WHAT ARE YOU
FOR?
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The Power of <HERE
<HERE’s mission is to integrate the world of good into all aspects of our consumer and digital habits, ultimately making doing good a shared part of our cultural technology.
DOCUMENTARY
HERE embarks on a journey by answering one simple but existential question on many people's mind: WHAT AM I HERE FOR?
What does it take to build a social movement in 2021 by using technology for good?
As we re-emerge from a global pandemic, we interview artists, activists, athletes, scientists and entrepreneurs around the world. For many, this time of isolation and reflection has increased the desire for, and awareness of, purpose over profit.
At the same time, the pandemic caused a digital acceleration of 'decades in days' with longterm effect. Movements around social justice, climate change and equal rights have gained momentum. Many of these activities have been enabled, created, and amplified by the technology we use today. However, some campaigns fall victim to sheer slacktivism.
Crytpo-currencies, NFT’s, decentralized financing and blockchain enabled technologies have seen a particular revolution in the last year. Artists of all kinds — graphic artists, fashion designers, authors, musicians, filmmakers — envision a future in which NFTs and social tokens transform both their creative process, ownership and how the world values and pays for digital art.
Are we already in the middle of a Digital Asset Revolution towards an Internet of Value with a major power shift in monetization from platform to audience? The social tokenization of (fan) communities is a paradise for behavioural science. Whereas social media 2.0 was a marketing game about likes - you can now economically incentivize your audience - your fans become grassroots investors.
But while the opportunities are massive, how can we prevent a 'Social Dilemma on steroids'?
How can we build an ethical decentralized creator economy with a purpose?
ARTISTS
Refik Anadol
Media Artist, Researcher & Director
Refik was born in Istanbul and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California and is a lecturer and visiting researcher in UCLA’s Department of Design Media Arts. As a media artist, designer and spatial thinker, Refik Anadol is intrigued by the ways in which the transformation of the subject of contemporary culture requires rethinking of the new aesthetic, technique and dynamic perception of space.
Kevin Abosch
Kevin Abosch is an Irish conceptual artist known for his works in photography, sculpture, installation, AI, blockchain and film. Abosch's work addresses the nature of identity and value by posing ontological questions and responding to sociologic dilemmas. Abosch's work has been exhibited throughout the world, often in civic spaces, including The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, The National Museum of China, The National Gallery of Ireland, Jeu de Paume ( Paris), The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, The Bogotá Museum of Modern Art, ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medien) and Dublin Airport.
Alexa Meade
Alexa Meade is celebrated for developing a style of painting on the human body and three-dimensional spaces, creating the illusion that our reality is a two-dimensional work of art.
Her groundbreaking work has been exhibited around the world at the Grand Palais in Paris, the United Nations in New York, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC and Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. Her solo show on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills was attended by forty-thousand people. She has created large scale interactive installations at Coachella, Cannes Lions, and Art Basel. Alexa has been commissioned by BMW, Sony, Adidas, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. She painted pop star Ariana Grande for her iconic “God is a Woman” music video, which has over 250 million views.
Alexa has lectured at TED, Apple, Stanford, and Princeton and accepted an invitation to the White House under President Obama. She has been honored with the "Disruptive Innovation Award" by the Tribeca Film Festival and has been Artist-in-Residence at both Google and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. InStyle has named Alexa among their "Badass Women."
Olivia Steele
"My work as an artist is to turn my dreams into responsibilities."
“My art is not about what I see… Its about what I invite you to see” are the words of contemporary light artist Olivia Steele, who has earned an international reputation for her spirited public neon happenings. Proving that “it is the spectator and not life that art really mirrors,” Steele’s oeuvre is a synthesis of contrast and contradiction. She encapsulates the contemporary storyteller and uses the traditional medium of neon to form her striking expressions that address the vortex of modernity. Her neon works are short, punctuated truths that mirror the ingenuity (or malaise) of the digital age. Her glass acumens are often paired with incendiary imagery – explosive atomic bombs and religious symbols – that are evocative stimuli for the viewer. Covert emotions and unforeseen forces also charge Steele’s themes where her studies into consciousness and the divine pervade her transformative pieces.
