Status | Active |
---|---|
Genre | Conference, Pop-up exhibitions and digital properties |
Frequency | Seasonal |
Venue | Various locations, Online |
Headquarters | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Years active | 18 |
Inaugurated | 2007 |
Founder | Olufeko |
Organized by | Visual Collaborative, LLC (Minneapolis) (2007–2023; dissolved) International joint venture; Publishing only (2024-Present) |
Electronic Publishing | |
Categories | Lifestyle Innovation |
First issue | April 5, 2019 |
Language | English (Some articles in French or Spanish) |
ISSN | 2642-9780 |
OCLC | 1096432925 |
Website | visualcollaborative.com |
Visual Collaborative is an American festival and publishing platform highlighting the intersections of people, commerce, and innovation. The platform organizes exhibitions that feature talks, art, technology, development, and live music performances. [1] Over the years, the initiative has grown in scope and size, aligning with sustainable goals. [2] [3]
In 2006, inspired by the open collaboration movement, designer and technologist Ade Olufeko founded Visual Collaborative to bridge the gap between creative professionals and their commercial value. [1] Since originating in Minneapolis, Visual Collaborative has showcased collections and talks in Minneapolis, Miami, New York City, The Mission San Francisco California, Columbia Maryland, and Washington D.C. [4]
In 2007, the group's inaugural event featured international artists Miko Simmons and Linda Zacks, which took place at the original Center for Independent Artists, inside Instituto de Cultura y Educacion located in a community of South Minneapolis. In 2011, in Washington D.C., Visual Collaborative produced an exhibition featuring emerging and established artists with a collection described as vibrant new art. [4] In 2015, the platform collaborated with the Arts District Hyattsville Master Association in Hyattsville, utilizing the Lustine Center to host a group exhibition themed Vanity. [5]
Up until 2015, the platform's exhibitions occurred as disruptive innovation in a traveling formatted pattern. [6] They have been held in reputable galleries, lofts or donated spaces by private owners who include art enthusiasts and lifelong patrons of the arts. [5] They are executed through joint ventures with other arts and humanities organisations [7] which have in the past included Arts District Hyattsville Master Association in Prince George's County and Voices for Children Miami. [8] In April 2019, Visual Collaborative launched an open access online collective called Polaris, also documented as North Star by the Library of Congress, ISSN 2642-9780. [9]
Events held in U.S. cities before publishing expansion:
In April 2019, Visual Collaborative launched an open access online collective called Polaris. The project commenced in the winter of 2019 for a period of three months. The interdisciplinary collective featured 26 practitioners from various disciplines. [12] [13] The Polaris catalogue explores creative disciplines, perspectives and intrinsic value of the featured practitioners and how they interact with society. [14] [15]
Polaris features both established or emerging people in the creative industry, intersecting with anthropology and humanities. Its subtopics may include health and wellness, architecture, fashion, entertainment news and non-partisan political themes. In addition to covering professionals from regions around the globe, the content aims to boost literacy in various socioeconomic circles. [16]
In June 2019, the second volume of the Polaris series featuring 25 people was released under the title Voyager. [17] Seun Kuti was one of the main features. [16]
In May 2020, international news outlets announced the release of the TwentyEightyFour series. The 5th volume of the Polaris catalog consisted of conducted and transcribed interviews, among the 21 participants featured French music sisters Les Nubians, Metal Gear music and soundtrack composer Rika Muranaka, Global strategist Busie Matsiko-Andan, Comedian Chigul, Electronic music artist Coppé and a reprised conversation of Nollywood actress Dakore Akande. [18] Themes of adaptability and empathy ran consistently across the collective, aiming as a reprieve and alternative to the COVID-19 pandemic media barrage. [19]
Les Nubians is a French musical duo, composed of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart from Paris, France. In 1985, the sisters moved with their parents to Chad. Seven years later, they returned to Bordeaux, France, and began singing a cappella, producing poetry slams in Bordeaux and Paris, and singing background vocals for various artists worldwide. The duo's debut album Princesses Nubiennes was released by Virgin Records, France, in 1998.
Polaris is a star, also known as the North Star.
Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti, popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women's rights activist and traditional aristocrat Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
Jens Gad is a German producer, songwriter and guitarist of Danish parents. He started making music at a young age.
Dawn Okoro, is a Nigerian American artist who paints figurative art works, as well as practices photography and videography, all inspired by fashion and popular culture. She graduated from University of Texas-Austin in 2002 with a B.A. in Psychology and Fashion Design and graduated with a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 2009.
Rika Muranaka is a Japanese composer and music producer renowned for her songs in Konami’s Metal Gear video game series.
Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti, popularly known Seun Kuti, is a Nigerian musician, singer and the youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun leads his father's former band Egypt 80.
Dakore Egbuson-Akande is a Nigerian actress. She is an ambassador for Amnesty International, Amstel Malta and Oxfam of America.
Tiphanie Brooke, known professionally as Antigirl, is an American multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer, best known for her series of heart paintings, street art and collages.
Qmillion, is an American record producer, mix engineer, composer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Qmillion's achievement for recording and mixing recording artist Robert Glasper's critically acclaimed Black Radio album, gained him a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 55th Grammy Awards in 2013. and most recently nominated for Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Black Radio III by Robert Glasper on the 2023 Grammys.
Polly Alakija is a British muralist, artist and children's book author. Born in Britain, she moved to Nigeria upon marrying her Nigerian husband and most of her works focus on Nigerian-themed concepts.
Bantu is a 13-piece band based in Lagos, Nigeria. Their music is a fusion of Afrofunk, Afrobeat, highlife and Yoruba music. The group features multi-instrumentalists and singers who perform as a collective.
Remi Vaughan-Richards is a Nigerian filmmaker.
Chioma Omeruah, better known as Chigul, is a Nigerian comedian, singer and actress who is known for her accents and comedic characters.
Bahia Shehab is a Lebanese Egyptian multidisciplinary artist, designer, historian, creative director, educator and activist based in Cairo. Her work is concerned with identity and cultural heritage, and uses Islamic art history and in particular Islamic calligraphy and graphic design to explore contemporary Arab politics, feminist discourse and social issues.
Ade Abayomi Olufeko, is an American-born designer and technologist primarily active in Lagos, Nigeria. He is the founder of Visual Collaborative, an American platform collaborating with diverse experts on socio-economics.
Tosin Oshinowo is a Lagos-based Nigerian architect and designer, creative entrepreneur, public speaker and author.
Remember To Rise subtitled Black's Dream is a derivative work of the Iyasile Naa, a massive art collaboration. Observing innovation in developing countries, technologist of Ijebu descent Ade Abayomi Olufeko, known for his collective signature created the work as a cultural bequest for the African continent.
Aya Chebbi, is a Tunisian diplomat, and a pan-African and feminist activist. She became the first appointed African Union Envoy on Youth in November 2018. Appointed by the chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki in November 2018, as the youngest senior official in the history of the African Union and youngest diplomat in the chairperson's cabinet. She supports the Chairperson in addressing his thematic priority of working with and for young people and advocate to Silencing the Guns by 2020.
Marcie Rendon is a Native American playwright, poet, author, and community arts activist based in Minneapolis. She is an enrolled member of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.