DAM IRL: An Arts Projection Collective by DAM zine

Overview

DAM is a decentralized art magazine - an open, collaborative publishing platform that documents experimental creativity, public interventions, and countercultural storytelling. Since the summer of 2022 we have…

• collaborated with 2,100+ artists
• published 33 issues of DAM
• mounted 5 IRL gallery shows
• produced 1 global artist residency
• produced a DAM Art book that’s traveling the world - each artist gets a page
• collected 600+ pieces of art in our permeant vault

Now we’re excited to announce DAM 3.0! In celebration of our 3rd year we’re launching a bold new initiative that will take art into the streets in cities around the world.

DAM IRL is a decentralized arts projection collective of 10 trusted artists in 10 cities around the world who use mobile projection kits to reclaim public space as a canvas. DAM IRL transforms the ethos of the zine into a living, breathing, public art experience.

This initiative is a direct response to the success of #DAMstreets, a public art experiment that took place on June 22nd and 23rd in New York City. Over the course of two nights, DAM projected the works of more than 50 artists from around the world onto city walls and buildings -turning sidewalks and architecture into a collective exhibition. #DAMstreets became a catalyst for DAM IRL: an effort to carry the momentum of those nights into a lasting, global movement of projection and presence.

Artists project ephemeral works on buildings, streets, monuments, and other urban surfaces - activating dialogue, imagination, and visibility. DAM IRL fosters a community of practice rooted in public art, storytelling, and radical accessibility.

Goals

• Transform city streets into living exhibition spaces
• Equip artists with tools for mobile, networked interventions
• Document public art through zines and an annual book
• Grow a decentralized creative ecosystem through curated shows and open calls
• Engage global audiences and patrons in supporting public art

DAM IRL Manifesto

We take art into the streets. That is our canvas. That is our care.

We project because we believe art belongs everywhere -

not behind glass, but on brick, concrete, asphalt.

This is decentralized art:

Created by many,

Activated in public,

Archived in zines,

Minted on-chain.

We carry our tools in backpacks.

We curate in motion.

We show up, after dark, to light the walls.

We don’t just exhibit.

We honor.

We disrupt.

We celebrate.

We are DAM IRL.

DAM IRL is looking for 10 artists to join the Projection Collective

Artist Benefits

Artists who are part of DAM IRL receive more than just tools—they become part of a global ecosystem of creative visibility, support, and opportunity. Benefits include:

• Use of the DAM IRL projection kit to expand your own practice: exhibit your work, curate pop-up shows, and host community interventions
• Participation in 3 global group shows per year, each activated across 20 cities with synchronized themes and curated storytelling
• Inclusion in DAM’s publishing pipeline: your work, words, and documentation may appear in 1 or more of the 6 zines we produce as well as our annual DAM Art book.
• Opportunities to collaborate with fellow DAM IRL artists across geographies, including twin-city activations, co-curated events, or shared zine authorship
• Global visibility via DAM’s official channels, including artist features on DAM’s Twitter/X and other social platforms
• Professional development through guest artist talks, workshops, and curatorial labs hosted by DAM throughout the year
• Archival permanence: every projection is documented and added to a decentralized archive
• Priority consideration for future DAM exhibitions, residencies, and co-productions with partnering cultural institutions

Apply here - we’ll be notifying accepted Projection Collective members on a rolling basis

Social Contract

This is a living agreement between DAM and its global network of projection artists:

• We commit to the street as a canvas
• We share tools, not gatekeeping
• We document, not just display
• We represent place with respect
• We participate in rhythm
• We support beyond capital
• We remain decentralized
• We pledge to actively participate in the collective. If at any point we can no longer contribute or choose to step away, we agree to return our gear by shipping it to another participating artist in the network as directed by DAM.
• Each artist is responsible for their own actions during activations. DAM assumes no liability or legal responsibility for how or where projections are conducted. Artists agree to operate independently and within the bounds of their local laws and environments.
• Each artist is required to document their projections with high-quality photography. A good mobile phone is acceptable. Artists must organize and upload their selected photos within seven days of their activation for inclusion in the collective archive and zines.

ANNUAL SCHEDULE