Organizer Information
TBA21–Academy is the contemporary art and research arm of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary foundation, operating out of its specialized planetary exhibition and community hub, Ocean Space, inside the restored Church of San Lorenzo in Venice, Italy. In an interdisciplinary research partnership, the Academy has joined with the NICHE Centre for Environmental Humanities and the UNESCO Chair on Water, Heritage and Sustainable Development at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice to co-produce a long-term platform for ecological action that yields tangible territorial and eco-social preservation.
Title & Description
The Tentacular Fellowship (First Edition).
This two-year initiative-building position addresses the Venice Lagoon—one of the most contested ecological, civic, and cultural territories in Europe under structural pressure from climate change, industrial mass tourism, and habitat degradation. Moving far beyond traditional art awareness-raising, this fellowship is neither a standard residency nor a simple project grant. It is a long-term developmental framework designed to support experimental, community-driven practices that activate actual regional regenerative processes. The selected fellow or collective will formulate a "Tentacular Unit"—a collaborative, interdisciplinary platform that unites artists, researchers, local fishing communities, students, civic organizations, and public institutions to confront a localized socio-environmental challenge.
Throughout the entire 15-month timeline, Ocean Space makes its structural facilities, institutional networks, and public exhibition platforms available to the fellow. The fellow integrates directly into Ocean Space’s local governance framework by joining the Lagoon Council and actively co-curating the Lagoon Assemblies—the open public gatherings that mark the seasonal opening and closing cycles of the space.
Categories
Research / Curatorial Practice.
Eligibility
Open to individual contemporary practitioners, curators, organizers, and small creative collectives from any professional discipline—including artistic, curatorial, research-based, spatial, ecological, pedagogical, or community-oriented fields.
- Geographical Rules: Physical residency within Venice is not mandatory, but a verified, sustained material engagement with the Venice Lagoon context is essential.
- Language Prerequisite: Full verbal and written fluency in both Italian and English is strictly required, as fellows will actively co-manage civic assemblies. Applications are accepted in either language.
FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE & FINANCIAL STRUCTURE
The program covers a total duration of 15 months (September 2026 – November 2027), providing a combined financial shield of €26,000 allocated across two operational phases:
Phase 1: Incubation (September 2026 – Ocean Space 2026 Cycle)
- Objective: Building institutional alliances, undertaking situated territorial research, identifying actors, and establishing the foundational framework of the Tentacular Unit.
- Financial Award: A independent research and development grant of €3,000.
Phase 2: Activation (Ocean Space 2027 Cycle – November 2027)
- Objective: Deploying public-facing formats, testing localized ecologies, and implementing community actions to achieve tangible territorial effects.
- Financial Award: An independent initiative development grant of €8,000.
- Project Activation Budget: An additional €15,000 production pool managed directly by TBA21 to finance the unit's structural programming.
Fees
Application Fee: None (Completely free to register portfolios for evaluation).
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Proposals can optionally interface with TBA21–Academy’s overarching contemporary research fields (Convivial Conservation, Rights of Nature, Ecologies of Technologies, and Governing Otherwise), serving as theoretical reference points rather than rigid categories. Portfolios must be compiled digitally and include the following documentation segments:
- Motivation & Biography Document: A clear personal text overview matching the lagoon parameters, paired with a brief professional bio (Strict limit: Maximum 1 page).
- Project Plan Blueprint: Outlining the specific socio-environmental challenge, proposed operational timeline, and your strategic vision to construct the interdisciplinary Tentacular Unit (Strict limit: Maximum 2 pages).
- Practice Portfolio: Documenting recent relevant works, community initiatives, curatorial research, or field activations (Strict limit: Maximum 3 pages).
How to Apply?
Access the designated Google Sites entry dashboard, complete the metadata blocks, and upload your consolidated 1-page bio, 2-page project blueprint, and 3-page portfolio before the server window closes.
Apply to the TBA21–Academy Tentacular Fellowship 2026–2027.
Key Dates
- Application Submission Deadline: Sunday, July 5, 2026, at 23:59 CET (Central European Time).
- Official Fellowship Term Performance Window: September 2026 – November 2027 (A 15-month active developmental arc).
Location
Italy, Venice (Central operations based at Ocean Space and Ca’ Foscari University, with active situated field deployment across the Venice Lagoon).
Additional Details
Personal data collected through the registration interface is handled in strict compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (UE) 2016/679 (GDPR) and Italian Organic Law 3/2018. The review panel grades dossiers on the originality of the proposed eco-social strategy, the feasibility of the alliance-building timeline, and the applicant's capacity to facilitate community dialogues.