S+T+ARTS AIR

Project Aims

S+T+ARTS is an initiative of the European Commission to foster alliances involving science, technology, and the arts. Its goal is to implement a European approach to technological innovation that is centered on human needs and values.

Science, technology and the arts form a nexus with an extraordinarily high potential for creative and reflective innovation. In order to take advantage of these opportunities, the project AIR (Air for European Resilience / Artistic Innovation for European Resilience) makes the technology and know-how of two of Europe’s leading supercomputing centers available to artists: the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. S+T+ARTS AIR brought together eight organizations from five countries that have expertise in different fields of knowledge – technology, research, industry, and culture. Together, they established new methodologies and processes for incorporating the arts into scientific discovery and digital innovation (and vice versa), demonstrating the value of systematic, long-term collaboration.

To this end, AIR hosted 10 S+T+ARTS residencies for artists, two of which were directly hosted by HLRS and its Media Solution Center. The concept of also provided a common and overarching theme for the artists’ creative work.

In an era in which science and technology are driving forces, but can become disconnected from citizen participation and what is essentially human, this project underlines the importance of the cultural and creative industries in increasing Europe’s competitiveness and stimulating innovation. It offers a path to move toward a more sustainable future, face new and systemic challenges, and anticipate the future of society.

Project achievements

• Successfully completed 10 interdisciplinary residencies across 4 regional hubs (2 of them at the German Hub in Stuttgart), leading to tangible prototypes and collaborative art-driven innovation outcomes.
• Reached and engaged a broad community through an open call, 20+ knowledge transfer sessions, and multiple GloCal exhibitions in Spain, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia.
• Built a sustainable and diverse community of artists, scientists, and technologists, including overarching collaboration across other S+T+ARTS initiatives.
• Raised €1.9 million in additional funding during the project’s short runtime, supporting the long-term sustainability of AIR’s outcomes and networks.
• Delivered a high-profile final showcase via the AIR Festival, part of theGATE Festival / Manifesta 2024, including exhibitions, performances, and dialogues with policy makers, researchers, and the public.

Future objectives

Most of the artists and consortium partners pursue their individual artistic/research ambitions in follow-up projects. Some consortium partners are building new alliances and looking for new funding opportunities.

HLRS and MSC specifically are part of a new S+T+ARTS initiative with S+T+ARTS EC(H)O and 4 new residencies.

Project partners

• HLRS
• Media Solution Center Baden-Württemberg e.V. (MSC)
• Barcelona Super Computing Center (BSC)
• Sony Europe B.V. (SONY CSL)
• Fundación Épica La Fura dels Baus (Epica)
• In4Art BV (In4Art)
• Kulturno izobraževalno društvo PiNA (PiNA)
• RCR LAB·A, S.L. (RCR)