London, UK - 11 July, 2022 - Outernet London, the major new immersive media and culture district launching this summer today announces a creative partnership with WeTransfer, focusing on their work with emerging young talent through to renowned artists via their award-winning digital arts platform WePresent.

From July 11th, WePresent’s commissions will be screened on Outernet’s immense, wrap-around, floor-to-ceiling, 360-degree 8K screens - the most digitally advanced immersive space in the world. The works will run through the year and into 2023 with a regularly updated programme  to follow after the initial launch – all available for the public to view for free.

WePresent is the Oscar-winning commissioner and digital arts platform of WeTransfer, acting as the company’s cultural torchbearer to a monthly audience of 3 million in 190 countries. Collaborating with emerging young talent to renowned artists such as Marina Abramovic, FKA Twigs, Riz Ahmed, and Solange Knowles, WePresent showcases the best in art, photography, film, music, literature and more from all over the world. Since launching in 2019, WePresent has commissioned 1,000 creatives from over 100 countries. 

Outernet London’s inaugural WeTransfer programme will feature ten artists: 

Imraan Christian – ‘Ruh’

In his series “Ruh,” which translates from Arabic to “soul,” photographer Imraan Christian draws on shards of often-forgotten culture to create something entirely new: a fantastical world of indigenous gods, queens, and heroes playing their part in tales that can fill the gaps in a history that’s been ravaged by colonial persecution.

Ramin Mazur- ‘Rural Carnival’

Across Eastern Europe, young revellers have been giving Malanka—a folk holiday with pagan and Christian roots—an unconventional makeover, updating customary costumes and masks with contemporary garments, materials and objects that give them new meaning. Moldovan photographer Ramin Mazur captures the evolution of the tradition.

Micaiah Carter – ‘Optimism’

In “Optimism”, a photo collaboration with WePresent, American photographer Micaiah Carter bridges the past and future with emotive and intimate images of Black men, women and families. Tinted with nostalgia and personal memory, the series celebrates and preserves a facet of the Black experience that is often overlooked.

Alex Prager ‘Part One: The Mountain’

Turmoil is a universal part of the human condition, dating back to the beginning of civilization. In a series of surreal portraits, Alex Prager captures that state of uncertainty, suspending her protagonists in mid-air as they tumble and fall before the lens. They are lost in motion, out of control—just how hard will they hit the ground?

Julianknxx -  ‘Black Corporeal (Between This Air)’

Shot at the Barbican Conservatory during lockdown in 2020, Sierra Leonean interdisciplinary artist Julianknxx’s short film is a metaphysical exploration of the act of breathing. Through dance, poetry, costume and music, he questions how air pollution, stress, anxiety, and the seam of prejudice that runs through society can impede Black people’s ability to do so freely.

Polly Nor and Andy Baker – ‘How Have You Been?’

During lockdown, where most of us were gloating about their new sourdough-making abilities or watching “The Sopranos” for the second time, illustrator Polly Nor and animator Andy Baker were working together on a project that captured loneliness, weirdness and mundanity of the unprecedented moment.

Adaeze Okaro - ‘A Family Affair’

For Nigerian photographer Adaeze Okaro, family has been a consistent catalyst for creativity—from her dad, who encouraged her to find her confidence by buying her a camera, to her mum, who Adaeze observed as she got ready for church, oozing beauty and class. In her stunning portraits, memory, home and old family photos melt into something entirely new. 

Kara Yong - ‘XXX’

Born into a fairly traditional Chinese family in multicultural Malaysia, Kara Yong absorbed contradictory messages as to what a woman should be. Today, she’s using her vivid paintings to develop an understanding of herself that transcends expectations and presumptions. 

Dani Choi - ‘The Garden of Mischief’

Inspired by the clandestine stories she heard as a child, and by the stark, stylistic aesthetic and themes in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” Dani Choi creates a whole new world—not as dark (on the surface) as the ones she’s inspired by, but just as wild. 

Stefania Tejada - ‘​​God Is A Woman’

Having grown up in a small Colombian city and attended a strict Catholic school, painter Stefania Tejada’s early view of womanhood was limited. Now living in Paris and inspired by the pages of Vogue and the approaches of her favorite fashion designers, she’s painting a legion of powerful women with the world at their feet.

Philip O’Ferrall, CEO and President Outernet Global said, “This partnership is exactly what Outernet has been designed to do. We can take the fantastic commissions from WePresent and create cultural and artistic moments for the public across our giant digital canvas. There really is nothing like Outernet and working with like-minded people such as the team at WeTransfer and WePresent’s means will deliver something very special indeed.”

Holly Fraser, Senior Director of Content, WeTransfer, said, “As a predominantly digital platform, we are looking forward to sharing WePresent’s commissions with new audiences through Outernet’s immersive screens in one of the most creative districts in the world. Culture should be part of everyday life, and we envisage this being an opportunity to share the arts with a wider audience who will now be able to see powerful creative projects every single day.” 

About Outernet Global

The Outernet is a global network of central city hubs designed to elevate the culture and commerce of the world’s great cities through the largest, most immersive digital experiences. Outernet is at the forefront of the global media economy, taking brand experiences to a whole new level.  Outernet London’s campus comprises two huge immersive public spaces - The Now Building and Now Trending. Each space features 16K, 360-degree floor-to-ceiling screens capable of delivering the most jaw-dropping audio-visual experiences in the world. The versatility, scale and connectivity of the Outernet network is a world first for brand owners and advertisers.

About WePresent

WePresent is WeTransfer’s digital arts platform, acting as the company’s cultural torchbearer to a monthly audience of approximately 3 million in 190 countries. Collaborating with emerging young talent to renowned artists such as Marina Abramovic, Riz Ahmed, FKA twigs or David Sedaris, WePresent showcases the best in art, photography, film, music, literature and more, championing diversity in everything it does. The platform’s commissions range from editorial features to films, illustrations, photography series, events, exhibitions and social media activations, with an aim to offer a fresh take on the magic and mystery of creative ideas. WePresent were the commissioners and Executive Producers of the acclaimed short film The Long Goodbye by actor and musician Riz Ahmed, which won an Oscar in 2022 for Best Live Action Short Film.