lunch as part of life at our Monastery.

• Your final work (which can vary from installation, performance, or workshops) will be on display for one month at our location, with the opening scheduled for September.

• A fixed fee for the final work, plus a fee of €600 (ex VAT) per month of residency.

• We provide guidance and support with bi-weekly meetings to discuss the residency process and final output.

• During your residency, you have the opportunity to develop a workshop or presentation together with the Mediamatic team.

• We provide a small material/installation budget depending on the proposal.

• We provide communication and promotion of your artwork during the exhibition period, as well as including you in our international network hub, connecting you to other makers in our network, free access to all our workshops and events.

Application

Applications should be written in English.

To submit your proposal, please email program@mediamatic.nl. You can also use this address if you have any questions about the application process.

In order to apply to our Open Call we'll need this information:

1. Personal data and education: Besides your personal details, this section includes sending an up-to-date CV (e.g. solo / group exhibitions, residencies, publications, awards etc.) and information about your (art) education (e.g. institute, course of study, study period, degree etc.), if applicable.

2. Portfolio: You can send your artist statement and attach documentation of your work, as well as descriptions of your documentation.

3. Motivation: please provide us with the reason you are applying to Mediamatic's Open Call. You can write a maximum of 250 words about your reason to apply. You can include here a brief project proposal, we highly encourage you to include supporting images or the work.

The deadline to apply for the upcoming 2026 (July 1, 2026 – September 30, 2026) is Friday December 19, 2025 11:59pm CET. The selection procedure takes approximately one month. Applicants are informed on the status of their application by email. We will announce the winner of the Open Call on Friday January 30th via our social media channels.

Disclaimer

• The work will be displayed in our public space around the Biotope, be mindful of the risks and advantages of that.

• We need you to sign a Security, Risks, and Responsibility clause. Our fantastic location, while beautiful, may not be the safest to display artworks. We will take measures to preserve your work, but we cannot be held responsible for theft or damage.

• All applications are reviewed by the program team of Mediamatic, and assessed along criteria like potential for development, artistic urgency, and an interest in the visual/material/formal possibilities of art practice in an Open City Monastery context.