Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - STARTS Prize (STARTS Prize - Grand prize of the European Commission honoring innovation in technology, industry and society stimulated by the arts)

Teaser

STARTS is an initiative of the European Commission to foster alliances of technology and artistic practice. As part of this initiative, the STARTS Prize awards the most pioneering collaborations and results in the field of creativity and innovation at the crossings of science...

Summary

STARTS is an initiative of the European Commission to foster alliances of technology and artistic practice. As part of this initiative, the STARTS Prize awards the most pioneering collaborations and results in the field of creativity and innovation at the crossings of science and technology with the arts. The STARTS Prize of the European Commission is launched by Ars Electronica, BOZAR and Waag.

Science, Technology and Arts (=STARTS) form a nexus with an extraordinarily high potential for creative innovation. And such innovation is considered to be precisely what’s called for if we’re to master the social, ecological and economic challenges that Europe will be facing in the near future. The role of artists thus is no longer seen to be just about propagating scientific and technological knowledge and skills among the general public but much more as a kind of catalyst that can inspire and trigger innovative processes. The artistic practice of creative exploration and experimental appropriation of new technologies has a wide reaching potential to contribute to the development of new products and new economic, social and business models. Accordingly, the STARTS Prize focuses on artistic works that influence or change the way we look at technology, and on innovative forms of collaboration between the ICT sector and the world of art and culture.

Two prizes, each with €20,000 prize money, are offered to honor innovative projects at the intersection of science, technology and the arts: one for artistic exploration, and thus projects with the potential to influence or change the way technology is deployed, developed or perceived, and one for innovative collaboration between industry/technology and art/culture in ways that open up new paths for innovation.

Grand Prize – Artistic Exploration Awarded for artistic exploration and art works where appropriation by the arts has a strong potential to influence or alter the use, deployment or perception of technology.
Grand Prize – Innovative Collaboration Awarded for innovative collaboration between industry or technology and the arts that opens new pathways for innovation.

Work performed

\"The following STARTS Prize activities were implemented:
Selection and Announcement of Winners
11.1.2017 / 10.1.2018 / 10.1.2019 : Start of STARTS Prize Open Call
13.3.2017 / 12.3.2018 / 11.3.2019 : End of STARTS Prize Open Call
6-9.4.2017 / 19-22.4.2018 / 11–14.4.2019 : STARTS Prize Nomination Committee Meeting
10.4.2017 / 23.4.2018 / 15.4.2019: STARTS Prize Jury Meeting
9.5.2017 / 4.6.2018 / 20.5.2019 : STARTS Prize Press conference/ winner announcement
8.9.2017 / 7.9.2018 : Ars Electronica Gala (Award Ceremony)

Dissemination Events
Main STARTS Exhibitions
07.-11.9.2017 / 06.-10.9.2018 : Ars Electronica Festival STARTS Exhibition
14-30.9.2017 / 19.-30.9.2018 : BOZAR STARTS Prize Best-off exhibition

Participation in 8 exhibition organized by the consortium or with collaboration partners

Organization of conferences / talks
09.05.2017: Get Inspired
08.09.2017: STARTS Roundtable and STARTS Prize Forum
07.&10.9.2017: STARTS Prize Talks
14.09.2017: Opening Symposium & Symposium Art, Science and Technology Collaborations in Europe
11.10.2017: Presentation of STARTS at Frankfurter Buchmesse – ARTS+
18.10.2017: STARTS Talks #1 at DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum, Berlin
26.10.2017: STARTS Talks #2 at Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven
11.06.2018 STARTS Talk at CEBIT
21.06.2018 STARTS Talk at WeMakeTheCity Amsterdam (1)
22.06.2018 STARTS Talk at WeMakeTheCity Amsterdam (2)
07.09.2018 Ars Electronica Festival, STARTS Day: STARTS Collaborations, Embracing the Risk: STARTS Talks, AI in Art & Science, Strategy for responsible Innovation
19.09.2018 BOZAR STARTS Talk: Human agency in the robotic world
28.09.2018 BOZAR Meet and Greet: STARTS Talk at European lab Brussels
15.05.2019 STARTS Talk ESA // Creativity driving research in outer space. Outer space as a laboratory

Presentation of STARTS and STARTS Prize at 17 events of dissemination partners

The following tasks were completed:
Description of the two STARTS Prizes and open call design 2017, 2018, 2019
Preparation of online submission tool 2017, 2018, 2019
Announcement and call for submissions for the STARTS Prize 2017, 2018, 2019
Dual Submission approach 2017, 2018, 2019
Organization of jury meeting 2017, 2018, 2019
Evaluation of the jury 2017, 2018, 2019
Prize ceremony of STARTS Prize\'17 winners at Ars Electronica Festival 2017, 2018
Exhibition of prize winning project at Ars Electronica Festival 2017, 2018
STARTS Forum at Ars Electronica Festival 2017, 2018
Presentation of prize winning projects at BOZAR Electronic Arts Festival 2017, 2018
Presentation of prize winning projects at dissemination partners
Communication of results
Set-up of the project\'s governance structure
Project Management 2017, 2018
Financial and administrative management 2017, 2018\"

Final results

Science, technology and arts (STARTS for short) limn a nexus at which insightful observers have identified extraordinarily high potential for innovation. And innovation is precisely what’s called for if we’re to master the social, ecological and economic challenges that Europe will be facing in the near future. With this
STARTS Prize initiative, Europe is able to focus on projects and people that can make meaningful contributions to this effort. Here, art is assigned the role of catalyst that propagates scientific and technological knowledge and skills among the general public and triggers innovative processes. Accordingly, the STARTS Prize is emphasizing, on the one hand, artistic works that influence or change the way we look at innovation, and, on the other hand, very promising forms of collaboration between the private sector and the world of art and culture.

The main objectives of the STARTS Prize are:
* A contribution to a paradigm shift in innovation
* Awareness building
* Integration
* Transdisciplinary
* Contextualization

The “STARTS Prize” aims to showcase and celebrate visions and achievements at the interface between innovation and creation—driven by both science/technology and the arts as well as to honor the inspiring individuals and teams behind these achievements. By opening it to artists, creative professionals, researchers and companies from all over the world, the STARTS Prize targets to expand everyone’s horizon in order to work on new ideas and showcase best-practice examples.
This international prize will highlight Europe’s power as a breeding ground for innovation and creative excellence. It will
* single out the most forward looking collaborations at the crossings of creativity and innovation with art, science, technology and society
* showcase achievement and encourage further collaborations between the arts and innovation activities
* honor the inspiring individuals and teams behind these achievements
* center both social and economic added value of creativity for a change in innovation

Website & more info

More info: https://starts-prize.aec.at.