Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Something and JCDecaux are championing creatives in the UK by turning 100 sites into canvases for artwork.
Between July 25 to September 30, 2022 fifty unique creators will take over digital out-of-home screens in order to showcase inspiring work that speaks to local communities in their native languages.
This is the first large scale out-of-home campaign by Something™ Spaces, a venture created by Something™, an independent creative studio with a mission to connect people, brands and culture to make a positive impact on the world.
After the success of their digital extension which has reached six million views, the virtual exhibition is moving into the real world to celebrate a range of diverse and bilingual creators including photographers, graphic designers, illustrators and typographers from across the world. Each inspiring artwork credits the creator in their native language and will be displayed in an area of the UK where that community has a strong presence.
Something™ will also be supporting this activation by producing and distributing ‘spotlights’ via their social media platforms, highlighting select creators, uncovering the story behind their artwork and discussing their connection to language.
Roshannah Bagley, from Something™ told us “We’re excited to partner with JCDecaux UK’s The Community Channel to turn their digital Out-of-Home billboards into canvasses for creativity. We wanted to make space for and celebrate the incredible talent in our community and support them in sharing their stories to a wider, appreciative audience.”
Zhang Liang, an illustrator featured in the collaboration was quoted as saying “I’m really excited to see the different forms of visual art on digital out-of-home screens and how it can bring happiness to groups both within and outside of my own traditional roots. Visual diversity makes the world go round.”
The Something™ Spaces initiative began in 2019 by taking overlooked physical spaces in London and handing them over to their community of creators to reimagine. The extension has since supported artwork from creative platforms and communities such as Nobrow Press, Where are the Black designers? and CLO.
Chris Dooley, Head of Social Impact at JCDecaux UK said “The Community Channel creates real value through the power of the public screen and aims to amplify Out-of-Home role as a force for good in the community. We are proud to be working with Something™ to champion more diverse talent and to bring this inspiring artwork to a national audience.”
The full list of creators featured in the launch are: Olivia Twist, Inga Ziemele,
Bárbara Malagoli, Eero Lampinen, Giacomo Agnello Modica, Noa Snir, Rômolo D’Hipólito, Sally Deng, Yukai Du, Zhang Liang, Amanda Lobos, Adesewa Adekoya, Dédouze, Olivia Fields, Aaron Marin, Guarionex Rodriguez Jr., Hassan Kurbanbaev, Nadia Huggins, Māra Drozdova, and Leandro Assis.
There will be a second round of creators and artworks released in August.
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