NODE Foundation opens applications for WHATIF, a $25,000 digital art residency in New York

Node Foundation is inviting applications to WHATIF, a five-month residency at NODE Studio NYC for artists and creatives open to exploring new possibilities in digital art. Successful applicants will receive a $5,000 monthly stipend for five months to support their work. 

Applicants must be over 18 and prepared to attend the residency in-house in New York, where they will receive a dedicated workspace, technical support, and access to the display, production, and prototyping infrastructure of NODE’s Palo Alto headquarters. There will also be a visit during the residency to the Palo Alto space, with flights and lodging paid. Applications close on December 10, 2026.

Applicants do not have to be artists but their project must, the organisers say in a website statement, have “the potential to challenge, expand, or redefine what digital art can be”. “It might explore how technology changes the way we create, how science can inspire new forms of artistic expression, how storytelling evolves in digital spaces, or how people interact with art in unexpected ways.”