CURRENTS x RELAY: Ambient Intelligence (OPEN CALL!)

OPEN CALL: Ambient Intelligence - A Currents New Media Exhibition at Relay

Opening Night: April 4, 2026

Open Call

Thank you for your interest in participating in this collaborative exhibition. We know you might not be fully sure what your part of this project will look like yet, but do your best to give us a sense of your interest (why and what) and share your wild and wonderful ideas about how you can add to this experiment.

Ambient Intelligence creates a collaborative environment where interconnected systems and artworks communicate and respond to one another in real-time. We are looking for artists, technologists, and makers to join us in exploring how we locate our identity in a world of interconnected systems.

Artists are welcome to propose new works or existing projects that can be adapted, extended, or re-contextualized to participate in the shared platform and exhibition environment. Existing works do not need to be rebuilt from scratch, thoughtful modification or partial integration is both encouraged and expected. Collaborators are encouraged to apply together!

Technical Framework:

To enable this collectivity, all selected artists will connect their work to a local network platform architected by collaborating technologist Jordan Snyder.

• The Platform: A shared platform codename “Maestra” on the local network that allows artworks to broadcast data and subscribe to messages from other artworks.

• The Hardware: Relay will provide Starter Hardware Kits (microcontrollers, sensors, cabling, power supplies) to reduce barriers to entry. You may use these kits as the foundation of your work or integrate them into your own tools.

Support & Benefits:

• Financial Support: A small honorarium and materials fee will be provided for selected applicants.

• Production Support: Access to the hardware starter kits and technical guidance.

• Mentorship: Working sessions with mentors to troubleshoot and riff on ideas.

Timeline

Please Read Carefully: This project is designed to be fully executed, installed, and open to the public in just over a month's time. It is critical that all artists who are interested in this project commit to working within that timeframe so we can ensure that everyone is able to get the resources and support they need to pull it off.

Key Dates:

• February 21st: Info Session and Q&A @ Relay Santa Fe from 12-3pm RSVP!

• February 27th: Open Call DEADLINE!

• February 28th: Applicants Selected

• March 1st - 28th: Project Creation Time! (There will be a few working sessions at Relay where artists can bring their projects, troubleshoot with mentors, work with collaborators, and riff on ideas. Likely these will be in the evenings; times TBD.)

• March 30th - April 3rd: Install Week

• April 4th: Opening Night Celebration

• April: Open Gallery Hours, Thursday - Sunday from 12-6pm

• April: Weekday events to be announced!

• April 24th: Artist Panel

  
  

If you are unable to participate in this condensed timeline at the moment, we would still like to encourage you to apply. Hopefully, this will be the first of many, and we are excited to grow with you!

APPLICATION FORM 👈

For any questions about this project please reach out to: contact@relaysantafe.org