“Migration, or the condition of being a subject beyond borders, has always represented one of the most productive resources of aesthetic practices, contributing to the changing of settled cultures. Our  symbiotic research focuses on the issue of transcultural spaces and migration from very different perspectives, in order to explore what Mieke Bal (2010) has recently defined as “migratory aesthetics”, that is “the current cultural and aesthetic moment in view of the merging of cultures”.

The State of L3 was an international network of artists blending different artistic media and disciplines. Active in the visual arts as well as in documentaries and literature.

The collective was  founded in Amsterdam and developed under the leadership of visual artist Antonio Jose Guzman. The collective staged the last years a series of exhibitions in Dakar, Aarhus, Amsterdam, Recife, Utrecht, Paris and Antwerp.

“As an artist collective The State of L3 is an initiative that is the result of a network of different artists working together internationally through the following of a shared ideology and aesthetics.

The State of L3 Collective seek new means of communication, a new experience on the track that previous generations have left behind and a new interpretation of the concept of Transcultural Identities. Therefore, The State of L3 directs its attention at the artists and their background as a source of inspiration and knowledge to form new images of universal communication. The State of L3 is a transatlantic journal, an exchange of collective memories. With this project, The State of L3 is designed to obtain a portrait of artistic symbiosis between different cultures.

The name of the collective was inspired by the African L3 human DNA haplogroup. L3 played a pivotal role in the history of the human species, because migrants carried it around the globe, inaugurating an intercontinental migration that eventually settled every major land mass on Earth. That group gave rise to every non-African DNA haplogroup”.

Amsterdam, Summer 2009.

Creative concept and idea:

Antonio Jose Guzman (Panama City, 1971). Founder, Creative Director and Curator. He is a Dutch-Panamanian Visual Artist. He lives and works in Amsterdam, Panama City and Dakar. Guzman is known for his installations, videos and photography inspired by DNA, scientific research, migration, gravity and architectonic utopias. His projects allow us to cross different time zones, unexplored worlds and realms; bringing us into what Guzman calls time travel perceptions.

http://www.aguzman.com

Collective Members:
Antonio Jose Guzman (The Netherlands – Panama)
Iva Jankovic (The Netherlands – Serbia)
Amanda Koelman (The Netherlands)
Delano Mac Andrew (The Netherlands – Suriname)
Abdulaye Armin Kane (Senegal)
Felipe Peres Calheiros (Brazil)
Janayna Cavalcante (Brazil)
Thúlio Nascimento (Brazil)
Beto Figueiroa (Brazil)
Quinsy Gario (The Netherlands – Curacao)
Mateus Sá (Brazil)
Luca Barreto (Brazil)
Ana Lira (Brazil)
Edduin Gonzalez (France – Panama)
Giana De Dier (Panama)
Gladys Turner Bosso (Panama)
Ela Spalding (Germany – Panama)
Cisco Merel (Panama)
Kader Diakhate (Senegal)
Mansour Kane (Senegal)
Ibrahima Ba (Senegal)
Cheikhou Diarra (Senegal)
Lars Borm (NL)
Sandim Mendes (NL / Curacao)
Cindy Schriekenberg (NL)
Papis Kanoute Ndiaye (Senegal)
Jean Henry Lopez (Senegal)
Edymarilhiany Tozer (Brazil)
Karine Mirelle (Brazil)
Neil Fortune (NL)
Raul Balai (NL)
Femi Dawkins (NL)
Fleur Ouwerkerk (NL)
Jose Castrellon (Panama)

Advisors:

Iva Jankovic was born in northern Serbia. During her exploration of the world of philosophy, she discovered the art school of Etela Merk who consequently shaped her future art expression. Abandoning philosophy studies in Belgrade she moved to northern Europe in 2000, to live and work in the Netherlands. Merging fine art background and a drive for hand creation, Iva transforms fabrics into unique fashion garments by drawing, silk and block printing.

