Artist-Run Initiatives

Isgisgisgisgisgisgisgisgisg.com is an international artist-run, browser-based space started in 2019. It consists of a 10,000 x 10,000 pixel size browser window – a fluid, multifaceted construct that extends from the continuum of the screen to IRL. Isgisgisgisgisgisgisgisgisg.com explores the relational extension of the browser, where visual, sonic, and textual experiences are mediated through screens. Alongside this, it engages in a critical process of exchange within the framework of networked society. It steers its trajectory towards the confluence of internet culture, archival practices, and audiovisual materials, aiming to foster a critical platform for expanded practices. Despite primarily existing online, it also takes on a nomadic form, materialising in physical exhibition spaces.  

Artistic Curiosities * Unexpected Wonders Wondercabinet is the project of interdisciplinary relational artists, Anne Weshinskey and Árni Gudmundsson (V4L Arts Collective). We specialize in the instigation and exhibition of artistic curiosities, and creating spaces where unexpected wonders can occur. We pave a pathway to enjoying contemporary art through activities that engage everyone—from locals to those passing by on their way to somewhere else. Anne and Arni began working together 15 years ago while living and working in separate countries (Turkey and Sweden), and in 2016 moved to West Virginia where the type of conceptual and relational (community collaborative) work we do was completely unheard of in this rural area. In order to rectify this situation, we took over the fire truck bay of an old volunteer fire company and turned it into an exhibition and production space and roadside attraction called Wayside Wondercabinet.  Located within the Between the Hills Community Center in Loudoun County, VA,  Wayside Wondercabinet has since become a locus of cultural projects created for, and in collaboration with, the local community.  Besides exhibiting artistic work and serving as a venue for various cultural projects,  “The Wayside” is home to a permanent collection of curiosities and artworks by local […]

Galerie la Vieille Poste opened in 2010 as the gallery/project space for Moorland Productions creative collaboration (Kenneth Hay & Seetha A). It is also a residency centre and the seat of the Larroque Arts Festival, which has welcomed over 500 international artists to exhibit, share ideas, develop new projects, meet or stay since 2010. Set in the heart of rural Occitanie, the valley is one of the oldest continuously inhabited regions of Europe with Neanderthal traces going back 400,000 years. Larroque village sits next to the ancient Grésigne forest, rich in flora and fauna as well as archeological sites from the Bronze Age to Gallo-Roman forts. The Festival which takes place every July, is documented on Instagram and maintains an Open Call  on the FaceBook page.  Residencies/visits are possible throughout the year.

The roots of this gallery stem from a passion to fill the voids left behind by closed doors. As an artist and a nomad traveler, I’ve witnessed the struggles faced by creative souls yearning for opportunities. We believe in democratizing art, transcending limitations, and nurturing dreams. Your triumphs are our rewards, and we’re here to walk this path with you. As a wandering nomad, I understand the importance of expanding digital opportunities that transcend geographical boundaries. Who said an artist must be confined within four walls with canvases and paints? Travel and the richness of other cultures – that’s what fuels me and many other creators. Our gallery is newly established, so we don’t have a large number of participants and followers on social media just yet. However, we are confident that this will change soon! In order to attract new artists who may not be familiar with our gallery, we are spreading the word about our first open call on all available platforms. At Seenesthesia, we curate monthly online juried art exhibitions that are not just shows but transformative experiences. Winners of our open-calls will receive cash prizes, unique articles about them on the website, possibility to sell their […]

Brown Mountain Diamond is an experimental artist-run art space in deep rural Ireland. We are homed in a small farm complex with farmhouse, outbuildings, barn, yards and fields. We supports diverse forms of art making, from visual to sound, through a series of projects, residencies and events. The project is founded, owned and operated by visual artist Carl Giffney. We are committed to the support of artists in the production of high quality progressive art works and offer residential studios and workshop spaces to artists free of charge for the realisation of ambitious artworks.

ArtNet Artist-Run Initiative, has been the occasion for the collaboration of individuals coming from and involved with the artistic community. On the occasion of the comparison between the artistic activity in cities of Northern Europe with that of Thessaloniki, we organised with the aim of adopting and developing models that will lead to the reduction of this gap. Project ArtNet is the necessary preparation and research that must be preceded before proceeding with larger scale actions. Project ArtNet is currently active on the following projects: Collection of data on the artistic activity of Thessaloniki. Recording and mapping of all artistic and hybrid artistic spaces of the city. Collection of this data through questionnaires addressed to the above spaces. Collection of data through questionnaires addressed to the artistic community. Search for funding sources and acquisition of know – how in terms of applying for, searching for and applying for funding from EU and other sources. Collecting experiences on successful and failed funding efforts. Free disclosure of research results and data via an online platform. Event notification, open calls, actions, ads for artists etc. through our online platform. Occasion for artistic collaborations.

