Digital Explorers Across Borders is a project for developing a digital Artist in Residence programme. The aim is to use digital technologies to stimulate the creation of new work and the sharing of knowledge in places where physical meetings are hindered by war, repression or other restrictions. We do this by enabling Dutch and Ukrainian artists to collaborate on a sustainable digital residency model via the common.garden platform. The intended format is a shared virtual studio for co-creation, also exploring how digital working methods can lead to physical presentations and the exchange of artistic, cultural and innovative approaches.

Partners

Witte Rook (NL) and IZOLYATSIA (UA) work closely with media artist Constant Dullaart, founder of the common.garden platform, and his team, and with the workshop / material lab Make Eindhoven. The network organisations Ukrainian Institute, Zapravka and DutchCulture | TransArtists also support the project.

Three phases in 2027

In 2027, we explore how a digital residency space can be set up, built and used. Each phase is a three-month digital residency on common.garden, during which two artists (from the Netherlands and Ukraine) collaborate. Each residency involves the creation of artistic work combined with work sessions and expert meetings, and concludes with an online presentation.

Phase 1: 'Form' – January to March 2027
Focus on the form and functionality of digital space, alongside its artistic possibilities. Artists work with Constant Dullaart and his team to expand the capabilities of common.garden as a digital residency.

Phase 2: 'Content' – May to July 2027
Focus on the act of creation itself. Artists who combine digital art with physical elements, or translate digital work into a physical object, collaborate with Make Eindhoven and explore its CAD/CAM lab.

Phase 3: 'Analysis' – September to December 2027
Focus on the essence of a residency: hospitality, cultural exchange and an understanding of each other's circumstances. Artists collaborate with TransArtists and Zapravka, while the organisers reflect on the outcomes of the two previous phases.

What the residencies offer

• €1,800 fee excluding VAT;
• €1,000 material budget excluding VAT;
• discussions with experts and curators;
• technical support;
• a physical and online exhibition;
• an article about the creative process;
• the opportunity to contribute to the creation of an artistic sanctuary.

Outcomes

In spring 2028, two exhibitions in both countries, combined with an online exhibition, will present the work produced during the residencies. Writers and experts will document the process throughout the project and explore its context; all articles will be available online during the exhibitions. The aim is to establish a model of remote digital collaboration that promotes artistic freedom and connection between artists, wherever they may be in the world.

About the organisers

Witte Rook is a platform for research, experimentation and reflection, focusing on social issues and the influence of digital culture on art and society.

IZOLYATSIA is a non-profit, non-governmental platform for cultural initiatives, founded in 2010 on the site of a former insulation factory in Donetsk. Its core mission is to catalyze systemic change in Ukrainian society through the transformative power of cultural practice.

common.garden is an independent, climate-neutral digital platform founded by media artist Constant Dullaart, offering a freely accessible digital space for creation, presentation and interaction.

Make Eindhoven is a workshop and material lab for creative and artistic makers, with a CAD/CAM lab that brings physical and digital techniques together in line with the open-source ethos.

Zapravka is a Ukrainian platform for AiR organisations founded by the Ukrainian Institute, Ukrainian Cultural Fund and the European Union programme “House of Europe”.

TransArtists, part of DutchCulture, gathers and shares knowledge and experience regarding AiR programmes.