Like it or hate it, we live in a fully connected digital world these days. Technology has made communicating with each other instant, just a few clicks and you have just about any information at your disposal. Digital Realms have become well suited as a place for quickly launching ideas or even responding to others.One could question why a positive increase in global connectivity is in contrast with issues like immigration, visas and potential border walls separating us. 

America used to be the land of opportunity; people came from all over the world in hopes of experiencing the so called “American Dream.” Now more than ever, a vast majority of people are limited in their right to live and work in this country. With the rise and growth of social media, foreign artists are able to share their work and ideas freely. The access we have to view these works online is something we should not take for granted. 

A new ArtCuratorial group called ZIP is hosting its next exhibition in NYC. ZIP III is opening up a dialogue about global citizenship through our digital social world. The theme this year is Pass–Portals: Identity Across Digital Realms.The opening night will be March 9th at Caravaglia Studio, 830 Broadway, NY, 10003. The show will be up for that weekend with a full day of walkthroughs on the 10th. 

For their third installment, ZIP wishes to showcase a group of national and international artists to create a dialogue of identity, and what it means to be human in the twenty first century amidst an age of technology. The show is a means to explore self-representation in the face of the expanding world of technology. By having different mediums present at the show, such as multimedia, digital and handmade art pieces,artists can bridge together stories about their heritage and digital identity. While understanding the importance of connectivity through the platform of the internet, by getting the artists into a space where they can be present alongside their work, the show offers guests the opportunity to meet the artists and share their responses with them. 

So, who’s behind ZIP? Allegra Venturi and Chloe Karayianis are the curators and organizers of Zip. Chloe Karayiannis is a multidisciplinary designer that connects people with brands using advanced technologies. Chloe strives to work with the most high-tech design tools available, so that she can stay ahead of the game and maintain a futuristic outlook. She is working on various AR, VR and photogrammetry capability projects.

“I’m hoping that the show raises a voice for those talented individuals who want representation here (NYC), regardless of whether or not they’re trying to live here. I want the exhibition to be a reflection of how we are able to represent ourselves on the internet and through social platforms. We are fluid, global citizens via those platforms and our ability to inspire one another should be reflected in our physical world. I feel that the digital world will become part of our everyday environments - like floating text on bus stops and supermarket products - which is why I’m particularly interested in exploring this theme of identity in our virtual realms” –Chloe.

Allegra Venturi is an actress and freelance art curator. She grew up in London in a Spanish and Italian household. During her studies at NYU, she worked in several contemporary art galleries as well as being a special event coordinator at Karla Otto. She is currently working on various film projects and is fully invested in the craft. What she enjoys most about acting is the creative freedom and expression it has given her. 

“Zip started off as a way to give our talented friends that we believed in, a chance to showcase their work. As we move towards our third show, Zip has grown into a platform for emerging artists. Our goal with Zip is to keep building a community of artists that can inspire each other with the potential to spark collaborations into different branches of creative fields.From the start, we strived to use creativity to foster creativity.” -Allegra 

Please visit ZipArt.zyz/30.html for the artist line up and find out how to donate.
A 10% portion of the proceeds will go to the Lower East Side Girls Club. The Lower Eastside Girls Club breaks the cycle of poverty by training the next generation of ethical, entrepreneurial, and environmental leaders. 

WRITTEN BY KAYLA TANGEMAN  

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE CHAN @nycolechan