The Space, a new digital museum opens with an international splash

Erica Berger in a June 14, 2014 article for Fast Company provides a fascinating account of a project where Arts Council England, the BBC, Open Data Institute, and other cultural groups partnered to create: The Space (Note: Links have been removed),

This Space is no final frontier. Rather, it’s just begun as a new place for digital and experimental art.

A free and public website aimed at discovering the best emerging digital artistic talent around the world, The Space opened yesterday and is launching with a weekend [June 14 – 15, 2014] hackathon hosted by the Tate Modern in London, a first for the formidable institution. Born from a partnership between Arts Council England, the BBC, Open Data Institute, and other cultural groups, it’s “a gallery without walls,” says Alex Graham, chair of The Space. The Space is putting out an international open call for projects, the first round of which is due July 11. The projects will be funded by the partnering groups with amounts ranging from £20,000 (about $34,000) to £60,000 ($101,000) for an individual commission, and up to 50% of the total cost. Each Friday, new collaborations will launch.

Among the first installations are pieces from high-profile artists, including Marina Abramovic, who broadcasted live on the site at midnight last night, and Ai Weiwei, who has an interactive piece on The Space. There will also be a live, Google hangout theater project with actors in London, Barcelona, and Lagos and directed by Erin Gilley.

The Space can be found here,

About The Space

The Space is a free website for artists and audiences to create and explore exciting new art, commissioned by us and shared around the Whole Wide World.

We commission new talent and great artists from all art forms, creative industries, technical and digital backgrounds, through Open Calls and partnerships. The Space is one of the most exciting places on the internet to find new art to explore and enjoy.

An open call was launched on June 12, 2014,

The Space launches first Open Call
Posted … on 12 June 2014

The Space Open Call is looking for original, groundbreaking ideas for digital art. We are encouraging artists to take risks and do crazy things with technology!

This is a great opportunity for artists to be bold, ambitious and experimental, creating a work which can communicate wi people round the World via mobile, tablets and desktops.

We are seeking artists working across a range of art forms and industries including, creative and digital, technology and coding, art and culture sectors, to pitch the very best original ideas to the Open Call.

If you have an idea for The Space, please go to thespace.org/opencall and complete the online form before the closing date: 12 noon (GMT) 11 July 2014.​

Organizers have produced an inspirational video for this call,

I don’t know if this offer is still available (from Erica Berger’s Fast Company article about The Space) but here it is,

Sign up to be one of the first 10,000 newsletter subscribers to The Space and receive a free digital work of art from Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller.

I availed myself of the offer at approximately 1000 hours PDT, June 16, 2014.

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