Rhizome Commissions Program
The Rhizome 2010 Commissions
About the Commissions:
The 2011 commissions cycle has not begun, please check back in Summer 2010 for the next round.
Founded in 2001, the goal of the Rhizome Commissions Program is to support emerging artists by providing grants for the creation of significant works of new media art. By new media art, we mean projects that creatively engage new and networked technologies to works that reflect on the impact of these tools and media in a variety of forms. Rhizome defines emerging artist as artists who exhibit great potential yet are not fully recognized within their field. Commissioned works can take the final form of online works, performance, video, installation or sound art. Projects can be made for the context of the gallery, the public, the web or networked devices. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000 and can be applied to any aspect of the work, including labor costs, technology, or materials. Artists who receive a commission will also be invited to speak at Rhizome's affiliate, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and to archive their work in the ArtBase, a comprehensive online art collection.
This year, Rhizome awarded ten grants total. Eight of these were selected by a jury and two were determined by Rhizome's membership through an open vote. Reflective of Rhizome's commitment to openness and community, this unique process encourages dialogue among artists and participants and provides members with the opportunity to survey the current field of practice.
2010 Commissions
Rhizome is pleased to announce the ten emerging artists and collectives that have been awarded grants through the Rhizome Commissions Program. All emblematic of new directions in the field of new media art, the works manifest in a variety of forms from performance, sound to web-based works and touch upon themes from cultural and historic memory, to Reality TV, to the possibilities for humanizing participants in mass social networking systems. Two of the commissions were determined by Rhizome’s membership through an open vote; eight were determined by a jury including Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Design at the Museum of Modern Art; Jason Kottke, blogger, Kottke.org; Henriette Huldisch Independent Curator and co-curator of the 2008 Whitney Biennial; Monica Narula, artist, Raqs Media Collective; and Paul Pieroni, freelance curator, critic and Associate Director of SEVENTEEN.
2010 Rhizome Commissions
Jury Awards:
Toby Heys of Battery Operated and Steve Goodman aka Kode9, Unsound Systems
Heba Amin, Fragmented City
Jeffrey Crouse, Crowded
Aleksandra Domanovic, 19:30
Chris Moukarbel, Cast
Michael Kontopoulos, Measure of Discontent
Tristan Perich, Microtonal Wall
Red76, YouTube School For Social Politics
Member Awards:
Diana Eng, Fictional Jewelry and Other Wistful Adornments
Tiff Holmes, SolarCircus
Funder Credits
The Rhizome Commissions Program is supported by the Jerome Foundation, The Robert Lehman Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, the Rockefeller NYC Cultural Innovation Fund, and Rhizome members.