// BASIS & TERMS

The KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative invites artists, researchers, writers, curators, collectives, and other cultural practitioners — particularly but not exclusively those aligned with the cypherpunk movement — to develop artistic, cultural, or social experiment practices exploring the relationship between technology, society, and human coordination. Particular attention will be given to decentralized systems, digital sovereignty, and networked cultures.

The Initiative is a cultural funding initiative operating within the Kusama blockchain network. It supports experimental projects that may take place on-chain, off-chain, or in hybrid contexts, and that result in artistic works, research outputs, publications, performances, social experiments, or other cultural artifacts.

The Initiative aims to support projects that promote experimentation, critical inquiry and artistic freedom. It values work that engages with questions of individual agency, digital autonomy, privacy, and the current distribution of power in technological systems. The Initiative aims to promote exploration, constructive dissent, and research-driven practice, including political and socially engaged experimentation. It prioritizes intellectual honesty, originality, and contextual awareness over speculative or market-driven narratives.

The Initiative operates as a rolling funding program. Project duration, scope, and funding structure are agreed upon individually, based on the proposal and the conditions defined by the committee.

Funding is provided by the Web3 Foundation and is paid on-chain in DOT, the native token of the Polkadot ecosystem. The payment structure, schedule, and number of installments are defined individually for each approved project.

Funded participants are expected to engage in public or semi-public forms of knowledge sharing, such as documentation, presentations, discussions, or other dissemination formats appropriate to the project and the Kusama network ecosystem. On-chain submission such as NFTs will be deployed on the Kusama blockchain.

Kusama is a decentralized blockchain network that supports experimentation, rapid iteration, and unconventional approaches to governance, technology, and culture. While primarily a technical environment, it also provides a context for broader artistic, social, and philosophical exploration.

The KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative is established as a cultural and research-oriented funding program within this context. It aims to foster dialogue between artistic practice, social inquiry, and decentralized technologies, and to support projects that contribute to cultural discourse around these themes.

This program offers financial support, curatorial guidance, and contextual integration within the Kusama network ecosystem.

In the initial phase of the KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative, funding will primarily support artistic projects, research initiatives, and social experiments within a typical funding range of up to 10,000 USD.

Projects with a larger scope or higher budget requirements may also be submitted for consideration and may be subject to additional review conditions.

Where relevant and feasible, the program may facilitate:

• introductions to ecosystem participants or partner initiatives,
• visibility through Kusama network-affiliated communication channels,
• and access to technical or advisory support on a best-effort basis.

Projects are evaluated by a curatorial committee composed of individuals with experience in art, research, culture, and decentralized technologies. Its ruling will be final.

Proposals are assessed based on the following criteria:

• Innovation and originality of the proposed project
• Conceptual clarity and seriousness of intent
• Relevance of the project to the program's scope and context
• Feasibility within the proposed timeline and budget
• Demonstrated capacity of the applicant(s) to realize the project and the coherence of the project within the career of the candidate to date
• Potential to contribute to a broader cultural, social, or philosophical contemporary discourse
• The contribution, interaction and enrichment to the Kusama network of the proposed practice

The committee may:

• request clarifications or revisions
• select projects conditionally
• or decide not to award funding if proposals do not meet the required standards.

Applications must be grounded in areas where the applicant already demonstrates knowledge, practice, or prior research; the initiative does not fund preliminary exploratory phases intended primarily to determine the substantive content or direction of the proposed work after funding is awarded.

Depending on the nature of the project, the Initiative may provide:

• curatorial feedback and project guidance,
• contextual support related to the Kusama network and Web3 environments,
• introductions to relevant ecosystem participants,
• limited technical or advisory support, subject to availability.

Applicants are expected to be capable of working autonomously and managing the technical, artistic, and organizational aspects of their projects. The Initiative does not guarantee full technical implementation support.

Any specific technical dependencies or support needs must be clearly outlined in the proposal.

By submitting an application, applicants agree to the following conditions:

• Funded participants commit to carrying out the approved project within the agreed scope and timeframe.
• In the event that a funded project must be withdrawn or significantly delayed, sufficient advance notice must be provided.
• Unjustified failure to carry out the agreed work may result in cancellation of funding.
• After completion of the project, participants must submit a final report or documentation describing the outcomes and process. The final report or documentation format is flexible and should be appropriate to the nature of the project.
• Funded projects may be included in communication, documentation, or programming activities related to the Initiative.
• Credit attribution will be specified individually, depending on the format and media of the project output, and must be implemented accordingly in all public presentations, publications, or disseminated materials.
• Participants must respect applicable laws, ethical standards, and community norms.

