Organizer Information:

Körber-Stiftung – eCommemoration Programme In collaboration with A MAZE. / Berlin – International Games and Playful Media Festival

Title & Description:

XR-History Award 2026 An international award recognizing outstanding XR (Extended Reality) projects that explore history, memory culture, and commemorative practices through immersive media, digital storytelling, and experimental artistic approaches. The award encourages projects that critically reflect on the relationships between past, present, and future, challenge dominant historical narratives, and amplify marginalized or unheard voices.

Category:

  • XR / Immersive Media
  • Digital Art
  • History & Memory
  • Games & Playful Media
  • Experimental & Cross-Media Practices

Eligibility:

Open to international artists, creators, researchers, and developers working with XR and immersive digital formats. Projects may address historical events, figures, structures of violence or oppression, memory culture, digital archiving, or intergenerational trauma.

Program Benefits & Awards:

  • €2,000 cash prize awarded to the winning project
  • Exhibition of the three best projects at A MAZE. / Berlin 2026
  • Travel and accommodation covered for representatives of the selected projects
  • Panel discussion participation at the festival
  • Public award ceremony during A MAZE. Festival

Application Fee:

Free of charge

Application Requirements:

  • Submission of an XR project engaging with history, historical narration, or memory culture
  • Projects may be artistic, narrative-driven, experimental, or game-based
  • Diverse and cross-media approaches are explicitly welcomed

How to Apply?

Applications must be submitted via the official call for submissions on the Körber-Stiftung website: 🔗 https://koerber-stiftung.de/projekte/ecommemoration/xr-history-award-2026/

Key Dates:

  • Submissions Open: 16 December 2025
  • Application Deadline: 1 February 2026
  • Award Ceremony: 16 May 2026
  • Festival Dates: A MAZE. / Berlin 2026

Location:

Berlin, Germany (A MAZE. / Berlin – International Games and Playful Media Festival)

Additional Details:

  • Biennial award (first awarded in 2022)
  • Currently the only digital arts award explicitly focusing on XR projects that interweave past, present, and future
  • Multidisciplinary international jury
  • Strong focus on solidarity, multidirectional memory, and critical remembrance

Contact Information:

Körber-Stiftung – eCommemoration Programme Website: https://koerber-stiftung.de Instagram (Festival): A MAZE. / Berlin