Artist-Run Initiatives

  Heerz Tooya is an artist-run gallery dedicated to contemporary art. The gallery presents young, established, Bulgarian and international visual artists. Established in January 2019 in collaboration with the artist residency ARV.International in Vishovgrad, Bulgaria.  

  LA PARED promotes contemporary art and artists. We want contemporary art to play as impacting a role on civil society as possible. We currently focus on the connection we have created between Mexico and Colombia. We have a gallery space, studio spaces and residential accommodations in both countries. In our first year in Colombia we won both a federal government grant and a municipal grant towards the execution of our residency and graphic arts programs.  

one gee in fog (ogif) is an independent, experimental and transdisciplinary artist run space including an exhibition space, a library, a residency and an online platform named two gees in eggs (tgie). founded in 2014 in chêne-bourg (geneva) by artist ceel mogami de haas, opera singer claire michel and editor and researcher lucas cantori, ogif is currently run by a group of artists, curators, writers, publishers and art historians committed to critical thinking, research-based art practices and literature (mainly poetry and sf). our goal is to promote young cultural producers engaging with critical forms of visual art and art-driven theory, as well as with publishing, writing and research by the means of the arts. at present, the project is in charge of lucas cantori, ceel mogami de haas, bénédicte le pimpec, charlotte magnin and camilla paolino. in short, ogif explores the domains of visual arts and literature, instituting a space where language and writing encounter and integrate art practices. the fertile nexus of these two domains is engendered and investigated via the following triangulation: each exhibition project combines the works of one or more visual artists; a series of publications selected by an invited publishing house and available for consultation […]

  The Concern Newsstand has such a name because of a concern that the world is falling to distracted mindlessness and that we’re all reading from physical, paper objects less and less. A ‘concern’ is also the name of a ‘business’. The Chapel Hill / Carrboro, NC area no longer has m/any used book or magazine stores. The Newsstand is offering this service to the community. It is also a venue for local artists & artists from beyond to sell their printed materials & limited edition products. Housed in a gallery & among artist studios, it is a meeting spot & hang out place. The curated focus is to expand one’s mind in some way beyond the mundane via artist books, comics, art books, magazines, small press publishers, used books, vintage magazines & more. The curator & artist behind this project is Orvokki Crosby. The Concern has a long-term outpost at Lump Gallery (505 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27601) where materials can be browsed and purchases can be made during gallery hours (Thu- Sat, 12-6pm) AND a showroom/ reading room/ workshop at Attic 506 (506A W. Franklin Street), in Chapel Hill, open during events (second Fridays 6-9pm) & by […]

  Newcastle-based artist-run gallery housed above Bar Loco. Proud to offer exhibition opportunities to emerging artists.  

Unit 1 Gallery | Workshop is Workshop Foundation’s exhibition and residency space in London. It supports a diverse range of emerging and mid-career contemporary artists by providing them with space and time to develop their practice, championing principles of integrity and rigour. Through its residency programmes and exhibitions, it gives artists, curators and theorists a platform to present work and share ideas as well as creating an environment for freethinking and exchange. The Foundation seeks to progress artists’ careers and connect them to the public. It has now organized more than 25 exhibitions with over 100 artists and curators. Unit 1 Gallery | Workshop was founded in 2015 by artist Stacie McCormick in a former builder’s merchant.

  In 2007, the KUNSTTANKSTELLE OTTAKRING was founded in memory of the Dichter family (www.sammlungdichter.com) by the artists Roland and Richard Schütz (co-founder of MASC FOUNDATION). The former gas station was available as a precariat for exhibitions until 2014. In 2014 the KUNSTTANKSTELLE OTTAKRING was saved for artists all year round for presentations, lectures, exhibitions, low budget productions. Roland Schütz born 1962 in Schwanenstadt OÖ studies at the university of applied art, vienna – Gestaltungslehre/Prof. Maria Lassnig{(painting & experimental animation) scholarship new york lives and works in vienna Richard Schütz born 1965 in Linz, 1992 diplom at the university of applied art, vienna produktdesign ceramik/glass/Prof.Matteo Thun-Hohenstein, scholarship at glass school Pilchuck/USA, lives and works in vienna  