FEWOCiOUS
An inspiring young talent, FEWOCiOUS has exploded onto the art scene in the past year at only 18 years old, by defying norms and breaking barriers with his digital art.
"Hello, i'm Victor (FEWOCiOUS) and This Is My Life" was FEWOCiOUS' first auction with Christie's, a coming of age story through art. Through five new digital pieces and physical paintings, as well as an archive of his earliest never-before-seen drawings from each year, FEWOCiOUS’ new defining series captures each formative year of his growth from age 14 to 18 as a young transgender artist in the digital era.
Janet Echelman
Janet Echelman sculpts at the scale of buildings and city blocks. Echelman’s work defies categorization, as it intersects Sculpture, Architecture, Urban Design, Material Science, Structural & Aeronautical Engineering, and Computer Science. Echelman’s art transforms with wind and light, and shifts from being “an object you look at, into an experience you can get lost in.”
Using unlikely materials from atomized water particles to engineered fiber fifteen times stronger than steel, Echelman combines ancient craft with computational design software to create artworks that have become focal points for urban life on five continents, from Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, and Santiago, to Beijing, Boston, New York and London. Permanent works in Porto, Vancouver, San Francisco, West Hollywood, Phoenix, Eugene, Greensboro, Philadelphia, and Seattle transform daily with colored light.
Jeremy McKane
ARTIST, EXPLORER, and ENTREPRENEUR
Jeremy McKane is an Artist with the passion for the environment. His focus has been directed on Ocean issues for several years. He is an active Explorers Club Member and the CEO of OCN.ai, an autonomous network of marine robots that automate enforcement at sea.
KAUSH
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST & PHOTOGRAPHER
A conservation biologist and avid photograpger, Kaush has had a passion for the natural world since he was a child. He gained a MSc in wildlife conservation, documenting the amazing experiences he has had along the way. A PADI Advanced Open Water and Nitrox qualified diever, he has conducted fieldwork projects across the world in a number of environments, ranging from South African scrubland to Maldivian coral reefs.
Billy Dingh
Billy Dinh is a photographer and illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY.
He discovered photography in 2018 when he purchased a professional camera hoping to photograph still-references for his illustration work. After a short trip to Iceland with the camera he came back to photograph NYC and has not stopped taking photos since.
He captures moments of everyday life and present them as almost stills from something out of a movie or a dream. The photographs often takes normal people, places, and situations and presents them as stories for the viewers to imagine. The intention is to show that real life can be like what we watch and we’re the stars or our own movies.
He is mostly inspired by music, fine art, cinema and his travel experiences.
Mad Dog Jones
Jones’ artwork starts as photographs or hand drawings of urban viscera such as buildings, street signs or traffic pylons which he then morphs through collage, coloring and illustrating into a cyberpunk scene on his iPad. With short-cropped red hair and beard, Jones is like a hip-hop Vincent Van Gogh wearing Adidas Samba sneakers and rose-tinted glasses as he peruses his artwork hanging on a gallery wall for the first time.
Warhodl
KATSU
A self-described artist-vandal-hacker, KATSU first became known in the 1990s as part of the New York City graffiti community. He is infamous for pioneering the use of fire extinguisher spray cans, which allow him to write graffiti on a monumental scale, and creating fictional “documentary” videos of himself tagging spaces such as the White House. “A lot of my work comes out of demonstrating and experimenting with different technologies for creative use,” he says. Most recently, KATSU created “graffiti drones” from quadcopters with spray can attachments, so that he could create abstract works on once-inaccessible surfaces. He hopes to develop the machine as an open-source technology, so that other artists can replicate the drones.
Ally Grimm
Ally Grimm, aka A.L. Grime, is a Venezuelan-American artist, muralist and graphic designer based in Denver, CO. Her work explores the rise of the technological era through the lens of the human experience through bold, emotion-driven patterns. A.L. Grime began her artistic journey working in the music industry, so her art remains heavily influenced by the sounds and community of the electronic music scene. She uses fluid line-work and pattern-work the energy and movement of a crowded dance floor.
Victor Reyes
Victor Reyes arrived in San Francisco from Los Angeles during the summer of 1997. Over a span of 20 years, he became a prominent member of the Mission mural art community and simultaneously developed a personal studio practice.
