The KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative: Our early progress

ksm-art-se
Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:25:34 +0000
Ecosystem

It has barely been two months since the KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative, one of the three Kusama Vision Bounties, began constructing a suitable framework that will, in due course, allow us to begin funding projects in earnest.

Our objective is to support high-quality applications from artists, cultural practitioners, and experimental thinkers that lean into the cypherpunk ethos that preceded Bitcoin, that grew with early crypto adoption and continues to be expressed today, even while Polkadot, Kusama, and Web3 in general have reached a certain level of maturity in an uncertain world.

Ultimately, the ambition is to develop this into a meaningful, long-term grant program that resonates powerfully within the arts world as well as the Web3 space, prompting serious societal discussion and change.

But in order to even view the summit of the mountain, careful preparation is mandatory. To use a sporting cliché, the “hard yards” have to be put in.

February: Initial Public Visibility

To that end, February was a particularly important month. The official website was launched, the application process was activated, and proposals began trickling into our inboxes.

We have carefully assembled a user journey that encourages applicants to absorb significant important details about what we expect from them before they start filling in the application form itself.

The pink APPLY NOW button on the website, leads to the following preamble: “In the initial phase of the KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative, we’re primarily looking to support projects seeking funding of up to 10,000 USD. Projects with a larger scope and bigger budgetary requirements may also be considered. If you’re inspired to create a project that resonates with our values, then we’re waiting to hear from you! Before submitting, please consult the Basis & Terms page for the complete requirements and conditions.”

The reader is then sent directly to that Basis & Terms page referenced above - recently extended with a comprehensive FAQs section - which is intentionally thorough and detailed. Finally, once they have read this, they can begin filling in the application form. This process is deliberately drawn out, reinforcing the fact we want people to take this as seriously as possible.

From the beginning, our goal has been to create a grant program that reflects the standards of contemporary arts and cultural funding. That means:

A clear, structured evaluation process

Transparent criteria

A focus on artistic and conceptual depth

A commitment to fairness and equal treatment

Along the way, we chose to distance ourselves from the words “Kusama” and “Bounty”, in order to be more adjacent to the arts world, where the name Kusama tends to imply the celebrated Japanese artist, and where the word “Bounty” is not unilaterally understood in the way it is within the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystems. (Additionally there are legal reasons behind why we have to be careful when using the word Kusama).

Each proposal is assessed independently by each of five curators, who consider originality, clarity of intent, feasibility, and alignment with the Initiative’s themes. We aim to support projects that explore meaningful artistic or social questions. We do not wish to support marketing campaigns, platform development, or general content production.

To keep the process equitable, we operate as a rolling open call and do not provide individual feedback. The system is quite different from the Polkadot bounty system of 2023-24, where funding was often provided in a less discriminatory way to simply utilize available resources. Additionally, we ensure all applicants are evaluated on the strength of their original submission, as opposed to their ability to revise it through curator guidance. This last point is highly relevant for a program that intends to foster originality, freshness and - ultimately - the creative genius of the applicant.

Early Outreach, Awaiting Funds & Structure

We have begun very soft outreach to raise awareness of the Initiative among artists and cultural practitioners. We have started to build a presence on social media. We are not yet ready to extend this process much further since we are waiting for deeper clarity about the future structure of the program and the availability of on-chain funds.

Once we have those two things in place, outreach will expand significantly, with a focus on attracting diverse, high‑quality proposals from artists and practitioners across the world. We remain excited about the possibility of doing this as soon as possible since we believe it will be a rewarding process.

First Proposals Received

To date, we have received 16 submissions, helping us test our evaluation workflow and refine our internal tools. While several proposals showed interesting ideas, many did not fully align with the Initiative’s artistic and experimental focus. Common issues included:

Proposals centred on marketing, education, or platform building rather than artistic experimentation

Budgets that lacked detail

Projects that were too broad or underdeveloped, typically lacking clear previous research, reflecting undisclosed collaborations and uncorroborated by the applicant’s achievements in the cultural field

That said, two proposals have demonstrated promising directions and are currently undergoing further review. We look forward to announcing the first approved projects once our funding is initiated.

Looking Ahead

The KSM Art & Social Experiments Initiative is designed to be a home for bold ideas - projects that push boundaries, explore new forms, and engage critically with technology, society, and culture. If the journey to this point is about building the structure, the months ahead will be about bringing it to life.

If you’re an artist, researcher, or experimenter with a project that resonates with the cypherpunk spirit, we encourage you to explore the open call and consider submitting your proposal. We’re just getting started, and are passionate about supporting work that challenges, inspires, and expands our understanding of how art and Web3 can work together.

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