The art economy makes some people filthy rich but leaves most people making art in poverty. Many digital innovations and disruptions of the past decade have promised to improve the economic position of cultural workers, but somehow, they only seem to grow more precarious. How is that possible? And, more importantly, how can it be changed? The urgency is clear, but in the day-to-day grind of the cultural economy, we often have little time or headspace to think about these questions. With the Solidarity Economies Lab, we create a space to think through and try out radical alternatives.

This lab aims to develop its own collaborative economic model tailored to the specific needs of its cohort: a group of practicing art workers. To do so, in the lab, the participants will review existing models of value creation and redistribution. Think of platform cooperatives, rotating funds, cultural publishing ventures, NFTs, DAOs, community currencies, basic income experiments, fair payment guidelines, and trade and social unions. Participants will select one model to develop further together, based on shared interests and urgencies.

In October 2026, the group will gather in Berlin for a three-day design sprint. The aim is not only to refine or better understand the chosen model, but also to prepare it seriously for long-term implementation. The resulting proposal will be launched at the transmediale festival in January 2027 and carried forward collectively from that point onward.