MATR 2024 - Call for Submission

Welcome to MATR 2024!

Video Pool Media Arts Centre is pleased to announce our upcoming Media Art + Technology Residency (MATR). MATR is designed to be a site-specific exploration of VP’s intimate Poolside Gallery where artists will have up to six weeks to develop and install a new work that responds to and utilizes the gallery’s characteristics. MATR specifically supports experimental, independent, technology-based works and we welcome member submissions that focus on a large variety of mediums, approaches, and aesthetics.

NOTE: All applicants must have a valid membership at time of application from any of the following membership categories: PSU ($10), CPU ($100), GPU ($200), or Motherboard ($650). Membership information can be found HERE.

Theme for 2024

The current theme for MATR is Withdrawal, and is a part of a year-long program celebrating and exploring VP’s 40th anniversary, what we are referring to as our Mid-life Crisis™. The VP mid-life crisis™ series will feature programs from the six stages of a typical mid-life crisis: Denial, Passion; Replay, Depression, Withdrawal, and Acceptance.

In celebration of VP’s 40th anniversary, the Withdrawal residency will honour VP’s tradition of technology-based artistic expression through commissioning an artist (or team) to create an immersive work that encapsulates elements of VP’s past, present and/or future by withdrawing elements of research about VP and placing them into new contexts. This recontextualization can envision new trajectories and technologies, reimagine histories and futures, or develop a present through historical sampling and remixing. Artists can choose to develop algorithmic or data-driven works, immersive A/V works, or any other technology-based installations.

We are specifically looking for ‘experimental’ work that conceptually highlights VP’s past, present and/or future within an immersive installation. The installation can include works of sound, XR, video, interactivity, physical computing, virtual art, projection mapping, electronics etc. and can be made utilizing VP’s facilities such as the A/V suite, analog video suite, motion capture / VR suite, modular synth, or any of our cameras, streaming equipment, mics, recorders, projectors etc.

Residency Details

VP will offer an artist fee of $3000 for the residency and subsequent exhibition in Poolside Gallery.

Artists will have full access to VP’s equipment and facilities during their residency and are encouraged to familiarize themselves with VP’s equipment, facilities, and video catalogue. The residency can also be done remotely, however VP is unable to provide travel funding at this time.

VP gives priority to artists of equity-seeking groups with experimental media arts practices and works that explore technology for its aesthetics or socio-political implications.