Organismo 2027: Art in Applied Critical Ecologies – Open Call

Organisation: TBA21–Academy and Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza
Location: Hybrid – online sessions, in-person gatherings in Madrid, Spain, and a case study research trip
Programme dates: January–July 2027, with an optional continuation from September 2027
Participation fee: €550 for full enrolment; €190 for Critical Encounters-only enrolment
Support: Mentorship, collaborative research, publication opportunities and potential support for further project development
Fellowship: Up to two Sustrato fellowships per case study, providing a €1,950 contribution towards travel and accommodation costs and exemption from participation fees
Application deadline: 15 November 2026, 23:59 CET

TBA21–Academy and Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza invite applications for Organismo 2027: Art in Applied Critical Ecologies, an experimental applied research programme bringing together artists, researchers and practitioners to develop collaborative responses to contemporary social and ecological challenges.

Combining situated investigation, critical theory and speculative practices, Organismo explores how artist-led interdisciplinary projects can operate as forms of infrastructural activism, moving beyond critical reflection to activate tangible processes of social and ecological reparation.

The 2027 edition introduces three new case studies alongside a transversal study module, Critical Encounters. Participants can apply for full enrolment in one of the case studies or join the Critical Encounters module independently.

About the Programme

Organismo brings together cultural, academic and civic organisations to develop experimental prototypes capable of responding to challenges in real-world contexts.

Over seven months, selected researchers will work in interdisciplinary groups, combining weekly online sessions with three in-person encounters.

Each working group will undertake situated research and collective creation, developing a prototype in response to the specific questions and challenges of its case study.

The programme emphasises collective authorship, interdisciplinary collaboration and the potential implementation of proposals beyond the initial research period.

Case Studies

1. Thermal Futures: Communal Blooms Amidst Climate Jeopardy

This case study examines heat beyond rising temperatures, exploring its cultural, political, social and historical dimensions.

Drawing on thermal studies, participants will investigate new relationships, solidarities, communities and collective responses to global warming.

Facilitated by: Parque de las Ciencias
Artistic accompaniment (Pulso): Kent Chan

2. Radical Soundness: Restorative Infrastructures for Long-life

This case study explores how the environments we inhabit influence health and well-being, examining the potential of arts and museums to operate as public infrastructures that contribute to well-being.

Collaborating organisations include: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales – CSIC, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza and TBA21
Artistic accompaniment (Pulso): Mayte Gómez Molina

3. Universal Basic Agency: Composite Relays for a Para-Society of Trillions

As artificial intelligence expands cognitive capacity, this case study explores how agency might be redistributed across human–AI networks.

Participants will investigate new social contracts, infrastructures and forms of human–machine coordination through the concept of Universal Basic Agency.

Facilitated by: Antikythera
In collaboration with: Creative Intelligence Lab, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC)
Artistic accompaniment (Pulso): Nicolay Boyadjiev

Working Groups and Collective Research

Each case study will bring together a working group of researchers, artistic accompaniments, collaborating organisations, guest experts and a dedicated coordinator from TBA21.

Up to nine researchers may participate in each working group, with a maximum of 24 researchers admitted across the programme.

Participants will collaboratively develop one prototype per case study, with all group members recognised as co-authors.

Projects developed through Organismo will be subject to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.

The programme seeks participants who demonstrate openness, adaptability, initiative, an ability to listen and a willingness to work collectively in uncertain and evolving research environments.

Programme Structure and Schedule

Phase 1: Research (January–March 2027)

The first phase introduces the conceptual and methodological framework of Organismo and establishes the working processes for each case study.

Activities include:

• An initial three-day gathering at Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid on 27–29 January 2027.
• Five online Critical Encounters sessions exploring the programme’s overarching theoretical framework.
• Weekly online case study sessions with artistic accompaniments, guest experts and collaborating organisations.

Phase 2: Prototyping (March–July 2027)

During this phase, working groups will develop experimental prototypes responding to their respective case study challenges.

Activities include:

• A mandatory five- to seven-day research trip to a location associated with the case study, provisionally scheduled for March 2027.
• Weekly online collaborative research and prototyping sessions.
• A final three-day gathering in Madrid.
• A public presentation of the collective proposals at Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza.

Research and proposals will also be documented in publicly accessible online repositories.

Phase 3: Incubation and Refinancing (September 2027 onwards)

An optional third phase may be activated for proposals considered viable and capable of generating meaningful impact.

Selected projects may receive additional financial support for further development and implementation, subject to new agreements between the participating researchers and collaborating organisations.

Commitment and Participation Requirements

The programme is designed to accommodate participants’ other professional commitments.

Researchers should expect approximately five hours of work per week, comprising:

• Two online sessions of approximately 1.5 hours each.
• Two hours of independent work.

Online sessions are provisionally scheduled for Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 18:00–19:30 CET, although schedules may be adjusted by agreement.

Full-time participation is expected during the three in-person gatherings, and attendance at all mandatory activities is required.

The main working language is English. Spanish proficiency is not required but will be positively valued during selection.

Sustrato Fellowship

Up to two researchers from each case study will be awarded a Sustrato fellowship.

Fellows receive:

• Exemption from programme participation fees.
• A total of €1,950, paid in three instalments, to contribute towards travel and accommodation for the three in-person activities.

In addition to their research participation, fellows support internal coordination, documentation, communication and continuity within their working groups.

They will also explore approaches to evaluating the practices developed through Organismo.

The fellowship requires an additional weekly meeting, representing approximately two extra hours of commitment.

Critical Encounters

Applicants who cannot commit to the full programme may apply exclusively for the Critical Encounters module.

This consists of five online sessions bringing together artistic accompaniments and guest experts to discuss the conceptual framework of Organismo 2027.

Sessions take place on Tuesdays, 18:00–19:30 CET:

• 2 February: Marina Otero with Godofredo Enes Pereira.
• 9 February: Kent Chan with Jiat-Hwee Chang.
• 16 February: Nicolay Boyadjiev with Disintegrator.
• 23 February: Mayte Gómez Molina with Nicole L’Huillier.
• 2 March: Metahaven.

The module accommodates an audience of up to 80 participants, including full programme researchers.

Participation fee: €190.

Critical Encounters-only participants do not join a case study or take part in the in-person gatherings and prototype development.

Fees and Expenses

Full enrolment: €550

This covers participation in the programme’s activities, including weekly research sessions, Critical Encounters, mentorship and collaborative development.

Travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses for the two gatherings in Madrid and the case study research trip are not included and must be covered by participants, except where support is provided through the Sustrato fellowship.

Critical Encounters-only enrolment: €190

This covers participation in the five online sessions.

Organismo is a non-profit initiative, and enrolment fees are reinvested into programme activities.

Image: Courtesy of TBA21–Academy and Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza.