The mission of Xenoform Labs  is to support new media artists – those who work at the intersection between art and technology with criticality – throughout the beginning stages of shaping and experimenting their practice; and giving these artists the space for interaction and conversation with local artists, thinkers, curators, writers and creatives. In such a tech-centric city, we strive to provide a space where artists working with new technologies have the ability to help shape the narrative by including community into their artistic processes.

Established in October 2018, Xenoform Labs features ample studio space and housing for a solo artist or couple, within a home environment, in San Francisco’s historic Mission District. The studio includes digital media, virtual-reality hardware, media production and light-fabrication capabilities. We ask the artists to come prepared with an initial inquiry, to be able to focus solely on the process of experimentation, so that their ideas can take shape and become the foundation of refined and finished works.

The duration of full-term residencies are one month. In between these, we offer “Stopover Residencies,” lasting one week. The focus of these shorter residencies is on the initial processes of brainstorming and prototyping. Additionally, during the residency, Xenoform Labs will host events in order for the visiting artists to be able to connect with local thinkers, artists and curators in the Bay Area and to provide critical feedback to their ideas-in-progress. Projects thus far have included prototyping breath sensors to propel avatars in virtual reality so that the real-world body influences the virtual; recipes generated from machine-learning algorithms that the artist cooked and served at a dinner party; and a prototype installation in which the user is able to commune electronically with plants.