WE ARE ARTISTS FOR UKRAINE stands in solidarity with the artists, artist-run spaces, and all the people of Ukraine who are bravely resisting an immoral and illegal Russian invasion, those who have lost loved ones, or have been forced to flee their homes and country. Living in a country where we have a right to choose our leaders, and where we enjoy freedom of expression without fear, we also applaud those Russians who are speaking out and demonstrating against their government. WE ARE ARTISTS FOR UKRAINE is an initiative of: Pallas Projects/Studios (Dublin), Ormston House (Limerick), Askeaton Contemporary Arts (Limerick), 126 (Galway), Sample-Studios (Cork), Catalyst Arts (Belfast) International supporters: HDLU (Zagreb), EKKM (Tallinn), Solas Nua (Washington DC), SUPERMARKET – Stockholm Independent Art Fair, Artist-Run Network Europe (ARNE), Artists’ Initiatives’ Meetings (AIM Network) ~ Charity partner: ARTISTS at RISK Printing partner: @hensteethstudio Design partner: Other Office Artist’s website: Paul Hallahan

MATCA artspace is an artist-run space managed by three local artists (Alexandru Muraru, Matei Toșa and Alexandra Mocan) that emerged in Cluj-Napoca at the beginning of 2017. Since then it has been following a mindset of shaping its know-how along with its collaborations, most of them being presented in the form of group shows. Underlying the necessity of being in touch with the conscious form of artistic practice and research, the space is coagulating its purposes by drawing a thin border between aesthetics and content, usually choosing to bring out raw forms of expression. The space is  meant as a tool for research into local (or nearby) contemporary art, in order to establish connections with minds that have something relevant to say about the world. Wishing to step more off the walls, MATCA prioritizes alternative forms of expression which mix mediums outside the canvas/frame, not as a form of denying traditional practices, but as a form of getting out of the comfort zone and being open to experimentation and various ways of shaping meaning. Set up to be a welcoming environment, MATCA`s aim is to fuse what could be meant under the terms of emergent and established into parallel, non-hierarchical […]

  SPACE is a multi-disciplinary art center that promotes the arts and humanities through advocacy, programming, commissioning, statewide grantmaking, resource-sharing, and community collaboration. We work inside our home at 534-538 Congress Street, outside with public art and programming initiatives, statewide with our grant programs, and (inter)nationally within our professional and artistic networks. Founded in 2002, SPACE is a multi-disciplinary launchpad for ideas, an ever-evolving creative resource, and a coalition of values-based artists building a safe(r) space, performing arts venue, gallery, and maker hub in southern Maine. We envision our organization as a bridge: between artist-led and curatorial presentation practices, connecting disparate geographies and audiences, and as a pathway to new conversations. SPACE’s mission is to supports contemporary arts projects, champions artists, and encourages an open exchange of ideas.

VT Artsalon was found by a team of curators and artists, including Jui-Chong Yao, Wen-Chi Chen, Wei-Cheng Tu, Chun-Hao Chen, Sean C. S. Hu, Dar-Kuen Wu, Hui-Yu Su, and Isa Ho. They orientate VT towards transdisciplinary performance, exhibition and exchange, and devote their energies to promoting arts outside the mainstream. With the spirit of local touch and innovation, VT has made several adjustments to its space in the following years. It made a new start after moving to its new home on Xin-Sheng North Road in 2012. Since then, it has re-orientated itself towards holding professional exhibitions and developing various interlinking art projects.

Potential Project is an independent artist-run initiative in Athens. It was born out of the need for dialogue among artists and art professionals about contemporary art, exhibition practices, the adventure of the idea, the relationship of the work with the viewer and the personal obsessions that run through and characterize the work of art. For the time being, its exhibition program is a result of a year long process of round table discussions among 28 artists and theorists of different disciplines, all looking to understand what potentiality is and how to grasp it.

Drogerie is located in Berliner Strasse 99, in the east of Braunschweig. It is an autonomous and independet platform which is mainly used as a studio for currently two artists. It also provides the opportunity for concerts, exhibitions, lectures, screenings and more.

sluice is an artist/curator-run initiative for similar. Sluice was founded in 2011 by art historian Ben Street and artist Karl England. Our focus is transnationally local, i.e we’re focused on the local – globally. Sluice is concerned with applied theory, both in regards of the impact of the societal and economic environment on the arts but also how the arts can in turn impact our societal and economic environment. Sluice has staged art fairs and biennials in London and expos in New York and Berlin. Sluice strategically adopts structures in order to showcase artist, curator and emergent discourse, projects and galleries. Sluice magazine grew out of these initiatives and is now independently published by Sluice Art twice a year.