Vincent van Velsen is an autonomous critic, writer, researcher and curator with a background in international business administration, art- and architectural history. His practice deals with a broad spectrum of subjects, ranging from politics and philosophy to art and architecture relating to their theoretical realm in ways that are relevant to notions on historic meaning and contemporary significance. He frequently contributes to platforms and magazines such as Metropolis M, Volume, Tubelight and Archined; aside from working with several artists, galleries and institutions such as SMBA, Lokaal01, Castrum Peregrini and Platform BK. Van Velsen is also part of the editorial board of the new cultural platfrom We Are Public. In 2014 he published an article on the position of non-western art whithin Dutch curatorial practice; and another one on the means and situation of art critique in The Netherlands; Furthermore he won, together with Alix de Massiac, the second edition (2014) of curatorial price organised by the Netherlands Association of Corporate Art Collections (VBCN).  Van Velsen is a board member at Frontier Imaginaries and De Appel (Amsterdam) and part of the curatorial team of Sonsbeek 2021.

Rob Perrée studied Dutch Language and Literature and Art History at the University of Amsterdam, Works as a freelance writer and curator, with a focus on contemporary African American, African and Caribbean art and media art. Published books on video art, African American art, was the editor of books on Marcel Pinas, Tirzo Martha and René Tosari and published many articles in catalogues, books, magazines and newspapers. He is the founder and editor of the online magazine Africanah.org. Was a member of the curatorial board of Kunstbeeld and Pf Magazine. Writer for ARC Magazine, Trinidad and De Ware Tijd and SAX Magazine Suriname. He is board member of CBK Zuidoost

Past Advisors:

Remy Jungerman is an Independent Fine Art Professional and Founder of the Wakaman Project, lives and work in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Remy Jungerman has a fascination for the Afro-religious aesthetics of his Surinamese Maroon ancestors. Remy Jungerman and Iris Kensmil represented the Netherlands at the 58th Venice Biennale.

Koyo Kouoh is a Cameroonian-born curator and cultural producer. She is the founding director of Raw Material Company, a mobile site for art practice and critical exchange. She collaborated with the Dakar Biennale from 2000 to 2004 and cocurated Les Rencontres Africaines de la Photographie in Bamako in 2001 and 2003.  She served as advisor to the artistic director for documenta 12 and was a member of the Golden Lion Jury at the  50th Venice Biennale in 2003. She was member of the curatorial team of Documenta 13. Koyo Kouoh was recently appointed Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is a contemporary art museum located at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa.

Shaheen Merali is both a curator and writer, currently based in London. Between 2003-8, he was the Head of Exhibitions, Film and New Media at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany curating several exhibitions including The Black Atlantic; Dreams and Trauma- Moving images and the Promised Lands and Re-Imagining Asia, One Thousand years of Separation. In 2006, he was the co-curator of the 6th Gwangju Biennale, Korea. He is currently researching a major exhibition for the Birla Academy of Art and Education on its International Collection to be presented in India (2012).

Quincy Gario (Visual Artist – Curacao / NL)
Sasha Dees (Management – Curator / NL – NYC)
Anouk Piket (Caramundo/Camera Mundo/NL)
Mirie de la Guardia (Galeria Allegro/Panama)
Lianne van der Linden (Kosmopolis Rotterdam/NL)
Elvia Jaramillo (Diplomat & Environmentalist/Panama)
Evelyn Raat (Imagine IC/NL)
Delano Mac Andrew (Suriname/NL)
Oumar Mbengue Atakosso (Senegal)
Fons Geerlings (Galerie 23/NL)
Astrid Weij (Erfgoed Nederland/NL)
Barbara Consolini (Erfgoed Nederland/NL)
Siri Driessen (Art, History, Cultural Analysis/NL)
Dr Romulo Xavier (University of Pernambuco/Brazil)
Hilde de Bruijn (Cobra Museum /NL)

Website
Alain Otjens (NL)

Grants

The Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK)
Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development
Mondriaan Fund
VSB Fonds

Exhibitions
Framer Framed, Amsterdam
Galerie Image, Denmark
Dakar Biennale, Senegal
Gallery 23 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp
SANAA Gallery Utrecht, The Netherlands