Berlin · Germany
Open Call: Curator of the 2028 transmediale Festival in Berlin
Applications now open for the artistic direction of Berlin's premier digital culture festival
A New Curatorial Vision for transmediale 2028
Berlin-based transmediale e.V. has officially opened submissions for the artistic direction of its 2028 festival. The organisation is seeking individuals or collaborative groups who can assume the role of festival curator, tasked with shaping both the conceptual framework and the full schedule of events for the following year. Interested applicants must submit their proposals by 30 September 2026. This position represents a significant opportunity to influence one of Europe's most established platforms dedicated to digital arts and media theory.
Shaping Digital Culture Through Critical Practice
The incoming curator will be expected to construct a comprehensive programme that interrogates the complex relationships between creative practice, scientific advancement, socio-political structures, and technological development. Rather than adopting a celebratory stance toward emerging tools, the selection committee emphasises a rigorous, reflective methodology. Since introducing an annual rotating appointment in 2025, the institution has prioritised distinct viewpoints that capture contemporary tensions within the field. Each iteration contributes to a broader institutional trajectory, ensuring that the festival evolves through diverse intellectual frameworks instead of converging on a single aesthetic or philosophical approach. Submissions are particularly encouraged when they introduce unfamiliar reference points or challenge conventional narratives surrounding digital mediation. The overarching aim remains rooted in substantive critique and civic relevance, deliberately sidestepping superficial enthusiasm for novelty. This directive reflects a broader industry fatigue with uncritical techno-optimism. By demanding politically engaged frameworks, the selection panel ensures that the resulting exhibition landscape functions as a laboratory for examining power dynamics, data governance, and algorithmic bias. Curators will therefore need to demonstrate how their selected works collectively form a coherent argument about the present condition, rather than merely assembling a roster of familiar names or experimental prototypes.
Four Decades of Technological Reflection
Operating for more than forty years, the collective has consistently functioned as a vital forum for researchers, visual artists, and independent scholars working outside mainstream commercial channels. By fostering sustained dialogue and collaborative knowledge production, the initiative cultivates alternative visions of how humans might navigate increasingly automated environments. The flagship gathering traditionally unfolds during late January, anchoring a much wider calendar of initiatives that extend throughout the year. These supplementary activities encompass scholarly publications, targeted commissions, residential fellowships, and public discussions designed to maintain momentum between the main event. Past iterations have utilised prominent cultural spaces across the capital, including the silent green Kulturquartier, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, and the Akademie der Künste. Each venue has provided distinct architectural and institutional contexts that have subtly influenced the rhythm and presentation of the work. The choice of location often dictates the scale of intervention, ranging from intimate gallery presentations to large-scale architectural projections and site-specific sound installations. This spatial flexibility allows the festival to adapt its methodology to different urban infrastructures while maintaining a consistent intellectual rigour. Furthermore, the year-round programming ensures that the conversations initiated during the January gathering continue to circulate through academic journals, online archives, and regional satellite events, effectively decoupling the institution's output from a single annual cycle.
Practical Details and Submission Guidelines
Candidates should prepare a detailed proposal outlining their thematic focus, proposed artists and participants, and a preliminary schedule of talks, screenings, performances, and installations. The application process requires a clear articulation of how the chosen direction aligns with the organisation's longstanding commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry. Those wishing to remain informed about upcoming opportunities, archival releases, and seasonal announcements may register for the regular mailing list hosted on the official website. Full guidelines, eligibility criteria, and submission portals are accessible via the primary announcement page.
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