WeTransfer has named Icelandic–Danish artist Olafur Eliasson as the new guest curator for its creative storytelling platform, WePresent. Founded in 2018, WePresent serves as the file transfer company’s editorial branch, inviting globally recognized artists to share stories and artworks that reflect on pertinent issues facing society. Past curators have included American singer Solange, Serbian conceptual artist Marina Abramović, as well as English actor Russell Tovey.
Eliasson is one of the preeminent artists of the 21st century, having represented Denmark at the 2003 Venice Biennale, staging a towering faux sun in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in the same year and casting a set of sculptural interventions at the Versailles Palace in 2014. At the core of his shape-shifting practice is an investigation into how insights are gained through the confluence of bodily movements and sensuous experiences.
“I’m grateful to WeTransfer for inviting me to be the guest curator of this year,’ Eliasson said in a statement. “WePresent is a vibrant space that is both personal and boundless – something I find particularly valuable in 2024. Together, we hope to amplify voices addressing the pressing issues of our time.”
As the new guest curator for the annual year, Eliasson will showcase both his own works, as well as spotlight those of other artists who reflect on the climate emergency, including climate related justice, gender inequality and systemic racism. “What’s pertinent to me about this year is the understanding that we live in a moment of polycrisis: the climate emergency is deeply entangled with racial injustice, digital inequality, economic instability, the spread of disease, and more. No crisis can be seen or addressed in isolation from another,” Eliasson explained.
Confirmed collaborators include art director Sarah Masete, Egyptian new media artist Hadeer Omar, and writer Neema Githere. “Artists, musicians, writers, dancers, performers – they all give shape to the complexity of our present moment and can speak to us directly as individuals,” Eliasson added.
