brain digital content open call

In support of the MIT Museum’s mission to welcome all to participate in MIT’s unique culture of problem-solving and playful creativity, we seek proposals for compelling digital content that explores humanity's relationship with the theme of BRAIN.

Thematic Focus on BRAIN: April 2027 – September 2027

ABOUT THE THEME

The brain is our internal command center, but our ideas, identities, and movements are informed by a mix of physiology, environmental influence, and, increasingly, technology. We know cognition can exist without consciousness. We know the brain has the flexibility to change and grow to support memory, learning, and recovery. And we know neurotechnologies can increasingly augment, alter, or manipulate the brain.

As we discover and understand more about the brain, new questions arise. Where is the boundary between a difference in ability, and a medical diagnosis? How does mental health, aging, or social interaction connect our internal nature and environmental influences? When external forces like brain-computer interfaces, prosthetics, or even psychedelics merge with who we are, where do we gain capacity, and where do we cede control?

BRAIN at the MIT Museum, launching in April 2027, will bring together art, science, technology, and design to open new perspectives on the most personal, powerful tool that we have, and the neurotechnologies that are shaping our collective future.

ABOUT THE OPEN CALL

Selected proposals will be featured as ambient content on a two-story digital screen in the Museum’s Yuchun (1989) and Agustina Lee Family Exchange, an amphitheater space at the heart of the museum with built-in stadium seating. The Exchange is an event space for public dialogue and conversation; however, the two-story screen is not activated for programming during most of the Museum's opening hours, leaving it available for ambient content. Since the Exchange is in a central, high-traffic location, most people will come across the screen as part of their museum visit, and may pause in this space, sit on the staircase, and spend time with the content on the screen.

**Who is our audience?
**Content should be accessible and thought-provoking for a wide variety of visitors. Please note that the Museum’s target audience is curious adults and teens (middle school and above).

**What type of content is accepted?
**We are seeking content that is immersive, non-linear, and experimental. Non-didactic, artful presentations that create an immersive ambiance, such as visualizations of data and/or scientific phenomena, are examples of possible proposals. Content that brings together art and science in innovative ways is encouraged.

Due to the interstitial nature of the Exchange space, we are not seeking content with visitor interactivity (such as touchscreens, QR codes, etc.). Please note that submitters must provide a valid license agreement or written authorization for any third-party content utilized in proposals. Due to exhibition audio in adjacent galleries, proposals with content-critical audio are discouraged.

**What hardware will be used?
**Proposals must be compatible with the hardware listed below. At this time, the Museum is not able to alter or supplement existing hardware to satisfy the requirements of individual proposals.

Video wall hardware:

• NEC LED Display (NECSP-DVLED-Y5-5747- p1.5)

• Analog Way (EKS-4K) 4K presentation system w/ 10 inputs, 2 outputs, and 1 dedicated Multiviewer

• The aspect ratio of the screen is 3840 x 3024 or 80:63 (1.27).

• The physical dimensions of the screen are 20' 3" x 16' 2"

Windows PC:

• Intel Core i9-10850K Comet Lake 10-Core 3.6 GHz LGA 1200 125W Desktop Processor Intel UHD Graphics 630 - BX8070110850K

• GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UP5 TH LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with Dual Thunderbolt

• CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Intel XMP 2.0 Desktop Memory Model

• MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3090 24GB GDDR6X PCI Express 4.0 SLI Support Video Card RTX 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G