Numèric 2026 Grant — AI, Art & Research Residency in Spain

Overview

Numèric 2026 is a research and creation residency grant offered by Les antípodes in collaboration with Bòlit Centre d'Art Contemporani and Museu de l'Empordà. The programme invites artists, thinkers, and scientists across all disciplines to explore large language models and 'The Word' as a foundational principle of creation. Two grants are available; selected residents will work simultaneously over a four-week residency in Agullana, Alt Empordà, Catalonia, preceded by one month of preparation and followed by a two-month closing/follow-up period, concluding with an informal public presentation.

Theme: The Word

The call examines the word as a foundational principle of creation across widely differing cultural and scientific traditions—from Judeo-Christian and Islamic conceptions of the word as a generative, divine force, to Sanskrit mantras, to DNA as a genetic text. Applicants are invited to explore new forms of thought, creation, cognition, experience, and connection arising from large language models or similar systems, treating them as 'uncomfortable interlocutors' that question established categories of authorship, creativity, and intelligence—approached from artistic practice, critical thought, or scientific research.

Eligibility

• Open to everyone: artists, thinkers, and scientists of any discipline and origin
• Open to individuals or collectives (stipend shared among members)
• Applicants must be of legal age
• Applicants must be able to reside in Agullana for the full four-week residency period
• Only one application per person or collective
• Proposals must be genuine, original, and not copied
• Applications must be submitted in Catalan or English

Key Dates

• Application Deadline: 8 September 2026
• Decision Announced: 22 September 2026
• Residency Period: 2–30 November 2026 (four weeks, with one month of preparation beforehand and two-month closing/follow-up period after)

Awards & Benefits

• Stipend of €1,000 per grant (taxable base, subject to applicable taxes and withholdings; shared among members if awarded to a collective)
• Round-trip travel within the European Union
• Accommodation in Agullana for four weeks in a shared, centrally located apartment (can also host resident's immediate family)
• Meals during residency period (residents only)
• Support, advice, and accompaniment throughout the work process
• Access to spacious, independent work spaces and shared terrace in central Agullana
• Civil liability insurance covering the spaces and activities of the programme
• Authorship and intellectual property of all work remain fully with the creators

Application

Online application with no entry fee.

Selection & Evaluation

Selection is made by a committee formed by Les antípodes and its collaborating entities. Evaluation criteria, in order of relevance: (1) singularity and innovation—approaches that depart from familiar formulas; (2) relevance—engagement with the 'Word'/LLM conceptual framework from artistic, critical, or scientific practice, beyond instrumental tool use; (3) interaction and transfer of value—relations with Agullana/Empordà's social and geographic environment, and the format of the residency's public outcome (editorial, on-site, performative, sound, audiovisual, etc.). The call may be declared void if no proposal is judged to reach the required level.

Commitments & Credits

Selected candidates commit to residing in Agullana for the full four weeks, participating in the final public presentation, and authorizing use of graphic documentation for the programme's diffusion and reporting. Resulting works may be incorporated into Les antípodes' publications or public programme; credits and future diffusion materials must acknowledge Numèric 2026.