Applications are open to all natural or legal persons professionally engaged in artistic, cultural, or research activities, regardless of age, gender, nationality, or place of residence. English language proficiency is required.

We acknowledge the role of artificial intelligence as a tool that may support artistic, research, and administrative processes, including accessibility and inclusion.

Applicants are nevertheless expected to ensure that their submissions reflect their own voice, intent, and authorship. Applications that rely primarily on automated content generation, rather than using AI as a supporting tool, may lack the specificity and clarity required for evaluation.

This note is not intended to discourage the use of AI, but to emphasize the importance of authenticity and intentionality in the application process. Projects that critically examine or creatively engage with AI technologies are fully within the scope of the Initiative.

Applications must be submitted through the designated online application form. The application must include one single PDF document containing the following materials, in the order listed below:

1. Contact details — Name, country of residence and preferred contact. For group applications, one representative must be designated.
2. Project description — Description of the proposed project and the motivation for carrying it out within the framework of the KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative. (500–1,000 words)
3. Motivation letter — A cover letter with motivation or declaration of interest in the topics or themes the initiative. (max 400 words)
4. Supporting materials — Images, sketches, references, or other materials illustrating the project.
5. Previous work — Presentation of at least three relevant previously realized works, projects or published texts.
6. Budget overview — Approximate budget outlining anticipated costs and required resources.
7. Project timeline — Estimated work plan and delivery schedule.
8. CV and short biography — (can be replaced by a reference to updated online portfolio)

The application dossier must:

• be submitted as one PDF file,
• not exceed 15 pages,
• be written in English.

Incomplete or incorrectly formatted applications may not be considered.

Applicants must upload their application using this form. Applications received by other means will not be considered.

Applicants warrant that all submitted materials are original and do not infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. The applicant/s should retain the full ownership of the proposal.

Applicants remain the owners of all intellectual property rights in their work. By accepting funding, beneficiaries grant the Initiative a non-exclusive right to use submitted documentation and resulting materials solely for purposes of documentation, communication, and dissemination of the program.

This does not affect the moral rights of the authors.

The KSM Arts and Social Experiments Initiative requests open source licensing when applicable.

Personal data provided by applicants will be processed solely for the purposes of managing the application process, administering funding, and communicating about the program.

Data may be shared with parties where legally required or necessary for program administration. Personal data will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill these purposes and comply with legal obligations.

Applicants have the right to access, rectify, or request deletion of their personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

i) The KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative ("the Initiative") is funded by the Web3 Foundation, which built the Kusama Network in 2019. The initiative is in no way affiliated with the artist Yayoi Kusama or the Yayoi Kusama Foundation.

ii) Web 3.0 Technologies Foundation ("the Foundation") does not direct, manage, or control the operations of the Kusama Vision program ("Program") or the use of any funds the Foundation may provide to the Program through Bounties. All decisions regarding the management and expenditure of Program funds remain decentralized and curator-led. Accordingly, the Foundation accepts no responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of any Program funds, or for the outcomes of the Program, or for any acts, omissions, or decisions made in connection with the Program. The Foundation will not be liable for any damages, losses, or claims arising out of or in connection with participation in the Program.

iii) Successful applicants will be paid in DOT tokens only equivalent to the US dollar valuation agreed with the Initiative's curators.

iv) The curators of the KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative are the sole determiners of whether an application is deemed successful or not. The curators accept no liability in any event where grievances or disputes are raised by applicants. Similarly, the curators will not be liable for any damages, losses, or claims arising out of or in connection with participation in the program.

v) In compliance with EU and U.S. sanctions regulations (including Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 and U.S. OFAC programs), KSM Art and Social Experiments Initiative will not distribute prizes to any individual or entity that is subject to sanctions, listed on any EU, U.S., or UN sanctions list, or resident or established in a jurisdiction under comprehensive sanctions, including but not limited to Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Participants may be required to confirm that they are not residents of, nor receiving funds on behalf of persons located in, such jurisdictions. KYC for the grant recipients might be required.