SPATIAL COMPUTING AND THE TRANSVERSAL POWER OF DIGITAL ART
Call for digital art, XR and artificial intelligence projects
Open Call: March – June 2026
Annual incubation programme in XR, AI and digital art
Registration link here
NUBIA Labs 2026 is an incubation and professional support programme aimed at digital art and spatial computing projects, including technologies such as XR (AR/VR/MR), creative artificial intelligence, real-time interactive installations and immersive environments.
In its 4th edition, the programme focuses on the incubation of digital art projects working with spatial computing (XR/AR/MR, creative AI, real-time interactive installations, immersive environments and participatory practices), while deliberately remaining open to a wide diversity of artistic languages and formats.
As a vertical initiative created by ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture, NUBIA Labs connects artistic creation, technology and professional development, enabling emerging projects to evolve from prototypes into consolidated cultural proposals ready to circulate in festivals, museums and other cultural circuits.
A Digital Art Incubator
NUBIA Labs supports projects in their evolution from prototypes or MVPs towards consolidated cultural proposals prepared for circulation in festivals, museums and international digital art and new media circuits.
The programme combines specialised mentorship, technical and strategic training, and public presentations through a flexible and personalised incubation process adapted to the specific needs of each project. This support allows projects to develop both their artistic and conceptual dimension as well as their technical feasibility, production and professional positioning.
What does the programme offer?
Selected projects will participate in an incubation process that includes:
- Access to a multidisciplinary team of mentors and experts in digital art, XR, artificial intelligence and cultural production.
- Access to the facilities of ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture in Barcelona, including educational resources and creative spaces.
- Access to advanced technological infrastructure, including XR headsets, a motion capture studio, projectors and equipment for immersive production.
- A dedicated AI/XR Playground experimentation space designed to test experiences and prototypes with diverse audiences.
- Connection with international networks such as XR4Europe, as well as festivals and professional platforms that support the international circulation of projects.
- Direct introduction to showcases, festivals and initiatives in the sector, facilitating visibility and professional networking.
Throughout the programme, incubated projects will progressively be presented in public activities organised by ESPRONCEDA.
JURY
A jury composed of sector experts will select the 3 projects with the greatest potential.
Who is the call addressed to?
This open call is aimed at artists, creative developers, designers, researchers and interdisciplinary teams working at the intersection of art, technology and digital culture.
The programme is especially suitable for projects that:
- Have a prototype or MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and seek to evolve towards a solid and innovative cultural proposal.
- Explore spatial computing (XR/AR/MR), creative artificial intelligence, real-time interactive installations or immersive environments.
- Wish to develop their project through an incubation process with specialised mentorship, improvement sprints and public presentations.
- Can commit to participating in the programme throughout 2026, including mentorship sessions, project development and public presentation.
Selection criteria
Projects will be evaluated by the curatorial team and programme mentors according to the following criteria:
- Technical and artistic maturity of the project, including the quality of the existing prototype.
- Degree of innovation, particularly in the creative use of technologies such as XR, artificial intelligence, robotics or interactive systems.
- Cultural and conceptual potential, including the project’s capacity to generate new narratives or languages within the field of digital art.
- Capacity for evolution and scalability, considering its potential adaptation to contexts such as museums, public spaces or international circuits.
- Commitment of the team and development potential within the incubation programme.
Project Selection
A novelty of NUBIA Labs 2026 is that the incubation of projects started in January. Therefore, the selection process began with the curatorial team already in the last quarter of 2025. These projects have already received or are currently receiving incubation support.
They are:
- Bosc de Missatges — Ariadna Cortés and Luis Sentis
- Digital Monuments — Love Antell and Lena Trapp
- Refractions of a Gesture — Ailin Bars
- Simbiòtica — Pol Ros
Open Call
In March 2026, NUBIA Labs launches an international public open call to incorporate between 6 and 10 additional projects into the incubation programme. The call will be disseminated through local cultural platforms, with special attention to projects connected to the Catalan creative ecosystem, as well as through international networks (such as XR4Europe). As a novelty of this edition, the selection process will be continuous, allowing projects to be progressively incorporated into the programme between March and June 2026. Selected projects will participate in the same initial diagnosis process, improvement sprints and 360º mentorship as the rest of the incubated proposals.
Programme Timeline
4th Quarter 2025
Curatorial preselection of projects and programme planning.
January 2026
Official launch of the programme, onboarding and initial diagnosis of projects selected in 2025.
March – June 2026
Launch of the Open Call for new projects.
Continuous selection of projects from the open call and definition of their development plans. Improvement sprints and 360º mentorship.
During 2026
Continuous public presentations of incubated projects.
November 2026
Celebration of the Demo Day.
November – December 2026
Advanced mentorship and super-acceleration process for the three selected projects.
Mentorship and Training Areas
The programme includes specialised mentorship and training in key areas of digital art and spatial computing such as:
- Spatial Computing (XR / AR / MR) and technological ethics
- Immersive narratives and spatial interaction design
- Real-time prototyping (TouchDesigner / Unity)
- Creative artificial intelligence for generative art
- Creative robotics and human–machine choreography
- Intellectual property and licensing in digital art
- Business models and sustainability of cultural projects
- Marketing, pitching and international visibility
- Distribution in festivals, museums and XR platforms
Mentorship and content are personalised according to the needs of each project.
FAQs
1. What language is the programme conducted in?
Catalan is the main working language of the programme, but Spanish and English will also be used in sessions with international artists and experts.
2. Who can apply?
The call is open to digital artists, creative developers, designers, researchers and interdisciplinary teams working in digital art, spatial computing (XR/AR/MR), creative artificial intelligence or interactive installations.
3. At what stage should the project be?
Projects must have at least a prototype or MVP (Minimum Viable Product). The programme is designed to incubate existing projects and support them towards becoming consolidated cultural proposals.
4. How many projects will be selected?
The programme foresees incubating between 10 and 15 projects in total:
4 already selected and between 6 and 10 additional projects selected through the Open Call.
5. Will there be public presentations of the projects?
Yes. Throughout the year, continuous public presentations of incubated projects will be organised, with the aim of presenting at least one project per month.
6. What happens if my project is selected as one of the three highlighted projects?
During the Demo Day in November, an expert jury will select three projects with the greatest potential. These will access a super-acceleration module in November and December, including advanced mentorship.
7. Is there financial support?
Additional financial support may be considered and evaluated on an individual basis, depending on the needs and development opportunities of each project.
8. Does the Open Call have a deadline?
The Open Call launches in March 2026, and the selection process will be carried out progressively until June 2026, allowing projects to be incorporated into the programme between March and October.
9. Where does the programme take place?
The programme takes place mainly at ESPRONCEDA – Institute of Art & Culture (Barcelona), with some online sessions to facilitate the participation of international experts.
How to apply
Application form here
The call will remain open until 30 June 2026 as a continuous selection process. Projects will be progressively incorporated into the programme throughout the year.
Contact and support:
Do you have any questions?
Write to us at: info@espronceda.net
