In 2021, we handed the keys of our flagship fellowship over to artists. The Democracy Machine is our radical experiment created to unlock artist-led invention in the areas of self-governance, technology, and democracy. The fellowship takes place against an ongoing transformation at Eyebeam and builds on Rapid Response for a Better Digital Future, a fast moving initiative created early in the pandemic so that artists could come together and explore the dark frontier of power that commodifies personal information at the expense of democracy and freedom.
In the fall of 2021, we announced a radical experiment and three-year cycle of support for transdisciplinary art and activism: the handing over of our flagship residency to artists with the launch of The Democracy Machine. An inaugural cohort created a dynamic, evolving blueprint and strategy to unlock artist-led invention.