We are in the process of establishing a themed garden on the subject of human existential risks in the southeast of Austria that will feature outdoor Art by international artists.

The development of humanity is characterised by an increasingly accelerating technological development.

Discoveries and new inventions make people's lives easier in many areas, help to overcome diseases and crises and have the potential to greatly improve people's lifespan while simultaneously improving their quality of life.

At the same time, technological products from areas such as nanotechnology, genetic engineering and artificial intelligence could not only play more important roles in people's lives, but may also have a greater influence on people's culture, behaviour and gene pool.

It may increasingly merge with human bodies and become physically part of them.

In this open call, we are seeking proposals for the commissioning of an:

Existential Risks Monument (Memorial)

The monument is intended to remind people of the possibility that new technologies can pose a threat to the existence or free development of mankind.

It is to remind everyone of their responsibility in the promotion of humane applications of future technologies as well as the prevention of applications that threaten freedom or the future potential of humans.

The sculpture can be abstract or figurative.

The sculpture shall be made from durable materials that are capable of lasting for decades in an outdoor environment without degradation.

The sculpture should be smaller than 4x4x4m in size.

There is no minimum size for the sculpture.

The total cost for the sculpture, including building cost, shall not exceed EUR 12.000.

We welcome any dialogue with artists on the topic.

Please feel free to get in contact with us at any time for discussions.

Terms and Conditions

The work has to be created and produced in a country of the European Union.

Please provide the following:

1. Artist Statement (up to 300 words): including a description of how the work is connected to the theme

2. Project Proposal (up to 500 words): including name and size, materials, weight in kg

3. Project Budget (up to EUR 12,000, including production costs and honorarium)

4. Images (up to 10). This may include existing projects that meet the specified criteria, examples of previous work to showcase your style or proposed ideas.

5. CV

Proposals will be reviewed relative to the following criteria:

• Quality of the proposal and previous work.
• Aesthetic and practical design for installation in a park or garden with mature trees.
• Relevance to the theme.
• Feasibility of the project in terms of budget and schedule.
• Among proposals of equal merit, total costs will be considered

There is no fee to make a proposal. There will be no payments or refunds for any costs related to submissions in this open call.

If your proposal is chosen for the commission, we will proceed to negotiate and finalise a contract with you, outlining milestones and the corresponding advance payments.

While we are particularly interested in proposals for bespoke artworks, we do not exclude the possibility of acquiring existing artworks that meet the specified criteria.

Therefore, we would also appreciate learning about any existing works of art that fulfil the requirements outlined above.

The Open Call is open for submissions as of 27 November 2024.

The proposal deadline is 19 February 2025.

All artists will be notified of their submission status by 26 March 2025.

Artworks should be produced within 12 months of this date.

Please note that only one submission can be selected for this commission. Not being selected is not a reflection of your abilities.

We look forward to reviewing your proposal.