Open Call for Situated Reseach Residencies 2027

Medialab Matadero presents the fifth edition of its annual Situated Research Residency program. 

Through this open call, Medialab will select 3 research and creation projects capable of exploring the relationships between contemporary art, design, science, technology, and society, with a critical, experimental approach open to collaboration. 

We are looking for proposals that sit at the margins or intersections of disciplines, methodologies, and ‘knowledges’. Inspired by the principle of learning by doing, the residency aims to foster new ways of researching, prototyping, documenting, sharing knowledge, or mobilizing communities around relevant issues. 

Submitted projects must connect explicitly and coherently with one or more of the themes from Medialab Matadero's recent programs: LAB 1 Medios Sintientes, LAB 2 The Metabolic Sublime, LAB 3 Synthetic Minds, LAB 4 Weird Futures, and LAB 5 The Mechanics of Truth.

The residency will run from January to July 2027 and carries a stipend of €10,000 (before tax). 

For more details, we recommend reading the call's legal terms, followed by our answers to the most frequently asked questions below. 

Potential applicants are very welcome to meet Medialab’s team online on September 8 at 6pm (Madrid time) for a live Q&A session. 

Apply

Medialab in context

Medialab Matadero's mission is to promote transdisciplinary, collaborative, and open research, driving forward national and international research projects as it works to become a forward-looking research center — one that helps shape the present, and possibly the future. 

Within this framework, the Situated Research residency program seeks research proposals capable of exploring innovative practices, in line with the most significant trends in research on art, design, science, technology, and society — especially from the margins of traditional academia. 

The program backs experimental, collaborative research that's both rigorous and grounded in practice. We want to help define emerging issues and test solutions with real social and ecological value — especially ones built on speculative methods, learning by doing, and exploring what seems, at first, counterintuitive.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the goals? Are there specific research themes? 

Submitted projects must meet a series of fundamental guidelines detailed in the call's legal terms. Three key aspects stand out: 

• Alignment with Medialab Matadero's goals. Proposals should explore possible intersections between art, design, science, and technology, so that their results or methods contribute creatively to addressing major contemporary challenges within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. 
• Public research and dialogue. Resident projects must build links with Medialab Matadero's other activities, showing the capacity to transform and enrich themselves through dialogue with other initiatives, residents, agents, communities, and the general public. This involves carrying out documentation work as well as scheduling public learning, outreach, and feedback activities. 
• Themes. As we say above, Resident projects must explicitly and meaningfully address one or more of the areas Medialab Matadero has been exploring in recent years. Research proposals can expand these themes in new directions by broadening areas of observation, using new tools or languages, or mobilizing specific communities. You can find a detailed description of these themes, as well as examples of past research, in the documentation for the thematic programs: LAB 01 Sentient Media, LAB 02 The Metabolic Sublime, LAB 03 Synthetic Minds, LAB 4 Strange Futures, and LAB 5 The Mechanics of Truth.

Who is it for? 

For individuals or collectives researching in the fields of design, art, architecture, urbanism, economics, film, photography, journalism, digital media, environmental science, philosophy, engineering, social studies, political science, programming, materials science, activism, or any other field consistent with the stated goals. We will value each applicant's particular trajectory, with the aim of fostering exchange between expert and emerging profiles.

If you have questions about the application process or the legal or financial conditions, you can contact the Medialab team at info.m@medialab-matadero.es

Is this a production grant? 

Not exactly. This is a residency that blends research and creation, but a finished project is not required as an outcome. It's important to remember that one of the residency's goals is the production of public knowledge — within Medialab's professional ecosystem, within Matadero's, and even within the city of Madrid.

For this reason, we place strong emphasis on programming activities open to the public (for which Medialab will provide logistical and financial support) and on the final production of materials falling into one of these basic format categories: a manual or set of instructions; documentary formats (report, feature, essay, audio or audiovisual documentary); or artistic documentation as a record of collective learning.

Will I receive support during my research stay? 

Of course. The technical and administrative team will respond to your needs and questions. Medialab's curatorial team will accompany you through all phases of research and creation, and will do their best to provide local and international support, theoretical reflection, and concrete feedback, according to the project's needs.

How long does the research residency last? 

From January to July 2027. The residency is in-person and cannot be carried out remotely. While you don't need to be in Madrid for the entire period, it is important that the residency also be a time of collective exchange and growth. For this reason, we recommend that resident artists plan long stays at Medialab, especially between March and June.

In what language? 

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

Will I need to generate public activity? 

Yes, in a way consistent with the stated goals, your skills, and the needs of your research. Public activities may include seminars, workshops, or conversations with professionals related to the research line, among others. Likewise, the outcome of the research process may take the form of a publication, audiovisual materials, or other formats. For any public activity you schedule, you'll have the conceptual, logistical, and material support of the Medialab team.

What resources will I have access to? 

Medialab Matadero's material infrastructure, including access to the Fablab, technical materials, and an individual workspace. You will also receive a stipend of €10,000 (before tax). For more details, we recommend reading the legal terms carefully.

When do I need to submit my application? 

The application deadline is September 27, 2026 (inclusive). For more details, check the legal terms and the official form.

Once all applications have been received, within approximately one month, we will publish the jury's decision on Medialab Matadero's website. We will also notify the authors of the selected projects by email.