Can the Post-Pandemic Era represent a new beginning for the making of the next social and cultural revolution? In the aftermath of socially dramatic events, art has represented a tool for rebirth, a space in which to express and experiment. A renewed spirit, based on more supportive and ethical ideals, and the emergence of new forms of interaction and association, could shape the next artistic generation.
After the latest social and humanitarian dramatic events, it's time to take stock of these last two years, for what concerns us.
The artistic and cultural sector has immediately suffered the drastic effects of the pandemic: museums and exhibition centers closed, live events and concerts banned. Nevertheless, social distancing has killed the enzyme of art, that inspiration that comes from meeting the unknown, from social and cultural interaction.
Yet, it is precisely in moments like these that the value of art, its eternity and resilience, comes out. The emptiness and flatness of this period have made evident the importance of art and culture for the mental well-being and health of people, as also demonstrated by the increasingly documented positive psychosomatic effects of cultural fruition. Similarly, the accumulated emotional charge might be used to approach competitive and social challenges from new angles, fostering responsiveness, skill-building, and prosocial behavioral changes.
George Post - "The Orb", Black Rock City (2021)
In this context, the role of music as a means of escape and emancipation emerged once again, and thus music consumption among the younger generation grew by about 50%. In addition, the limitations imposed have accelerated the development of new concepts and forms of artist-fan interaction, new forms of cultural experience and dissemination. Artistic labels have been forced to completely rethink their activity and have thus begun to offer their content online to keep the public involved, also activating interdisciplinary collaborations in which visual and performing arts become a whole.
This is the case of Recall's "moments w/" project, a non-profit initiative that consists in the digital streaming of artistic-musical performances in unique locations, with the aim of promoting the Italian landscape and cultural heritage, valorizing the talent of young emerging artists and supporting sectors particularly affected by the pandemic.
Music consumption is, in turn, going through a moment of profound evolution. We are witnessing a shift in mindset from passive consumption towards the search for democratized music communities in which to actively participate, exercise creativity and learn, cultivate closer connections with artists, and gain access to exclusive content and live events. In response to this expectation, new models of interaction and association are taking shape, which through the implementation of new technological tools, bring together creators and users. These are social clubs that aim to share knowledge, allowing everyone to actively participate and have an impact in the realization of artistic and cultural projects. This is the case of Friend with Benefits, a group of almost 2,000 “creators, rebels, artists, thinkers, and doers”, who form an organization to collaborate, create, discuss, and shape the future. Holding a certain amount of its token ($FWS) you become a contributor and you can join conversations on a variety of topics such as music, film production, tech, food, as well as actively participate on projects based on your skills and interests.
The nerve center of these initiatives is represented by their Discord channels, a messaging platform conceived primarily for the world of gaming, which has found in art another interesting use-case, and that allows the consolidation of the community through chat rooms, public and / or private, covering a wide range of topics, from the search for ID tracks to the creation of shared playlists, from the planning of events to the release of products, from the discovery of NFT projects and Crypto Art to the sharing of ideas, projects, and memories. There is a home for everyone.
In a similar way, Recall's goal is to build an artistic community that supports the creation of the next audio-visual universe: a platform for artists to be discovered and valued, and for fans to discover new music and artistic projects, through the production of events and the design and creation of unique artistic content, the experimentation of concepts and audio-visual experiences, the sharing of cultural and lifestyle capsules, with the ambition to contribute to innovation through art and its collaborative and expressive values.
Stay tuned for upcoming Recall Community projects and in the meantime enjoy the "moments w/ Aldebaran" episode, when some #othervibes permeated a radiant Rome:
Peace.
Recall Team