Economic added value alone is not enough to meet 21st century innovation goals. To counteract the current challenges, everyone must come together: Research, industry, public institutions, individuals, and government policy-makers.


In this spirit, the S+T+ARTS Residency (an initiative by the European Commission) was launched back in February 2022, aimed at exploring the potential of innovation at the crossroads of academia, science, art, and technology. The residency was organized by Ars Electronica and three local partners: the Johannes Kepler University, Greiner Innoventures, and Innovationshauptplatz Linz. The JKU served  as the academic/scientific proeject partner and Jörg Fischer (Institute of Polymeric Materials and Testing, JKU) and his team provided artist support during their creative process.

As part of an open call, two Berlin-based artists, Kat Austen and Fara Peluso, and their project "Circular Records" were selected. The artists' objective was to develop a low-carbon alternative to vinyl records. During the 2022 Ars Festival, the two artists provided insight into their research process with Ouroboros, a project that featured a prototype LP record made out of bioplastic.

Ouroboros was on view during the Ars Festival between September 7-11, 2022, at Science Park 4.