If you got 3 months into 2020 only to find that all your resolutions, plans and projects were effectively on hold indefinitely - you are certainly not alone! Hopefully though, 2020 provided other opportunities, perhaps to regroup or experiment when you might not have otherwise had the time to. For artist Nedda Baba and designer Dema Talib, 2020 was a year of watching how major art institutions adapt to the new landscape that was rapidly shifting to online-only and then imagining a better version of that: one that isn’t a clunky facsimile of an existing space or collection, but a brand new digital world where artists have the rare opportunity to do what they want without physical or formal restraints. That is how the aptly named collective Dead Projects was born!

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The first exhibition put out by the collective, “Shock”, and the artists participating in the show beautifully demonstrate the possibilities that such a virtual space can provide. From Leila Fatemi’s enveloping installation of digitally manipulated French-colonialist archival photos of Algerian women Revealed/Reveiled, to Megan Feheley’s immense yet buoyant 3D model of Cree beadwork wâniska, to Zoma Maduekwe’s interactive and informative Go Kart Ghana racing game set in Google Maps Street View, each work uses digital technologies to bypass institutional gatekeepers, reclaim spaces/identities and immerse viewers in ways that simply wouldn’t be possible IRL. Once you’ve explored the exhibit (which we implore you to do while you can - the show is up until the end of February!), tune in to Dead Collective’s ShishaTime talks, where Nedda, Dema and the live audience ask each artist their burning questions (events calendar is online here), and follow @deadprojectssucks on Instagram to stay up-to-date on their future programming!