Curatorial Studios Drive Digital Art Innovation

Curatorial studios are playing an increasingly vital role in the digital art ecosystem, acting as catalysts for innovation and cultural relevance in an era of rapid image production and reproduction. These studios are instrumental in identifying and elevating artists whose work is ahead of the curve, contextualizing it within broader artistic and technological conversations.

One notable example is synthesis, a studio founded by Giorgio Vitale in 2017. synthesis was established with the mission to elevate AR and VR, modes of expression that Vitale felt were not adequately represented in the art world. Since its inception, synthesis has curated career-augmenting shows for artists such as Nancy Baker Cahill, Yehwan Song, and Cibelle Cavalli Bastos. Vitale explained that the goal was to create environments that honored the specificity of these practices while inviting broader conversations about how technology shapes identity, perception, and society.

synthesis has evolved beyond its initial focus on AR and VR. Recently, Vitale curated Material Poetry for HEK Basel, proposing a lineage of the genre and exemplifying synthesis’ role in nurturing emerging artists while collaborating with well-established names. This exhibition built bridges between legacy new media institutions and dynamically evolving modes of expression, as well as between artistic practices at different stages of development.

Another significant curatorial studio is Hervisions, founded by Zaiba Jabbar in 2015. Hervisions addresses the absence of femme-identifying voices in the art and tech world. Jabbar's studio recently created a bridge between institutional polish and dynamic experiential exhibitions at Tate Britain. Hervisions privileges non-traditional presentations of artworks, such as releasing a mobile-friendly video game in partnership with the William Morris Gallery. Jabbar's goal was to carve out space for a future where speculative thinking, intersectional feminism, and digital aesthetics could meet on equal terms.

Hervisions' Late at Tate Britain’s art and tech program, Digital Intimacies, transformed the museum into an affective landscape, featuring works by artists like Alex Quicho, Chia Amisola, and Romy Gad el Rab. Jabbar emphasized the importance of protecting the sense of mess, immediacy, and openness within institutional contexts, noting that people are receptive and hungry for such experiences.

Institutions often contract curatorial services from studios or partner with them, even offering works commercially. An example is The Second Guess: Body Anxiety in the Age of AI, curated by Anika Meier and Margaret Murphy for HEK Basel. This exhibition included a commercial component to fund the production of an exhibition catalogue. However, due to collector interest, Meier and Murphy transformed The Second Guess into a curatorial studio and partnered with the Tezos blockchain and OBJKT platform to present future commercially available shows. The studio focuses on presenting the work of envelope-pushing female and non-binary artists while bringing historic work to the blockchain.

The Second Guess has shown impact in bridging the internet to the institution, with exhibitions at HEK Basel, the Francisco Carolinum Museum Linz, and the Center of Media Arts in Karlsruhe. Meier mentioned that their goal is to help both sides understand each other better and learn more about the new online art world while respecting traditional institutions.

The gallery-as-curatorial-studio model is not new. LA-based EPOCH Gallery, founded by Peter Wu, functions as a virtual gallery space but also produces in situ exhibitions. EPOCH has had entire exhibitions acquired by institutions, such as the LACMA acquiring their 2022 exhibition ECHOES. EPOCH has also opened its doors to guest curators, further expanding its impact in the digital art ecosystem.

Transfer Gallery, founded by Kelani Nicole, Regina Hirsyani, and Wade Wallerstein, traverses the commercial and institutional axis skillfully, adding assistance with the conservation of time-based media works. Transfer curated wwwunderkrammer, an exhibition of Carla Gannis’ work for the Perez Art Museum, and later helped secure the private sale of one of Gannis’ major works, The Garden of Emoji Delights. Transfer and EPOCH exemplify how curatorial studios can help artists build collector bases and secure institutional acquisitions, proving crucial for the long-term financial viability of daring artistic practices.

Early players like Studio as We Are, founded by Jess Conatser, helped bring digital art into the home by curating collections for Infinite Objects. Artists themselves can also drive curatorial studios, as seen with Fakewhale, founded by Sky Golpe and Jesse Draxler, which brings about physical and virtual exhibitions and provides compelling critical visions through articles.

Curatorial studios offer a kind of nimbleness and closeness to artists that big institutions often can’t match. They can walk alongside artists as their practices evolve, offering curatorial frameworks while their work is still taking shape. These studios create spaces where experimentation is embraced, resisting the flattening effect of trends and ensuring younger artists are rooted within the larger conversations they are actively shaping.

In the digital art ecosystem, curatorial studios play a pivotal role in identifying and elevating innovative artists, bridging gaps between institutions and emerging practices, and fostering a culture of experimentation and continuity. Their flexibility and closeness to artists make them indispensable in shaping the future of digital art.