Yarra Sculpture Gallery was established in 1997 in order to provide a large space for sculpture. YSG is an Artist Run Initiative and it is managed by members of the Contemporary Sculpture Association (CSA), and supported by the City of Yarra it is located at the site of 117 Vere Street, Abbotsford. Mission statement YSG aims to provide a versatile exhibition space at minimal cost for the members of the CSA and to encourage and support our artists to develop new works in spatial arts practice (3D) and exhibit to local audiences. Since 2012, YSG Residencies have provided a versatile venue to support artists to make and explore new art projects in a collegial setting. During approximately eight weeks of summer and winter artists are provided with the opportunity to experiment, research, develop and create new works before delivering an artist talk to the public gallery floor plan

ARTIST FOUND COMPANY Founded by artist Soon(aka Niña), our puzzles have a focus on original art by the artists of today. As an independent artist, Soon has been struggling to find a way to keep creating full-time, as there were barriers like money, exposure, and finding the right community for support. In her journey of searching ways to keep create, SOONNESS was born. Throughout the first year of the business in 2021, Soon created 6 artworks that would be made into puzzles and learned about manufacturing, marketing, and all things business. With lots of love from the puzzle community, we are able to collaborate with artists starting 2022 and build premium quality puzzles. We have one goal: Let the artists create, and make the world a colorful one. As Soon knows how important it is for talented artists to be exposed, she wanted to create a platform to introduce artists through an affordable art. Puzzles not only give us time to play & destress, but also a great medium for everyone to enjoy art by up & coming artists of this time. Artists get a cut of every sale, so we can support artists while you enjoy your peaceful time. Our puzzles […]

Automat is an independently curated space for contemporary art and an open platform for exploratory discourse. Collaborations and spontaneous uses for knowledge transfer and cultural initiatives are as much part of the program as bringing together visual arts with other forms of expression. Founded in Saarbrücken in 2019.

PROSPECT ART is a forward-thinking, Los Angeles-based artist-run not-for-profit 501c3 organization that fosters artists’ careers by providing exposure through open dialogues, critical writing, project grants, and exhibitions. The organization was conceived during the 2020 pandemic. Prospect Art is looking towards a world of representation and equality by creating new opportunities for local, national, and international artists. The organization is structured as an agile, responsive entity to serve artists, the local Los Angeles community, and beyond, by supporting existing and new works to be presented to the public. We’re interested in breaking down silos and sharing information and knowledge to further the careers of artists and forge new alliances with the community.

Canada’s leading contemporary outdoor art fair is celebrating 60 years of launching artists’ careers this July 2-11, 2021 Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) is the charitable non-profit organization behind Canada’s largest and longest-running annual contemporary art fair, showcasing 350+ curated visual artists & makers at Nathan Phillips Square every July. In 2021, TOAF celebrates 60 years of influencing the accessibility and growth of appreciation and participation in the arts in Canada. For this milestone event, TOAF presents a curated showcase of over 400 contemporary emerging and seasoned visual artists and makers from across Canada on TOAF’s digital platform.

De Structura is a non-profit that will look into the structures of the art world from the perspective of young professionals and will strive to give young Europeans the tools to be successful in pursuing a meaningful career in the arts and bringing innovation to the culture sector. De Structura project will gather 150 young aspiring professionals in the fields of visual and performing arts. They will join the project from different countries of the European continent to communicate with experts and their peers in order to realise 25 cross-border projects and discover the institutional politics of art. Putting an emphasis on nature, society and technology – the 3 clusters to be explored in relation to the art practice and art system – De Structura will provide an opportunity to strengthen the understanding of contemporary art for different spheres of life. The project aims to provide: – an analysis of the current institutional, legal, and political frameworks governing the fields of visual and performing arts, – a series of realistic collaborative projects based on individual artistic practices carried out by groups of 3-6 young individuals from different European countries, – public dissemination of the results using various platforms, in order […]

  Pigeons exist all over the world yet they are often overlooked. Like artists and writers, they are beautiful, iridescent, quirky, and resourceful. Some birds find more fame than others, but we see the pigeons in all their glory. ​Of course, pigeons might not be as majestic or smart as their feathered friends, and they fly headfirst into a window. But how else can we find the barriers in our own world except by running into them headfirst, over and over again, waiting for them to break? Pigeon Review was started by an artist and a writer looking to make a home for artists and their art. From a cluttered room or a cup of coffee to an inquisitive face, we like art that tells a story.