ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen and the design and architecture studio Cookies present OtherNetwork, a digital platform that networks independent art spaces and art projects around the world. Parallel to the launch of the website and as an element in the collaborative project OtherNetwork, the exhibition « If we’re happy in our dreams, does that count? » opens 27 October at ifa Gallery Stuttgart with works by six Ghanaian artists.

At the end of October the online platform OtherNetwork will be launched. This digital platform is an experiment that creates a new way to network free art spaces by means of a digital infrastructure. As an alternative to the existing narratives of large art museums and other cultural institutions, OtherNetwork wishes to make independent and self-administered cultural spaces and their relations with each other more visible. Independent art projects can join this global digital network.

Parallel to the launch of the online platform, the first edition of a new ifa touring exhibition opens at ifa Gallery Stuttgart on 27 October 2022, as part of the collaborative project OtherNetwork. The exhibition « If we’re happy in our dreams, does that count? » presents works by Billie McTernan, Eric Gyamfi, Fatric Bewong, Nii Noi Nortey, Nyahan Tachie-Menson and Steloolive (Evans Mireku Kissi).  The exhibition runs until 8 January 2023 and is curated by the Foundation for Contemporary Art – Ghana, an independent art space in Accra, which has been invited by ifa to the gallery in Stuttgart.

The show includes works that explore Stuttgart and Accra in terms of soundscapes, ecology, language and habitat, and that also address the promotion and nurturing of growth and dreams. A key aim of this project is to network the cultural scenes in Accra and Stuttgart in a long-term and sustainable manner. Like the platform, the future touring exhibition intends to inspire dialogue and collaboration between independent art spaces in various locations.

ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen promotes a peaceful and enriching coexistence between people and cultures worldwide. ifa supports artistic and cultural exchange in exhibition, dialogue and conference programmes, and it acts as a centre of excellence for international cultural relations. It is part of a global network and relies on sustainable, long-term partnerships. It is supported by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, the state of Baden-Württemberg and its capital Stuttgart.

othernetwork.io