Today, Victor’s murals can be seen in many cities around the world. His contemporary painting has continually been the subject of exhibitions and private collections, and he is consistently featured in partnerships and activations to engage communities with public art and culture.
SABET
Iranian-American Painter / Designer / Energy Healer
high-vibrational art infused with healing energy
Ali Sabet is an Iranian-American artist and designer. His work shines with vibrant optimism, love and beauty in the face of the profane. Sabet’s work has been showcased around the world in collaboration with luxury brands such as Montblanc, Furla, BMW, John Varvatos and more.
"Every year I donate original pieces to many different non-profit organizations. Creating for a good cause is one of the most rewarding experiences and contributions I do every year. Organizations I work with include UNICEF, AIDS Services Foundation, PARS Equity Center, HearAid Foundation and The American Cancer Society."
Dario De Siena
Dario De Siena is a painter based in Zürich, Switzerland.
His work portrays the beauty in everyday objects. His bold use of colour and the dynamic elements captured in his ethereal paintings reveal his thought process, the intense beauty he sees in the world around him. His personal journey as an artist began at the tender age of 2 when he displayed his natural ability in drawing.
Trevor Jones
"I consider myself a traditional painter but one who is also absolutely fascinated with art and tech collaboration. I explore how new technology can be used to more actively engage the viewer. We're amid a digital revolution and so my aim is to investigate how various technologies can be incorporated with my work to enhance or alter the viewer experience. Over the last few years the themes informing my work have become more and more intertwined with my interests in tech and modern communication. Every artwork tells a story and AR, near field communication tags, video, social media integration and other digital elements that I employ enables me to present my paintings in innovative and captivating ways and to even entirely change the way one experiences the artwork.
In June of 2017 I purchased some bitcoin and soon after I fell down the proverbial rabbit hole. Since then, my paintings have focused on blockchain and cryptocurrency; themes, ideas and people."
ThankYouX
THANKYOUX Inspired by the pop tropes and bright colors of the NYC graffiti scene, ThankYouX graduated from LA street stencils to paintings and sculpture exhibitions in London, LA, Miami, NY and Hong Kong. Now using his street style in a more unique way, he has gained attention for his geometric mixed media cube paintings and large scale abstract work. He was handpicked by Snapchat to paint their LA offices, partnered with Soho House to create an immersive experience for Art Basel, and recently held a successful solo exhibit in New York City.
Dangiuz
Leopoldo D'Angelo from in Turin, Italy, better known by the pseudonym "Dangiuz" is an Italian contemporary visual artist, crypto artist, art director and graphic designer specialising in sci-fi and retro-futuristic themes. Dangiuz rose to prominence on various social media platforms in the late 2010s along with other digital artists, which then led him to be invited to arts and cinema related events. His work got featured in various art networks, magazines and exhibitions, including Sohu, Arte,Juxtapoz Magazine,Digital Production and the "Heart of Cyberpunk" Exhibition in Hong Kong.
Matt The Nelson
Matt is an animator and designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
He has had the opportunity to work for brands such as Apple, Google, and Disney and currently Amazon.
Jen Bartel
Jen Bartel is an American illustrator and comic artist, best known for her work for Marvel Comics and Image Comics. She co-created the comic Blackbird for Image with Sam Humphries. She won an Eisner Award for her work as a cover artist in 2019. She has also collaborated with brands like Adidas, Red Bull, and Aussie. Jen is the co-creator and artist of “BLACKBIRD” from Image Comics.
Addie Wagenknecht
Addie Wagenknecht's work explores the tension between expression and technology.
She seeks to blend conceptual work with forms of hacking and sculpture. Previous exhibitions include MuseumsQuartier Wien, Vienna, Austria; La Gaîté Lyrique, Paris, France; The Istanbul Modern; Whitechapel Gallery, London and MU, Eindhoven, Netherlands. In 2016 she collaborated with Chanel and I-D magazine as part of their Sixth Sense series and in 2017 her work was acquired by the Whitney Museum for American Art.
Work
Joséphine Sagna
Born in Stuttgart in 1989, Joséphine Sagna’s German-Senegalese roots effect her art and fashion design on a multi-faceted level. She addresses the question of identity of a multi-cultural, often black, woman.
