OPEN CALL | S+T+ARTS Buen-TEK

Pivô Salvador, in partnership with TBA21–Academy and LACO – Laboratório de Arte e Ciência Oceânica do Instituto Oceanográfico da USP, will host one of the selected artists of this unprecedented transcontinental project.

This initiative marks the first S+T+ARTS action in South America and aims to bridge ancestral knowledge and technological innovation through close collaboration with local communities and trans-local experts. The residency focuses on vernacular technologies and local knowledge systems, investigating responses to coastal transformations driven by climate change — a collaborative approach that explores how technology and tradition can converge to shape more equitable and sustainable futures.

Inspired by the Andean philosophy of Buen Vivir — which advocates for a life in harmony with nature and community — and the concept of Lo–TEK, which acknowledges sustainable solutions developed by Indigenous and traditional cultures, the project fosters listening, care, and innovation as essential tools for addressing the environmental challenges of our time.

The residency will take place between September 2025 and February 2026, with activities in Salvador (Bahia) and Ubatuba (São Paulo). Selected artists will receive financial support, mentorship from local and international experts, engagement in public programs, and opportunities for exchange within a transdisciplinary network.

Applications

Submissions must be made through the S+T+ARTS, website, where applicants can find the full open call, application guidelines, and submission forms:
www.starts.eu

Information sessions

To present the program and clarify questions about the application process, an online information session will be held:

• May 6, 2025, at 10:30 AM (BRT) – session in Spanish

Timeline

• April 15, 2025 – Open call launch

• May 27, 2025, at 5:00 PM (CET) – Application deadline

• June 13, 2025 – Announcement of shortlisted artists

• June 25 to July 2, 2025 – Jury interviews with finalists

• July 7, 2025 – Announcement of selected artists

• September 2025 to February 2026 – Residency period

About the partners

TBA21–Academy is an international platform of Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary dedicated to fostering projects focused on oceanic ecologies and transdisciplinary practices. Its residency programs have been developed in locations such as Venice and Jamaica.

LACO – Laboratório de Arte e Ciência Oceânica is affiliated with the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (IOUSP) and connects artists, scientists, and coastal communities through collaborative inquiries into the sea and its ecosystems. It is part of the UNESCO Chair for Ocean Sustainability.

S+T+ARTS (Science, Technology and the Arts) is an initiative of the European Commission that promotes collaborations between art, science, and technology as a means to address contemporary social, ecological, and economic challenges. The Buen-TEK project marks the platform’s first action on the South American continent.