staging realities x mozarteum university

Mozarteum University has launched an Open Call for a funded residency to create an interactive, multi-user XR performance in the X-Reality-Lab. Media artists and artist collectives can apply to receive up to € 40,000 for the production of their artwork, which will be presented during the Lab’s opening festival in March 2026.

The X-Reality-Lab at the Mozarteum University is a new immersive space for music, visualization, interaction, performative art, extended reality, as well as artistic and scientific research. To implement all these experiments, the free open-source software mozXR is being developed. Artists interested in exploring the possibilities can apply for a funded residency in an Open Call.

The Mozarteum University in Salzburg and the Ars Electronica Futurelab are collaborating on the X-Reality-Lab, where artistic innovations – from interactive dance performances to immersive theater productions – can be realized at the highest technical level. The space is equipped with 3D projectors, a sophisticated audio system, and laser tracking – operated via the open-source framework mozXR.

mozXR will be freely available to students, artists, and creatives – a game-changer in the development of immersive art, which is often associated with high costs. Interested parties can also use mozXR to implement complex projects for the X-Reality-Lab and similar spaces independently and with as few technical hurdles as possible. The first demos and the release of the open-source software mozXR are planned for spring 2026. The X-Reality-Lab will be presented to the public as early as fall 2025 as part of the opening ceremony of the university’s new location UMAK (Universität Mozarteum am Kurgarten).