Riz Ahmed Explains His Vision as 2025 Guest Curator: Why Pushing Boundaries Is Essential for Cultural Growth

Sayart / Sep 4, 2025

Academy Award-nominated actor and musician Riz Ahmed has been appointed as guest curator for 2025, bringing his unique perspective on cultural expansion and artistic risk-taking to the forefront. In his curatorial statement, Ahmed emphasizes the critical importance of stretching creative boundaries as a means to advance and transform culture itself.

WePresent, the arts platform operated by WeTransfer, continues to showcase diverse international perspectives through its featured content. The platform currently highlights work by Korean photographer Seok-Woo Song, whose compelling images explore the intense pressures and profound isolation experienced in modern Korean society. Song's photography captures the psychological landscape of contemporary Korea, revealing the hidden struggles beneath the surface of daily life.

Environmental storytelling takes center stage with the collaborative work of Federico Borella and Michela Balboni, who have turned their lens toward rural Italy's ancient relationship with trees. Their photographic series documents the traditional "tree men" of rural Italian communities, individuals whose lives and livelihoods are intimately connected to the forest ecosystem. This work examines the intersection of human culture and environmental stewardship in regions where old traditions still hold meaning.

Innovative technology meets nostalgic storytelling in AikBeng Chia's groundbreaking project that reconstructs vivid scenes from 1970s Singapore using artificial intelligence. Chia's work demonstrates how modern AI tools can be employed to recreate historical moments and cultural memories, bridging the gap between past and present through digital artistry. This project explores themes of identity and cultural preservation in an era of rapid technological advancement.

WePresent operates as the creative arm of WeTransfer, the file-sharing service known for simplifying large file transfers. The platform positions itself as more than just a business tool, actively working to empower creative professionals while using its commercial success as a force for positive social impact. This approach reflects a growing trend among tech companies to integrate cultural and artistic initiatives into their core mission, supporting the global creative community through accessible platforms and resources.

Sayart

Sayart

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