Still Here

What has been on artists' and creatives' minds during the Covid-19 pandemic and the waves of quarantine orders that have washed over the planet? That has been the question animating the initiative STILL HERE: Moments in Isolation. Since March 2020, co-curators Roya Sachs and Mafalda Millies, alongside producer Lizzie Edelman, have invited prominent denizens in the worlds of art and culture to submit a still life image with an accompanying text, or thought, sharing their experience. Originally conceived as a digital campaign the project in collaboration with DISTANZ is now spanning across six continents. STILL HERE is rooted in the still life, with its iconic depictions of inanimate objects, finding 'beauty' in banality.

The book presents a selection of one hundred submissions for the project and illustrates that, despite the current restrictions, a profound sense of community and creativity is still alive and pulsing in the private spaces of many. With contributions by the artists such as Monica Bonvicini, Tosh Basco fka Boychild, Katherine Bernhardt, Simon Denny, Marcel Dzama, Issy Wood, Shirin Neshat, Adam Pendleton, Laure Prouvost, Wolfgang Tillmans, Raphaela Vogel, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, among many more, alongside authors such as Chris Kraus, ballet dancer David Hallberg, neuroscientist Mendel Kaelen, auctioneer Simon de Pury and sexual anthropologist Betony Vernon. An essay by the art critic Jennifer Higgie relates personal encounters with iconic still lifes to sketch the genre's history from antiquity to the present.

Each book includes a bookmark with a custom scent attached to it, developed by renowned olfactory artist and smell researcher Sissel Tolaas. The visual diary will also come to life through a selection of commissioned augmented reality videos and sound pieces using the DISTANZ App.

TRIADIC is a creative house and cultural engine that sits at the forefront of arts and innovation. Its DNA is at the intersection of art, video, dance, music, design and technology. It was founded by strategic advisor Elizabeth Edelman, creative director Mafalda Millies and curator Roya Sachs in 2019. Their practice and projects are rooted in collaboration, as they work to share unique and impactful stories, and expand the creative community through immersive and collective experiences.

( Producer) Elizabeth Edelman is a strategic advisor based between New York & London, focused on facilitating growth, con- tributing visionary ideas, capital, talent, and partnerships, and leading operational execution and production for a range of clients. Previously Vice President of Business Development, and Executive Board member at Global Citizen, she was responsible for the organization’s business strategy & operations, producing large scale music festivals, interactive digital platforms, and all media programming across five countries. Elizabeth spent her first two years out of university working for Edelman in the Public Affairs, Change Management & Employee Engagement divisions in New York and Brussels, consulting corporates as they went through restructurings, mergers and acqui- sitions. Projects have included work with Live Nation, Pioneer Works, The Venue Group, Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire, Matt Shultz, Ivy Park, GUCCI, Universal Music, iHeart, Google, NBC/MSNBC, Cadillac, TMobile, 9/11 Memorial, and The Gates Foundation, among others. Raised in New York City, she attended Georgetown University where she received her BA in Government Affairs. She also advises several non-profit organizations including, Pioneer Works, WarChild UK, America Needs You, KANPE, Teaching Matters, and Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.

(Editor) Mafalda Millies is a creative director and curator working at the intersection of visual arts and music. Her work ranges from the artistic direction and curation of experiential, large-scale installations and live performances over to video, and content creation. With a focus on multi-disciplinary, innovative art in unconventional settings, her collaborations range from performance artist Marina Abramovic, composer James William Blades, designers Humberto and Fernando Campana, over to punk ballerina Karole Armitage and choreographer Nathan Mitchell. Past projects include work with Live Nation, Sotheby’s, Vogue UK, Performa, Mana Contemporary, Nomad Art Fair, Alma Zevi Gallery, Relais & Châteaux, Laduree, Dedon and Selfridges. Between 2015–2019 Mafalda was the Creative Director of New York music management agency C3 MGMT, where she worked with emerging and established artists on creative identity and advising, from music videos to staging and graphic design. She is chair of the Warburg Institute Visionary Circle. Her work has been nominated and awarded at festivals such as SXSW, the UKMVAs and the LA Music Video Festival. She attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with an MA in Political Sciences. Mafalda now lives in Vienna, Austria.

( Editor) Roya Sachs is a curator and artistic director based in London. Her unconventional and cross-disciplinary approach often combines visual arts through technology, dance, music, light and installation, with a strong emphasis and specialty in performance and experience based art. Previously, she served as curator of Lever House Art Collection from 2016–2019, commissioning large-scale single-artist exhibitions in Manhattan's iconic landmark Lever House lobby. During this time she was also Artistic Director of Spring Place, developing immersive productions, multi-floored curation and institutional partnerships. Roya has presented exhibitions, performances, and installa- tions in collaboration with institutions and companies including Performa, Google, Spring Place, Gertrude, Mana Contemporary, Bosi Contemporary Gallery, Gerson Zevi Gallery, and Lamb Arts. Her artistic collaborators include: Peter Halley, the New York City Ballet, the Campana Brothers, Karole Armitage, Grammy-nominated PubliQuartet, Adam Pendleton, assume vivid astro focus, Adam McEwen, and Katherine Bernhardt. She sits on the board of directors at Performa, as well as the advisory board of Therme Art Program and AucArt. Raised in London, she attended NYU, where she received her BA in History, Art History, and Creative Writing.

( Editor) Matthias Kliefoth Publisher, DISTANZ