OPEN CALL #1

With the support of Amarte, Amsterdam Light Festival invites creators to develop a new light art installation for the 16th edition of the festival, taking place in the winter of 2027–2028. This open call is open to artists based in the Netherlands. Whether you’re taking your first steps as an artist or looking to expand your practice, this call is intended for creators who are new to the medium of light art.

OPEN CALL #2

Amarte is pleased to collaborate again with Rotterdam Photo to present the Dutch Talent Project Grant. This initiative gives emerging photographers the opportunity to create new work exploring the festival’s theme: Vibrance - The Pulse of a Living World. Selected artists will receive financial support, artistic mentorship, and a platform to showcase their projects during Rotterdam Photo 2027.

They received a grant

Excalibur 2026

Elena Zaghis
Elena Zaghis received a grant for the development of new work. Her research traces how myths, stories that explain and shape reality, are materialized, then reinvented through whatever ideology comes next, a process digital culture has sped up. Her case study is Excalibur. In one version, the Lady of the Lake produces the sword by magic, an echo of wonder at metallurgy, ore turned into something that could grant a nation power. She hears that same wonder in how we talk about AI. With an archaeologist, she is tracing how the myth has shapeshifted; with a creative technologist, she is testing how it could become an installation: a sword lodged in a computer monitor or its CPU.Elena is a millennial, proselyte of the gaming age devoted to the exploration of alternative timelines in this era of technological acceleration. through her practice, she researches the words fabricated with automated/automatic technologies, as well as the vibes they may generate.
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The Amarte Foundation was founded by a number of individuals and their families who share a deep love for the arts. They wish to support the development of creatives and talent in arts and culture by providing financial means and where possible coaching, knowledge and experience. Artists who are active in the cultural sectors of the Netherlands or the ABC and SSS islands (the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) can apply to Amarte for the support of projects in the field of theatre, film, music, visual arts and literature, as well as interdisciplinary projects.