Art

turning a party in the desert into an amazing, unique event


Another year, another Nowhere
Another empty field of dirt and tumbleweeds
Waiting to be filled by your Creativity!

Want to delight a couple thousand lovely humans with your new and eclectic theatre piece? Are you on a mission to beat back the psytrance hordes with a healthy dose of live music? Want to become your weirdest self in a bizarre cabaret under the Middle of Nowhere tent? Hop over to the Performance art page to learn more. 

Got yourself a tight crew, power tools, and a metric ton of wood & screws to build a towering avant-garde installation in the middle of it all? Or maybe it’s just you alone, crafting a little piece of intimate weirdness and wonder for those who wander in the dirt? No matter the size, shape, or form- pop down to the Art Installation project registration form 🙂

Has your truck turned into an airship? Have you left your car parked right there and now it’s a giant pink mouse hugging a metal dragon?!? Well, why not stick a sound system on it and cruise the field of dirt, transporting dancing nobodies to and fro? Drive right on to the Artomobiles page.

Or are you rather more into engineering; the art of inventing something useful, for making life better, safer, or more sustainable in the scorching heat and the dusty wind? That’s creativity too! Inform yourself on the Innovation page.

And, like every year, we are here to help if the unstoppable force of your creative vision has slammed into the immovable wall of late stage capitalism: if you need financial support in order to make your dreams come to life, we offer grants to cover your materials and transportation costs! You must only sacrifice a tiny piece of your soul to the dark gods of bureaucracy and accounting. It’s mostly painless. Promise.

We love all of you beautiful weirdos. Come and create something amazing at Nowhere!

Nowhere 2024 Art Installations GRANTS

If you have any questions you can email us at art@goingnowhere.org

Our grants offer you a refund of up to 100% of your expenses for building materials and transportation, up to a cap of 5000 EUR per art project. Please make it as sustainable as is feasible!

But even if you don’t require funding, you are encouraged to register your art piece so that we can include it on the map and, if needed, provide electricity to it, and an Early Entry (EE) pass to you.

A note for transient pieces: if you’re deliberating whether your art project is a performance piece or an art installation- please note that installations should be continuously displayed and available for interaction with the event’s participants, for all of the event’s time- i.e. Tuesday to Sunday.

If you’d like to be on one or more of our creativity department teams including project escorts, art council, or on site team; and help us support the artists who are bringing their creativity to Nowhere- then very possibly there’s a place for you with us- please review the open positions on the Join NOrg page or reach out to us directly at art@goingnowhere.org

Terms & Conditions

What we fund
  • Building materials. For example: wood, metal, screws, LEDs, fabrics, etc.
  • Transportation costs of the art piece. Fuel, highway tolls and ferry crossings are covered if you drive the art in, or shipping costs if you use a shipping service.
  • 3rd party professional services are refunded only in some special cases. As a general rule, we prefer that building be done by yourself as much as possible; but in cases when you don’t have the equipment or skill neccessary for building a certain part, it may be OK to pay someone to do it instead. Ask us before contracting any services!
What we don't fund
  • We do not cover the purchase of tools, sound systems, solar panels and other items with a long life or a high resale and reuse value. The only exception to this is when these items get modified so much that they become an inseparable part of the installation or artomobile.
  • We do not pay artist fees or salaries. Your participation in Nowhere is not for profit. The time and energy you spend makng the art is a gift to the other participants.
  • We do not cover personal transportation costs (e.g. your plane, train, or bus ticket to Aragón).
  • Your ticket to Nowhere. You must already have a ticket (or commit to buy one) to be eligible for an art grant. If tickets are sold out, please get in touch with us (art@goingnowhere.org) as soon as possible; we might be able to provide you with the opportunity to purchase one (we do keep some in reserve for artists, but not for long!)

If you are in doubt whether or not a certain expense is allowed, email us and ask us BEFORE you make the purchase

Before the event
  • We fund 4 types of creative projects: art installations, artomobiles (mutant vehicles), performances, and innovation projects.
  • You apply by submitting the registration form for your specific art type. See the start of the page for links.
  • Upon applying and providing all necessary information please allow up to 2 weeks for the team to process the proposal.
  • We will also get back to you with questions and request more information as necessary, or point out potential issues.
  • Once we’re satisfied that your proposal is complete, we’ll officially assess it and assign you an art grant, for the requested amount or less.
  • We’ll provide documentaion on how to correctly make your purchases in a way that complies with our refund guidelines (they are quite strict this year, so please read it carefully).
  • For installations and artomobiles, you will also be required to sign a waiver where you take full responsibility for any accident happening due to faults in the build or the operation of the piece (including unsafe driving in case of vehicles).
  • You will advance all expenses and build your art, keeping us updated on your progress, and asking any question about purchasing that you might have before making any purchases you’re uncertain about.
  • If your project needs time to set up on site, you should request Early Entry access for your team.
On site
  • Your installation should be up and ready by the end of day on the Tuesday of the event. Likewise your Artomobile should be ready to roll by the same time.
  • Aggressive, threatening, or abusive behavior towards any members of the art team, other volunteers or participants is not acceptable, no matter how much stress building your art has caused you and your team.
  • When the event ends, you’re expected to remove your art, and leave no trace behind you. You’re expected to dispose of any leftover materials at the appropriate recycling facilities on site, or ask for space in a skip for materials which are not recyclable.
  • Failure to respect any of the above points will cause some or all of your funding to be revoked!
After the event
  • You should submit by email to art@goingnowhere.org a refund request including a detailed report of your expenses, including copies of all invoices and receipts, as necessary.
  • We will also ask you for your bank account information, and may request other details such as a copy of your ID or passport as needed for accounting and tax compliance.
  • We will use and store this information only for the purpose of processing your refund.
  • We will review your refund request and ask for any additional documents and/or information that may be missing or incorrect.
  • Once we have all the necessary data we will let you know and proceed with a refund directly to your bank account.

Timeline

  • Starting date for applying: 1st February 2024
  • Deadline to apply for art grants: 10th May 2024
  • Grants are processed as we receive applications, with a response-rate of up to two weeks.
  • Once your grant is approved, please start building your art (if you haven’t already done so), and keep us posted.
  • Keep your invoices and receipts, in accordance with the guidelines, or you won’t be able to claim a refund!
  • All funded art must be ready and presented by the end of the day on the Tuesday of the event.
  • Performances should happen at the scheduled day and time.
  • Send your expense reports as soon as possible after the event and we will reimburse you as soon as possible.
  • Deadline for presenting refund claims: 14th October 2024