masc foundation 39 dada are an artist group (Roland Schütz – Kurt Mayr – Richard Schütz – Arno Schmid †2016) which works intensively, since its opening in June 1999, on the integration of fine arts and their various expressions. Our artist run spaces were located vis a vis at grundsteingasse. We were founded as artistic counterparts in this street in Vienna Ottakring. Since the death of Arno Schmid (39dada) in June 2016 the art project is continued by masc foundation. For a long time, the Brunnenviertel, the area around the Viennese Brunnenmarkt in the 16th district, has been an ideal place of work and living for many artists. The artists of our association have come together here to find common possibilities of artistic expression and presentation. The advantages of the area are innumerable: the cosmopolitan social climate, the successful, multicultural mutual stimulation of the most varied cultures represent an ideal nurturing ground for the art, which always also intends to explore the human being in its expressions, desires, hopes and capabilities. Many members have lived and worked in this area for a long time. A dense network of social contacts and mutual support has been created in this way, which […]

Flat Octopus is an international artist- and curator-run collective in Stockholm, Sweden. Flat Octopus organizes exhibitions and workshops in apartments in Stockholm and Uppsala, as well as external projects, events and collaborations locally and internationally. The Name The title, Flat Octopus, points to the main concept of apartment (flat) exhibitions and the flat hierarchy structure of the collective. The octopus is a playful twist, as ‘octopus’ commonly refers to large scale business corporations, an opposite to the nature of the collective. The Concept Flat Octopus works with apartment exhibitions. For each exhibition the members of Flat Octopus invite an artist or curator to take over one of their members’ or guest apartments where he/she stays for a period and produces an exhibition. Aside from this the collective organizes workshops and external projects and collaborations locally and internationally.  

  Resident Arts is an artist-run nonprofit which cultivates aspiring and emerging artists, and engages supporters of the arts to strengthen Mid-MO’s community. Our professional development and skill-building programs empower and educate to help create and sustain fulfilling careers in the arts. We help artists create sustainable careers right here in Mid-Missouri by 1) helping local artists professionalize, 2) engaging young people in learning about creative careers, and 3) helping non-artists appreciate and support local art.  

Founded in 1976, Touchstone Gallery is located in a custom-built street-level space at 901 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Since the beginning, Touchstone’s mission has remained unaltered: to enrich the lives of the community through diverse contemporary art exhibitions; to promote a rich variety of art talent in the DC region; to showcase national and international artists whenever possible; and to foster continuing artistic and career growth of its 50 member artists through encouragement and support. The gallery is centrally located in Washington, DC, between the White House and the United States Capitol. Close to the CityCenterDC development, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, this venue is easily accessible by public transportation and a perfect modern backdrop for contemporary art. As a member owned and managed gallery, Touchstone artists enjoy the right to guide gallery policies and control their solo exhibitions. The support and camaraderie of the membership is an important benefit. From the start, Touchstone has been involved with the DC community and with philanthropic outreach in and beyond DC region. The gallery is part of local, national and international art scene, balancing its members’ shows with ongoing art […]

  window is a site-specific, minimalist exhibition space envisioned as a platform for contemporary image makers who engage with issues of re-production and re-presentation within their practice via political, philosophical, theoretical, poetic and/or process-based frameworks.   window welcomes two-dimensional printable works that repurpose found or archival source materials, challenge notions of originality and authenticity, stimulate perceptual phenomena through reiteration or duplication, implement re-photography as a critical component, or embrace re-production as essential to the work. window installs 4-6 new artworks per year, designed exclusively for the space by the artist, or in collaboration with the curator.  The site consists of a 58 in x 51.5 in surface area of a downtown Asheville, North Carolina storefront with ample visibility to the passing public. window invites artists to realize new works, designed and conceptualized to complement the discourse and format of the site, and also encourages the re-contextualization of pre-existing works. Mission Statement window values original objects and aesthetic precision, but does not find these aspects essential to every viewing experience. window promotes the exchange of ideas and dialogue through engagement with visual representation. window does not fetishize process or material and disavows the treatment of artworks as precious and unique. window does not promote commerce. window celebrates re-production.  

