FoAM is an association of artists, technologists and researchers, exploring novel modes and resources for cultural expression. It was originally conceived within Starlab, a European Research Laboratory in the beginning of 2000, as a non-profit spin-off. FoAM aims to become a global network of artists and scientists (and their organizations) sharing ideas and information during occasional meetings, as well as working with each other remotely or forming temporary projects within one of the FoAM - Starlab sites, or the sites of associated organizations. Becoming a network instead of a sedentary institution in one site, FoAM will keep a large amount of flexibility, which is needed for exploring manifold methods of cooperation and production.

Formed in San Francisco in 1997 by Chris Salter, Sha Xin Wei and Laura Farabough, Sponge is an association of artists and researchers who share a commitment to creating public experiments as artifacts of cultural engineering. Sitting at the nexus of several areas of socio-cultural work including investigative art, speculative design, techno-scientific research and critical public discourse, sponge was founded on the idea that both art and its conceptualization must be immanent in everyday economy. This embedding and infusion applies not only to the art but also to Sponge's approach to new media, matter, symbol and social capital. Current research and project interests include topological media, design of hybrid responsive environments, arenas of game/play, micro-performance and experimental phenomenology.