S+T+ARTS Afropean Intelligence
The S+T+ARTS (Science+Technology+ARTS) initiative can be understood as the core crystal of Ars Electronica Platform Europe. Ars Electronica’s long-standing involvement in STARTS is part of our wider commitment to designing and testing transdisciplinary practices and sustainably integrating art-thinking and artistic practice as innovation catalysts for research processes and technology development.
STARTS Afropean Intelligence aims to empower African artists and local pioneers in art-driven innovation. In collaboration with African and European ICT experts, prompt engineers, journalists, and activists, the project will analyze the use of AI in artistic practice and its influence on political, social, economic, and ecological discourses on the continent, merging AI technologies with the rich narratives and unique viewpoints of African-rooted movements.
The project will host a program of ten residencies in Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as talks and showcases, including a symposium on Arts and AI in Africa in Tervuren. It will also speculate on futurist scenarios for the African continent in publications, interviews and podcasts, articles to foster new realms of criticism, creativity, and self-expression.
For the second time, Ars Electronica is awarding the STARTS Prize Africa and organizing in cooperation with RISC the AI Bootcamp in November 2025.
In addition to STARTS Afropean Intelligence, our other STARTS projects include STARTS Aqua Motion, STARTS Ec(h)o, a previous Africa-focused project STARTS4Africa, STARTS Prize, and STARTS Regional Centers’ activities such as Repairing the Present and STARTS in the City.
#startsprizeafrica
Duration: 1 January 2025 – 30 June 2026
Partners (Consortium): GLUON (coordinator), Ars Electronica, CHRONIQUES, Royal Museum for Central Africa
STARTS Afropean Intelligence is funded by the European Union under the STARTS – Science, Technology and Arts initiative of DG CNECT under grant agreement LC-03568051. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or DG CNECT. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.