In this unique episode, we hear from members of AFIELD, a non-profit organization and international network of artists and creatives leading initiatives to create tangible and long-term impact in their communities. AFIELD connects artists and curators with “collectors who are interested in different challenges beyond buying art objects”, says Sandra Terdjman, AFIELD Founding Member.
Founded in 2014, AFIELD began by providing annual fellowships to artists and cultural practitioners around the world. It soon evolved into a bigger project, which grew from the grant making approach to programing, creating a large community across 50 countries and territories. Now, alongside its fellowship and related programs, AFIELD also hosts study programs, seminars, and an incubator.
Benedicta M. Badia, collector and AFIELD Advisor and Supporter based in Chicago says she “found [her] people with AFIELD” and adds that she “struggled with being called a Collector… even though I have art as a private property, I have a responsibility to activate it somehow.”
The projects AFIELD supports often focus on local communities. Such as the 2018 Peer project called “Khudi Bari (tiny house)” which saw architects in Bangladesh create easy to assemble, affordable and moveable homes for a community impacted by floods.
“If we put our efforts around local issues…they become potential solutions for global issues” adds Lawrence Chu, collector and AFIELD Advisor and Supporter based in Hong Kong. “In the field of creativity, you're always creating new things, and you're always challenging the status quo. It's very hard to change the world, if we don't have that different perspective.”
AFIELD also serves as a solidarity network for skill and knowledge exchanges between practitioners across the globe. Their regular virtual meetings or “kitchen calls”, connect members to facilitate mutual support and collaboration. Badia fondly comments, “I love working collectively and in a community. We enhance the work of each other together.”
