Open call for the Situated Research residency 25-26

Medialab Matadero presents the fourth edition of the annual program of Situated Research residencies seeking 3 research projects to be developed starting in November 2025 through November 2026.

Call resolution and selected projects

Context 

Medialab Matadero's mission is to promote transdisciplinary, collaborative, and open research. Our public organization fosters the development of projects that may have either national or international reach and that will consolidate Medialab as a creative research center focused on the present and, possibly, the future of our technologically mediated society.

The Situated Research residency program is looking for proposals that explore emergent territories, combining conceptual development with creative practice while aligning with the most significant trends in research in art, design, science, technology and society. Medialab Matadero is committed to cultural innovation and critical thought and welcomes projects that are too exceptional to fit into the tight contours of academic research. 

The program supports experimental and collaborative research proposals that are both rigorous and operational. We promote the analysis of emergent landscapes and testing solutions with a social and ecological approach, including speculative strategies, learning-by-doing methods and explorations of what appears counter-intuitive.

Topics and other guidelines

The submitted projects must meet the fundamental guidelines detailed in the official terms and conditions. 

There are three aspects in particular that we want to highlight:

• The project’s goals should be aligned with Medialab’s
  In general, proposals must explore possible intersections between art, design, science and technology. Their results or method should contribute to creatively address the major contemporary challenges that Medialab Matadero considers its fields of action and, in particular, the urban and global challenges within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
   
• A public and situated research
  Projects in residence must establish links with other Medialab Matadero activities. They must show their capacity to transform and enrich themselves in dialogue with other initiatives, residents, agents, communities, and the general public. This role involves carrying out documentation tasks and programming public activities focused on learning, dissemination, and feedback.
   
• Topics
  It is essential that the submitted projects respond to some of the thematic research tackled by Medialab Matadero since 2021. Topics include infrastructures as planetary-scale sensoria; energy flows and more-than-human metabolisms; emerging synthetic forms of cognition; the technological imaginaries of uncertainty that coalesce around the tentative concept of teslaforming. A detailed description of these themes, as well as examples of previous research, can be found in the annual programs LAB 01 Sentient Media, LAB 02 The Metabolic Sublime, LAB 03 Synthetic Minds and LAB 4 Weird Futures.
  Research proposals should be related to these topics and expand them in new directions by observing new case studies or areas of interest, developing new tools or languages, or connecting them to specific communities. 

To whom it is addressed?

This call is for projects that investigate disciplines such as design, art, architecture, urbanism, economics, film, photography, journalism, digital media, environmental sciences, philosophy, engineering, social studies, political science, programming, materials science, activism, or any other field that aligns with the residency's goals. We will consider each applicant's specific background to promote an exchange between expert and emerging practitioners. If you’re not sure whether your profile fits in this call, feel free to reach out via email at  info.m@medialab-matadero.es (preferably in July and September).

Is it a production grant?

That's not entirely accurate. We will encourage you to shape both the in-progress results and the final outcome as approaches towards a full-fledged project. However, it is essential to understand that a core objective of the residency is to cultivate a research process that involves the continuous sharing of methods and content with professionals and communities, both within Medialab and the Matadero ecosystem, as well as with other communities and the creative scene in Madrid.

Will I receive support during my residency?

Of course. Medialab technical and administrative team will be available to respond to your needs and doubts. We will encourage you to establish an ongoing dialogue with the curatorial team and, in particular, with Medialab’s lead curator, who will do their best to provide you with local and international support, theoretical reflection and concrete feedback, according to the needs of your project.

What is the duration of the research residency?

12 months from the formalization of the contract. While you don’t have to be in Madrid for the entire period, it is very important that you schedule regular and extended research stays at Matadero. This residency cannot be carried out remotely.

What’s the official language of this residency?

Both the application and the residency can be carried out in either Spanish or English.

Will I have to organize a public program?

Organizing public research activities or events is part of the residency but it will be done according to your goals, skills and the needs. Public activities may include seminars, workshops or discussions with professionals related to the topics you're investigating. Likewise, the result of the research process can be materialized in a publication, audiovisual documents or other formalizations. In the programming of any public activity you will receive conceptual, logistical and material support by Medialab.

What resources can I count on?

You will be able to use the available infrastructure at Medialab Matadero, which includes access to Fablab fabrication facilities, other technical materials and an individual workspace. In addition, you will receive an economic endowment of 14,950.00 € (plus VAT). For more details we recommend that you carefully read the rules.

When is the application due?

The deadline for submission of applications is September 17, 2025 at 23:59 CET (Madrid time). Once all the applications have been received, we will publish the jury's decision on the Medialab Matadero website within approximately one month. We will also notify by email the people who have submitted proposals, starting with the selected projects.