The main source of critical perspective towards the excessive energy consumption around minting NFTs came from the new media art scene. In February 2021, artist Joanie Lemercier opened the debate by cancelling a cryptoart release due to the “insane and unnecessary waste of electricity involved”.

Since then, there’s been growth in ecosystems that allow artists to find new income sources in the crypto scene while keeping their carbon footprint in ethical standards. These tools are also taking the specific features of blockchain projects to fund pioneer open source projects with smart contracts that allow for money to act as software, automatically redistributing a percentage of each sale to the community behind the tool that made the artwork possible.

The Processing Foundation, for example, has received 10 million euros, mostly from cryptocurrency donations by artists using the creative software Processing. The foundation has achieved a financial stability without precedents in its two decade history.

The many possible futures of open source projects seems to have several overlaps with blockchain technologies. Our two day bootcamp will try to give participants all necessary intellectual and technical tools to navigate this environment and the last frontier of technologies changing societies.

The course will include hands-on training that will allow the participants to learn how to create their own NFTs in the blockchain Tezos, as well as the state of the art of programmable value redistribution tools and communities.

No previous experience is required and designers with physical projects and open source approaches are strongly encouraged to apply. Travel grants available by request for candidates needing financial support to assist.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF IDEAS
A panel composed of Mar Canet & Varvara Guljajeva, one Espacio Open team member and one representative from the Distributed Design platform will assess the candidates’ proposals. A total of six of them will be selected to participate in the Bootcamp and afterwards promotion activities.

PROMOTION OF THE PROJECTS
The Bootcamp will take place during Maker Faire Bilbao 2022, celebrated in the Bilbao Old Cookie Factory in Zorrotzaurre, Bilbao.

KEY DATES

Thursday 10 November 2022: Open Call launch.
Wednesday 30 November 2022: End of deadline for project submission.
Wednesday 7 December 2022: Participant selection announcement.
Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 December 2022: Blockchain maker-to-market bootcamp.

HOW TO APPLY
Participating is easy. Candidates can submit their proposals until 21 November 2022 through this form.

CONTACT
[email protected]