One Stay, One Art PARADISE AIR is an artist-in-residence program located in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, conveniently close to yet comfortably removed from the bustle of central Tokyo. The program is held on the vacant floors of a former hotel, a setting afforded to us by the Rakuen pachinko parlor (a pinball-gambling establishment) that occupies the bottom floors of this building owned by Hamatomo Corporation. We launched the program in 2013, naming ourselves PARADISE AIR after this “Rakuen” – “paradise” in English – combined with “AIR,” the acronym for “artist-in-residence.” Artist-in-residence programs provide artists a place to stay and create art for a given period, supporting their travel and artistic activities. Situated along the old Mito Road, Matsudo thrived during the Edo Period (1603–1868) as one of the route’s “post towns”– stop-off points punctuating major roads – where travelers would stay on their journey between Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Mito. Countless travelers came and went past where Matsudo station stands today, including artists – poets, painters, calligraphers and the like – who would sometimes leave pieces of their own art as payment for lodging. Some of these works can still be found today, preserved in local residents’ homes. In the spirit […]

  “Hlebzawod” art space was created on abandoned factory territory in the summer of 2016. Its mission is educational activity in contemporary art. Also combined with the formation of the exhibiting activity in Ukraine, promotion of contemporary art, as a necessity of modern retell of our cultural and historical content. It contains programs of familiarization of audience with the tendencies of Ukrainian contemporary art, and the disclosure of its social and cultural significance, formation of audience’s outlook and tastes, the search and help in growing of young talents.  

  The Kalashnikovv Gallery was established in 2013 by long term collaborators M.J Turpin and Matthew Dean Dowdle out of frustration with the current South African Contemporary Art world and by extension, the prevailing “white cube” gallery discourse.They chose to create a hybrid space, bouncing to-and-fro between an independent artist run space, project space and commercial gallery space. Another key factor in the gallery’s inception was the decision not to compartmentalize creativity by showing art that is solely validated through academic practice and saleability. the Kalashnikovv ethos will forever champion the progressive alternative, the “outsider”, the artist as curator and the independent artist in all their creative guises and manifestations. Their existence is an endeavor to change perceptions around art, to move the industry forward as a whole, to be a catalyst for change and to make art accessible for all. Kalashnikovv strives to create exhibitions and scenarios that will cause artists, curators and the public to question their own place in this ever evolving art world. Mission Statement: The very nature of art questions the status quo. It gives voice to those who cannot speak. It is a platform for those who are not heard or seen. Kalashnikovv is […]

  Videokaffe explores the intersection of handcraft and modern technology through exhibitions, art residencies and connecting artist studios worldwide. Since 2011 Videokaffe has exhibited at galleries and art residencies in Japan, Russia, United States and Finland. The members show their individual works and together build workspaces / labs onsite, where they work collaboratively and create artwork. During the exhibitions, Videokaffe invites the audience to enter the workspace to witness, learn about, and participate in the art making process. Between exhibitions, Videokaffe members meet regularly online by connecting their studios via webcams and video projectors. Through this process, the members work together as if they are sharing the same space. Videokaffe seeks to build bridges among cultures and to collaborate through the universal language of art.  

  Soundstripes is an eclectic screening of short silent films, all live scored by a band of improvising musicians. Soundstripes is a co-organised by Jonny Best, Alice Bradshaw & Vanessa Haley and was established in Huddersfield in 2017.  

  Camayuhs is an artist run gallery located in the Peachtree Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, GA. Programming aims to highlight emerging and mid-career artists via presentations of group and two person exhibitions.

  Trixie is an artist-run space located in the Stationsbuurt, neighboring the red light district of The Hague, in The Netherlands. Our building consists of an open and dynamic exhibition space with huge windows and shiny mirrors, including fifteen studios, currently hosting seventeen young artists/designers who work towards establishing a firm base for their artistic career. Trixie has an eye for recent graduates and upcoming talent and invites diverse groups of artists to experiment with alternative presentation strategies and expand their practice.

HIER & JETZT: Connections is an exchange and residency program for artists in exile. The initiative was launched in 2017 by artists of B.L.O. Ateliers in Berlin-Lichtenberg. We collaborate and exchange ideas on a collegial and informal basis and thus create a platform for art, learning and communication. We define exile as the involuntary loss of one’s social context and working environment in the country of origin for an uncertain period of time. Our structure supports the arrival and artistic production of those who recently came to Berlin. With help of our cross-cultural network we organize workshops, artist talks, film screenings, open studios and exhibitions – and sometimes we just have a coffee on the premises of B.L.O. Ateliers. We invite experts and the public to share new social footholds and artistic incentives with people from, among others, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey. Involved artists: Rula Ali, Omar Alshaer, Shirin Ashkari, Mika Clemens, Christa Fülbier, Halim Karabibene, DIE KOMPANIE, Zoltan Kunckel, Irina Novarese, Ramin Parvin, Dachil Sado, Yaser Safi, Özlem Sariyildiz, Uli Westphal, Ali Yass. Since 2003 the B.L.O. Ateliers offer space for workshops and studios to a great variety of international artists and makers. Around 60 people work here, […]