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TRACK
Memory. AI for Reconnecting
CultTech Lab invites artists, musicians, designers, technologists, and interdisciplinary teams to apply for the Memory Track: “AI for Reconnecting.”
Partners

Focus: Artistic Research on Reconnecting Memory and Cultural Identity through AI

Migration and cultural displacement reshape how memory and identity are carried across languages, geographies, and digital environments.

This track invites participants to use AI as a tool for artistic research, developing performative, spatial, and digital works that reactivate memory as a living, evolving process.

Possible Project Outcomes:

  • Performative works

  • Immersive installations

  • AI-driven films

  • Participatory digital archives

  • Generative memory systems

Industry Challenge Statement
Memory is not simply a record of the past; it is the material from which identity is formed. It shapes how we understand ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we locate ourselves in the world.

In conditions of migration and sudden displacement, memory becomes unstable. Archives disappear. Narratives fracture. Cultural continuity weakens. Lives unfold across languages, geographies, and digital environments where fragments of the past must be reconstructed.
Memory today is also increasingly mediated by technology. Artificial Intelligence now influences how memories are reconstructed, translated, visualized, and archived. Yet many AI-based memory projects remain superficial — generating nostalgic images without engaging the deeper cultural and emotional processes of remembrance, loss, and reinterpretation.

Memory invites reconstruction — but meaningful tools for reconnection are still emerging.
The Challenge
We are looking for proposals that apply Artificial Intelligence to reconnect memory and cultural identity.

Not AI-animated nostalgia — but projects that move beyond technological experimentation to consider the cultural and emotional consequences of migration.

We invite participants to approach this challenge through artistic research — engaging memory as a dynamic cultural process shaped by relationships, context, time, and technology, and exploring its complexity beyond purely structured methods.

Projects may address:
  • a) Reconstructing fragmented memory
    Example: ReCollection

    An interactive AI installation that turns whispered memories into generative images.
    Explore Example
  • b) Translating personal and collective memory into new forms
    Example: Synthetic Memories

    A project that turns detailed memory descriptions into AI-generated images and short videos.
    Explore Example
  • c) Engaging memory as temporal and unstable
    Example: You Only Have Seven Seconds

    A film and installation that transforms seven-second whispered memories into AI-generated visual sequences.
    Explore Example
  • d) Working critically with archives and cultural data
    Example: Archive Dreaming

    An immersive installation that uses AI to turn archival documents into a three-dimensional visual environment.
    Explore Example
  • e) Using AI as a performative and co-creative agent
    Example: The House of Future Memory

    An interactive theatre work where AI shapes the performance in real time.
    Explore Example
Why
Memory is dynamic, relational, and vulnerable.

Technology increasingly mediates how it is formed and preserved.

By critically integrating AI into processes of remembrance, we aim to support new cultural tools that reconnect fragmented identities and expand collective understanding in a world shaped by migration.
Memory Track Team
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    Track Lead
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    Art curator
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  • Max Holden
    Tech curator
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    Learning Lead
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    Production Lead
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    Invited experts
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Fees & Grants
School Participation
  • Participation in the School phase requires a fee of €450.
  • Grants covering up to 100% of the participation fee are available, provided by the CultTech Association and Track Partners.
Studio Participation
  • Participation in the Studio phase is free of charge for teams selected to continue.
  • Studio teams receive production grants, tailored to the needs of each project.
Program Benefits
School Phase
  • A two-month guided program with art and tech curators
  • Dedicated support from the Lab’s learning team and invited experts
  • A vibrant interdisciplinary network fostering dialogue and collaborative problem-solving
  • Development of the concept into a production-ready project plan
  • One-year membership in the CultTech Association
  • Certificate of completion
Studio Phase
For projects selected for the Studio, teams also receive:
  • A 3-day Studio Camp (travel and accommodation covered)
  • Dedicated producer support
  • Presentation at the CultTech Summit (travel and accommodation covered)
  • Additional presentation opportunities at partner platforms
  • Production grants
How to Apply
Applications are submitted via Google Form. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a short online interview.

Applications should include:
  • Project Description
    • A project proposal responding to the selected industry challenge, outlining the concept and intended format
    • A brief description of the technical approach
    • A short roadmap for the project’s development
    • A short motivation statement from each team member
  • Team Background
    • Roles within the project and relevant experience
    • Links to previous work (portfolio, projects, websites)
    • Links to online profiles (e.g., LinkedIn)
Apply for Memory Track
For any questions

feel free to contact us at lab@culttech.at