What's good in the hood? It's been two months and people are still asking me what happened to VUNU, or what that rebrand was about. Many people followed VUNU's program, and showed sympathy when I announced the closing, so I think I owe one more explanation.
As announced, after investing ten years of my time and energy, and that of a continuously changing team, eight years as a project space and two years in business, VUNU as a gallery is really over. And I am super happy about it.
VUNU was my school project, my baby actually, started in a squat, then became one of the leading art initiatives in the region. The past two years I contaminated it with business and it started to feel not right. Everyone who knows a bit how the art business goes knows you don't want to do that to your precious first one. So I cleaned it up and decided that VUNU won't have any permanent physical space. Rather, it will become whatever the situation needs, or take as much rest as it wishes. VUNU is no longer dependent on any funding or sales. Nothing can hurt it anymore. It feels kinda free, as they sing.
As for me, since I can't do anything else, and a parent can always get their hands dirty again, I founded what some people think is a rebrand but is actually a completely new gallery project, “nico bernath”. If you want to know more, there's an interview at OFLUXO.NET
So, this is how you make things immortal. VUNU FOREVER, the best gallery which never really was one.
XOXO,
nico