The groundbreaking Open Circuits: An International Conference on the Future of Television, held at MoMA in 1974, brought together artists, theorists, curators, arts administrators, and critics to discuss the problems and prospects of artists' television and video. On the 50th anniversary of this convening, Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) is soliciting critical writing responding to the concerns of the conference and engaging with the unfolding history of media art through the lenses of accessibility, distribution, and preservation. Papers will be published on EAI’s microsite in December, accompanying a related series of public programs throughout the fall that address video art history, contemporary practice, and future possibilities for the medium.

EAI seeks short-form essays that take as a starting point the organization’s institutional history and/or the Open Circuits convening to address contemporary and historical topics in video art—including, but not limited to, focused case studies of individual artworks, the development and application of communications technologies by artists, and institutional and historical omissions in these broader histories of video art from the 1970s to the present.

To apply, please submit a short abstract (approx. 300 words) proposing your topic of interest, its connection to Open Circuits, and relevance to the topics of accessibility, distribution, and/or preservation, by July 12, 2024. All writers, no matter the age or experience level, are encouraged to apply.

Submission link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSep519e7FcSF-CkvVxcm69WjgvnljYDZKJIkwa1rZEF6bNFzg/viewform

Final pieces will be approximately 1,200-1,500 words. Selected writers will receive editorial support and access to EAI’s artist files and paper archives.

Timeline: Selected writers will be notified by August 1, 2024 and will expected to produce a draft by October 1, 2024.

Compensation: Writers will receive a $350 honorarium for their work.

Questions can be directed to kfilreiseai.org.