Beyond the White Cube: International Body of Art hosts launch event in Russell Square
Photo courtesy of Bruna Ferreira
On 15 December 2023, the International Body of Art (IBA), an organisation dedicated to democratising the art world, hosted a launch event in the garden of Russell Square, Bloomsbury. The aim of the event was to promote the IBA’s new collaborative funding platform, IBA X Projects, which allows the public to support emerging artists and enable them to carry out projects that might not be accepted by major institutions.
Photo courtesy of Bruna Ferreira
‘When (artists) come to us, they’re trying to bring these really intimate or progressive or experimental projects to life,’ said project manager April Kelly. ‘By giving the public the opportunity to fund the projects that they want to see brought to life, we want to see change in the future of the art landscape, and put the power of the arts more into public hands, outside of an institutional context.’
Photo courtesy of Keziah Cho
The event, inspired by an essay written by art academic Brian O’Doherty titled Inside the White Cube, featured an interactive art installation in the shape of a cube. Participants were provided with paint and tools, and were encouraged to decorate the interior of the cube in an act of collaborative artistic creation.
Photo courtesy of Bruna Ferreira
The IBA aims to act as an alternative platform for artists to share their work outside of traditional institutions and the financially-driven art market. Their mission, according to their website, is to ‘bridge the gaps between artists and their audiences to aid a more intimate, inclusive, and proactive art world’. So far, funds are being raised for six works under Projects, including autobiographical project If I Died 2NITE by New York-based Black artist Malik Marble, as well as audio-visual poem Lovesong by artistic duo Charlie Jimenez and Melanie Ashton. The IBA also hosts interactive exhibitions of artwork from emerging artists. Their group exhibition I Saw it on TV, which was held in April this year, included artists such as Tiffany Singh and Jeanyoon Choi.
‘We want the public to (...) feel like they have agency within this space, as opposed to something that’s above them and outside of them,’ said Kelly. ‘Culture can be anyone, whoever they’re from, whatever they choose to represent.’