AWARDS
THEME
Oneiric (of dreams)
An Open Call for Works at the Intersection of Mind, Machine, and Myth
For Carl Jung, dreams were the “gateway” to the unconscious—a nightly theater where Archetypes (The Self, The Shadow, The Persona, The Anima/Animus) emerge to balance, warn, and guide the waking self. These universal figures, drawn from the depths of the collective psyche, have shaped human mythology, art, and behavior for millennia.
Today, we inhabit a new kind of dreamscape: the digital realm. Our screens, networks, feeds, and algorithms have become a collective canvas where ancient desires, anxieties, and myths are continuously projected. This evolving digital ecosystem functions much like a living, borderless organism—non-linear, symbolic, and deeply revealing of our collective psyche.
The 4th edition of the FutureTense Award invites artists to explore the intersection of Jungian archetypes and our modern, hyper-connected existence. We are looking for works that navigate the relationship between the organic and the machine, the threshold where the human subconscious meets cybernetic reality to shape our contemporary existence.
We invite artists to engage with the theme through the following exploratory threads as a starting point for the submission:
Thread: Cybernetic Unconscious
Investigate how the collective psyche interfaces with cybernetics. How do feedback loops, data streams, and automated systems act as a mirror to our shared subconscious? Envision the digital infrastructure not as cold hardware, but as a living, breathing extension of human cognition—a machine that dreams alongside us.
Thread: Organic Digital
Examine the blurring boundary between physical reality and digital dreamscapes. Treat the global network as a borderless organism—an entity that grows, mutates, and reacts. How does the virtual realm reshape human perception, nature, and organic life?
Thread: Kantian Threshold
Engage with the “Kant Machine”—the philosophical interface between raw sensory data and human perception. How do our cognitive structures shape the reality we experience online? Expose the underlying architecture of perception itself, questioning whether the Dream is a window to the soul, a product of neural wiring, or simply a glitch in the system.
Thread: Archetypal Dreamscape
Reflect on the non-linear, surreal nature of the digital dream. In a world without physical borders, how do archetypes evolve? Capture the fluid migration of symbols, myths, and identities across networks, where the internal psyche meets the external data stream. How does the collective psyche express itself when physical geography no longer constrains the imagination?
Thread: Fragmented Self
In an age of avatars, AI, and multiple digital identities, how do we locate the Human Being? Interrogate the dissolving boundaries between the individual and the collective, the internal psyche and the external virtual environment. How do our virtual identities impact our psychological safety and sense of self?
An Open Call for Works at the Intersection of Mind, Machine, and Myth
For Carl Jung, dreams were the “gateway” to the unconscious—a nightly theater where Archetypes (The Self, The Shadow, The Persona, The Anima/Animus) emerge to balance, warn, and guide the waking self. These universal figures, drawn from the depths of the collective psyche, have shaped human mythology, art, and behavior for millennia.
Today, we inhabit a new kind of dreamscape: the digital realm. Our screens, networks, feeds, and algorithms have become a collective canvas where ancient desires, anxieties, and myths are continuously projected. This evolving digital ecosystem functions much like a living, borderless organism—non-linear, symbolic, and deeply revealing of our collective psyche.
The 4th edition of the FutureTense Award invites artists to explore the intersection of Jungian archetypes and our modern, hyper-connected existence. We are looking for works that navigate the relationship between the organic and the machine, the threshold where the human subconscious meets cybernetic reality to shape our contemporary existence.
We invite artists to engage with the theme through the following exploratory threads as a starting point for the submission:
Thread: Cybernetic Unconscious
Investigate how the collective psyche interfaces with cybernetics. How do feedback loops, data streams, and automated systems act as a mirror to our shared subconscious? Envision the digital infrastructure not as cold hardware, but as a living, breathing extension of human cognition—a machine that dreams alongside us.
Thread: Organic Digital
Examine the blurring boundary between physical reality and digital dreamscapes. Treat the global network as a borderless organism—an entity that grows, mutates, and reacts. How does the virtual realm reshape human perception, nature, and organic life?
Thread: Kantian Threshold
Engage with the “Kant Machine”—the philosophical interface between raw sensory data and human perception. How do our cognitive structures shape the reality we experience online? Expose the underlying architecture of perception itself, questioning whether the Dream is a window to the soul, a product of neural wiring, or simply a glitch in the system.
Thread: Archetypal Dreamscape
Reflect on the non-linear, surreal nature of the digital dream. In a world without physical borders, how do archetypes evolve? Capture the fluid migration of symbols, myths, and identities across networks, where the internal psyche meets the external data stream. How does the collective psyche express itself when physical geography no longer constrains the imagination?
Thread: Fragmented Self
In an age of avatars, AI, and multiple digital identities, how do we locate the Human Being? Interrogate the dissolving boundaries between the individual and the collective, the internal psyche and the external virtual environment. How do our virtual identities impact our psychological safety and sense of self?
JURY PANEL
Media Art Award
JURY PANEL
>>> >
Professor
Curator
Media Artist
Curator
Artist
Digital Art Award
JURY PANEL
JURY PANEL
>>> >
Curator
Distinguished Professor
Animation Director / Researcher
Artist, curator, and writer
TIMELINE
Oct - Dec 2026
Open Call
>>>
Open Call
>>>
Feb - Apr 2027
Judging Process
>>>
Judging Process
>>>
Apr 2027
Best Popularity Award Voting Period
>>>
Best Popularity Award Voting Period
>>>
May 2027
Winner Announcement
>>>
Winner Announcement
>>>
Aug - Sep 2027
Award Ceremony and Exhibition
>>>
Award Ceremony and Exhibition
>>>
ABOUT US
FutureTense strives to foster collaboration and intellectual exchange within the realm of new media arts. Since its inception in 2019, FutureTense has served as a non-profit platform dedicated to bringing arts, design, and technology to the public. Our primary focus is on curating and nurturing artists and creative practitioners who harness the transformative power of art and technology.
By actively promoting new media arts, we aim to inspire creativity and engage communities in the emerging possibilities of the future. The FutureTense Awards specifically target professionally trained students in arts and creative disciplines, providing them with opportunities to expand their networks and gain global exposure for their talents. Together, we cultivate a vibrant ecosystem that embraces innovation and artistic excellence.
By actively promoting new media arts, we aim to inspire creativity and engage communities in the emerging possibilities of the future. The FutureTense Awards specifically target professionally trained students in arts and creative disciplines, providing them with opportunities to expand their networks and gain global exposure for their talents. Together, we cultivate a vibrant ecosystem that embraces innovation and artistic excellence.