Visual Dynamics Labs
Art, Black Care, and Ethics in Practice
Visual Dynamics Labs is a a research and cultural strategy lab advancing artistic research, ethics, Black care, and public imagination.
We convene artists, scholars, museums, universities, foundations, and cultural leaders to develop new frameworks for seeing, learning, and shaping the future.
Image: Nick Cave “Amalgam (Origin),” 2024, bronze. Photo: RJS Global.
What We Do:
Research
Research + Teaching
Books, publications, convenings, and intellectual production.
Education
Leadership + Development
Summer schools, intensives, fellowships, and public learning.
Strategy
Advising institutions, foundations, museums, and cultural organizations.
Featured Lab: Venice 2026
Visual Dynamics Labs is a transnational research platform exploring global art infrastructures, Black artistic practice, care ethics, and transnational cultural networks.
Programs bring together artists, scholars, curators, and cultural producers through research labs, summer schools, documentary projects, and public conversations.
The inaugural lab takes place during the Venice Biennale.
4-Day Intensive Lab
Location: Venice, Italy
Duration: 4 days
Cohort: 12–15 participants
Output: publication + documentation
Outputs
Short film
Published reflection
Public-facing documentation
Support the Labs
Visual Dynamics Labs partners with institutions, foundations, and individuals to fund experimental programs at the intersection of art, research, and public life.
Program Sponsor
Fund a full lab
(Venice, Amsterdam, Baltimore)
Access Sponsor
Support participant scholarships
Media Sponsor
Fund film, documentation, and publication outputs
Why This Work Matters
At a time of rapid cultural and technological change, Visual Dynamics Labs creates spaces for critical engagement, ethical reflection, and new forms of artistic, cultural, and intellectual production.
Network and Collaborations
Institutional Affiliations:
The Space for Creative Black Imagination, Inc.
Maryland Institute College of Art
University of Maryland
Howard University
University of California, Los Angeles
IDSVA
Key Collaborators:
Metro 54
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Visual Dynamics Labs I: Venice
May 6-9, 2026
Press Opening Period
Documentary
Beyond the Pavilion
A documentary examining global art infrastructures and artist networks across the United States, Europe, and South Africa.
Visual Dynamics Labs II: Amsterdam
June 29-July 5, 2026
Documentary Film
Research Lab
Global Networks
Meet the Founder
Rael Jero Salley
Rael Jero Salley is an art historian, educator, author, curator, and cultural strategist whose work examines the relationships between visual culture, ethics, Black life, and public imagination. Through research, teaching, convening, and institution building, he develops frameworks that connect artistic practice with questions of care, visibility, knowledge production, and social transformation.
Salley serves as Professor in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and is the Founding Director of Visual Dynamics Labs and The Space for Creative Black Imagination, Inc. His work spans the United States, Europe, and Africa through collaborations with artists, universities, museums, cultural organizations, and public humanities initiatives.
Selected Highlights
Author
The Visual Dynamics of Art, Black Care, and Ethics in South African Art (Routledge, 2025)
Curator and Convenor
Projects and collaborations with Yale University, Liverpool Biennial, The Broad Museum, Johns Hopkins University, Metro54 Amsterdam, and international cultural partners.
Research Leader
Developing new approaches to Black visual culture, ethics, public humanities, cultural strategy, and transnational artistic exchange.
Current Areas of Focus
Black Care as Method
Visual Culture and Ethics
Public Humanities
African and Diasporic Art Histories
Institutional Transformation
Cultural Strategy and Creative Leadership
Join the Visual Dynamics Network
Receive updates on labs, funding opportunities, and public programs.
