Developed in collaboration with an international network of artists and institutions from the Middle East, Europe and the United States, CULTURUNNERS is an unconventional and independent model of cultural exchange and production, one which combines the localised rituals of an artist road trip with the far-reaching power of communications technology. CULTURUNNERS prioritizes direct encounters and storytelling, believing in the power of art to inspire empathy and uncover alternative histories across physical and psychological borders. Since CULTURUNNERS launched in September 2014, artists and curators from the US, Saudi Arabia, Iran, UK, Turkey, Bahrain, Kuwait, Palestine, Syria, South Africa and Morocco have participated in programs at The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas; Louisiana State University; The Middle East Institute in Washington DC; ISCP Residencies in Brooklyn, The Armory Show and Columbia University in New York, MIT in Boston, the United Nations Headquarters in New York. While travelling with CULTURUNNERS, artists take part in exhibitions, talks and workshops with partner institutions; have full use of a state-of-the-art studio featuring digital and traditional materials and equipment; and broadcast artists’ ‘Dispatches’ from the road via CULTURUNNERS interactive website.
