The ZERO1 Garage is moving along and gaining momentum as ZERO1 prepares for its 4th iteration of the ZERO1 Biennial. Located on 439 South First Street in San Jose’s SoFA District, ZERO1 Garage will officially open its doors during ZERO1 Biennial opening week of September 12, 2012, premiering with the Fellowship Program. As the centerpiece of the ZERO1 Garage, the Fellowship Program is an interdisciplinary peer network / brain trust composed of innovation experts engaged in collaborative research and experimentation. ZERO1, in association with member partners, will define specific innovation challenges and commission artists, scientists, designers, architects, engineers, technologists, researchers, educators, and policymakers to push the boundaries of creativity to reveal innovation that frames new strategies, products, and markets. Fellows will pursue their research/projects in the context of this highly interdisciplinary, peer-to-peer network and community while having access to sponsor-provided technology, resources, and expertise.
The first class of ZERO1 Fellows will be inaugurated in 2012 with five sponsored collaborations. Fellowships range from cultural production and artistic experimentation to policy initiatives. The Fellowship Program is implemented in the context of ZERO1 public and artistic programming initiatives including exhibitions, creative studios, commissioned art projects, workshops, symposia and special events.
Our first RFQ in collaboration with Google around an Innovation Challenge received a great response and we are in the process of reviewing submissions. ZERO1 is currently still accepting applications for a Fellowship, in conjunction with Adobe’s Creative Technologies Lab, to develop a new piece of technology that addresses key challenges or enables creative opportunities for one or more of Adobe’s primary user populations.
On the Biennial front, the ZERO1 Garage will impact the overall vibrancy as a vital creative placemaking agency, by transforming and activating downtown San Jose, specifically the SoFA cultural district. ZERO1 has partnered with City of San Jose’s Public Art Program, with support from National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant, to commission a series of public art projects focused on transforming and enabling re-usable platforms within downtown San Jose. An important addition to this year’s Biennial, ArtHERE is a new community website and open-call platform. Developed by Bay Area artists, it brings art projects into empty spaces, connecting artists with business owners and organizations. The first round of open calls focused on platforms and spaces in downtown San Jose but the next round has brought on Palo Alto Arts Commission and Pacific Art League in Palo Alto as well! ArtHERE serves as a scalable model for other cities; and we’re currently investigating possibilities with Palo Alto, San Francisco, and New York City to replicate the program.