Work in Progress
An interactive art festival centered on live artistic process and experimentation
Work in Progress (WIP) is an interactive art festival centered on artistic process, experimentation, and exchange. Organized by Nōvo Collective and co-hosted by THE BLANC, the New York edition brought together more than 50 artists working across fiber, ceramics, installation, social practice, painting, performance, and other disciplines.
For four days, multiple floors of THE BLANC were transformed into temporary working studios where artists developed projects in real time and invited visitors into the creative process. Rather than presenting only finished works, WIP foregrounded experimentation, revision, conversation, and participation. Audiences could encounter works as they evolved, speak directly with artists, and take part in collaborative and participatory experiences throughout the building.
The project reflected THE BLANC’s broader vision of an art space as more than a site of exhibition. It can also function as a space for production, experimentation, dialogue, and exchange. By opening the building to works still in formation, WIP activated THE BLANC as a true blank slate, allowing artists and audiences to shape the experience together.
credit for the banner photo: Anabelle DeClement
Organizer
Nōvo Collective is a curatorial platform that develops contemporary art projects beyond conventional exhibition formats, with a focus on experimentation, interdisciplinary exchange, and public participation. Its approach closely aligns with THE BLANC’s commitment to creating flexible environments where artists can test ideas, take risks, and engage audiences beyond the presentation of finished work.
The collaboration on Work in Progress emerged from this shared commitment to process and openness. Nōvo brought a curatorial framework centered on live artistic production, while THE BLANC provided a space capable of adapting to different practices, scales, and forms of interaction. Together, the project transformed the building into a temporary ecosystem of studios, performances, conversations, and evolving works.
The partnership reflects an important part of THE BLANC’s vision: to support contemporary art as an active, responsive practice and to create conditions for meaningful exchange among artists, audiences, and the wider cultural community.