Sagna’s art discusses and broaches issues of prejudices, everyday racism, reactions, different points of view, whether from the own eye or the eyes of others, intimacy and self-representation yet also where Sagna sees herself amidst it all. Sagna studied painting under the Professors Christian Hahn and Henning Kles in her chosen hometown of Hamburg, Germany. In 2019, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Design Department.
Aiala Hernando
Aiala Hernando’s work explores the intersection between nature and technology.
Her works contemplate the incessant beauty of shared human experience, engaging with and reimagining canonical imagery through the contemporary perspective of the digital.
Ju Schnee
Visual artist📍Berlin
Mixed Reality with AR oil paintings, physical sculptures and NFTs 👾
Ju Schnee is an interdisciplinary illustrator and visual artist based in Berlin. Her work is extremely bright and colorful, energetic and vibrant. It ranges from digital illustration and motion design, to real life 3D installations and murals. Ju always works in an abstract way, combining her typical shapes with mutliple media.
Connie Lim
Connie Lim is an art and fashion illustrator with both a fashion design and illustration background. She studied illustration at the Art Center College of Design and thereafter Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, equipping her with an in-depth knowledge and passion for both subjects.
Working in the fashion industry for more than 10 years, Connie has collaborated with clients such as Bulgary, La Perla, Louboutin, L'Oreal and many more. She has taught at many prestigious universities across the UK, including Central Saint Martins and UCA Rochester, and is expanding her ventures in education to bring you tools to help benefit your own creative journey.
Ju Schnee
Ju Schnee is an interdisciplinary illustrator and visual artist based in Berlin. Her work is extremely bright and colorful, energetic and vibrant. It ranges from digital illustration and motion design, to real life 3D installations and murals. Ju always works in an abstract way, combining her typical shapes with mutliple media.
Karabo Poppy Moletsane
Multi award winning Illustrator, Graphic Designer and Street Artist from Vereeniging South Africa. I am inspired by the visual aesthetic of Africa, both contemporary and traditional. Our aesthetic has a long rich heritage rooted in constant innovation and hybridity. I believe that every African carries this with them daily and I believe that it is in the everyday seemingly mundane events where this aesthetic is at its most beautiful to me. So I set out to preserve and celebrate it in my work and represent the unrepresented.
MUSICIANS
MUSIC & DANCE
Sharon Eyal // Co-Founder, Co-Artistic director and choreographer of L-E-V
Sharon Eyal was born in Jerusalem. She danced with the Batsheva Dance Company between 1990-2008 and started choreographing within the framework of the company’s Batsheva Dancers Create project. Eyal served as associate Artistic Director for Batsheva between 2003-2004, and as a House Choreographer for the company between 2005-2012.
During 2009 Eyal began creating pieces for other dance companies around the world: Killer Pig (2009) and Corps de Walk (2011) for Carte Blanche Dance of Norway; Too Beaucoup (2011) for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; Plafona (2012) for Tanzcompagnie Oldenburg, Germany.
In 2013 Eyal launched L-E-V with her long-time collaborator Gai Behar.
DANCE
SHARON EYAL // L-E-V
SPORTS
ANDREW COTTON
Andrew Cotton is a professional big wave surfer, top level athlete, adventurer and guest speaker. He is now one of the world’s most respected big wave surfers basing himself in Nazare, Portugal and West Ireland for much of the big wave season. He also travels the globe surfing some of the biggest and heaviest waves on the planet such as Peahi in Hawaii, Mavericks in California and The Right in West Australia.
HUNTER JONES
Hunter is a 25-year old pro surfer, filmmaker, WSL personality & model from Los Angeles, California. From a young age, Hunter loved being creative and found video editing and producing as a passion. His love for surfing, storytelling, and editing really fell hand in hand. Hunter has experience editing global commercials & campaigns for the likes of WSL, The Players Tribune, 686, Glory Kickboxing, and more. In addition to surfing and working as a creative, Hunter has starred in multiple commercials, acted as a stuntman, appeared on reality TV, and hosted a daily surf based news show. All in all, he's just stoked to be surfing and meeting like-minded people who all share the same love for the ocean.