Third Space Art Foundation

What Third Space Art Foundation does

Third Space Art Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 39-3508339) headquartered in New York City that supports artistic exchange through curated live arts programs, exhibitions, residencies, and scholarly publications. Its core offering is the "1922 Revisited" live arts program presented during the 61st Venice Biennale preview week (May 5-9, 2026), in which 10 international artists from Africa and its diasporas engage the historical 1922 Venice Biennale exhibition of African sculpture through performances, a screening, and a panel discussion at venues including Hotel Monaco, European Cultural Centre Marinaressa Gardens, and Creative Venice Giudecca. A companion scholarly publication, "Harmonies of Repair," is planned for Spring 2027, and the foundation extends its activities across program operations in Venice, Washington D.C., Lagos, Addis Ababa, and Accra in collaboration with a network of cultural institutions and academic partners.

The foundation's underlying technology stack is light: its core platform is a WordPress-based website (thirdspaceartfoundation.org) powered by NEWMEDIA.COM, supplemented by an Instagram presence (@thirdspaceartfoundation) and email newsletters. There is no proprietary software product, no API, and no mobile application. The foundation's intellectual property is concentrated in curatorial programming and the scholarly content surrounding the 1922 Revisited theme rather than in technology. Its people and partnerships constitute the primary assets: a five-member Board of Directors comprising senior art historians and African art scholars from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Texas at Austin, University of Arkansas, University of Iowa, and Nubuke Foundation, alongside a small program team including a Program Curator and a Curatorial Producer affiliated with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary.

Third Space Art Foundation generates revenue exclusively through charitable donations, foundation grants, and individual contributions under its nonprofit revenue model; no pricing or fee-based offerings are disclosed. Its go-to-market motion is event-driven: programming is concentrated around high-prestige cultural events (primarily the Venice Biennale) and is delivered through collaborations with established cultural institutions. Primary audiences are contemporary African and diaspora performance artists, curators and art historians, and the general public interested in decolonial contemporary art. No revenue figures, headcount counts, or funding rounds are disclosed in available materials.

Name

Third Space Art Foundation

Legal name

THIRDSPACE Art Foundation

Website

https://thirdspaceartfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Third Space Art Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that presents curated live arts programs, exhibitions, and scholarly publications supporting artistic exchange between African and diaspora artists, curators, and cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Programming

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Live arts programming
• Contemporary African art
• Decolonial exhibitions
• Artist residencies
• Venice Biennale

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 39-3508339), Third Space Art Foundation likely relies on charitable donations, foundation grants, and individual contributions to fund its programming and operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Third Space Art Foundation is a nonprofit organization that curates and presents live arts programming, exhibitions, performances, screenings, and scholarly panel discussions centered on contemporary African and diaspora art, with its flagship "1922 Revisited" program staged during the Venice Biennale. The foundation supports artistic exchange through curated residencies, public programs, and companion scholarly publications in collaboration with established cultural institutions across Africa, Europe, and North America.

Product overview

Third Space Art Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization presenting the '1922 Revisited' live arts program at the 61st Venice Biennale 2026. The core offering is a multi-day, multi-site series of live performances, a screening, and a panel discussion featuring 10 international artists from Africa and its diasporas. Supporting products include Artist Biographies, Performance Descriptions, Performance Locations, and a Panel Discussion module. The program runs May 5-9, 2026, at venues including Hotel Monaco and European Cultural Centre Marinaressa Gardens in Venice, Italy, in collaboration with the African Art in Venice Forum and European Cultural Centre. A companion scholarly publication titled 'Harmonies of Repair' is planned for Spring 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1922 Revisited: Live Arts Program A live arts program presented during the Venice Biennale preview week featuring performances, a screening, and a panel discussion by international artists from Africa and its diasporas engaging with the historical 1922 Venice Biennale exhibition of African sculpture through contemporary artistic practice, staged at venues in Venice including Hotel Monaco and European Cultural Centre Marinaressa Gardens.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and additional partner.

• African Art in Venice ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 1922 Revisited live arts program during Venice Biennale preview week. The forum provides a platform for artists, curators, and scholars to engage with African art in the Venice Biennale context.
• European Cultural CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides venue access at Marinaressa Gardens for performances and events. The ECC collaborates on the 1922 Revisited program, offering physical space for live arts programming in Venice.
• The Africa Centeradditional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional partner for the 1922 Revisited program, contributing to the international network of African art organizations.
• Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagosadditional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional partner providing connections to the Lagos contemporary art scene and Nigerian artistic community.
• Foundation for Contemporary Art, Accraadditional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional partner connecting the foundation to Ghana's contemporary art ecosystem.
• School of Art, University of Arkansasadditional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing scholarly engagement and student involvement. The program curator Janine Sytsma is Associate Professor at this institution.
• NEWMEDIA.COMadditional partnerTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing website and digital infrastructure support for the foundation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA): Cape Town-based major museum of contemporary African art. Comparable as a leading institutional platform for African contemporary art, but at substantially greater scale and with a permanent collection focus rather than ephemeral live programming.
• Dak'Art Biennale: The Dakar Biennale is the longest-running contemporary African art biennale. Comparable as a recurring international exhibition platform for African artists, but state-backed and at materially greater scale than Third Space.
• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Major US museum where Curatorial Producer Cynthia Post Hunt serves as Curator of Performance and Artists-in-Residence. Comparable in running performance programming and artist residencies, but operates at substantially greater scale and with a permanent collection.

Direct peers

• The Africa Center: A listed strategic partner and a New York-based nonprofit presenting contemporary African and diaspora art, culture, and public programming. Closely comparable in mission, geography (NYC HQ), and nonprofit operating model.
• Foundation for Contemporary Art, Accra: A listed partner connecting Third Space to Ghana's contemporary art ecosystem. Comparable as a grantmaking and programming nonprofit focused on contemporary African art with international exhibition activity.
• African Art in Venice Forum: A core strategic partner of Third Space and itself a platform convening artists, curators, and scholars around African art at the Venice Biennale. Highly comparable as a nonprofit forum operating in the same niche, geography, and event window.
• INVERSE Performance Art Festival: Performance art festival co-founded by Third Space's Curatorial Producer Cynthia Post Hunt. Comparable as a live-arts festival rooted in performance and artist residencies, sharing the same curatorial leadership and programming ethos.
• Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos: A listed partner of Third Space and a Lagos-based nonprofit running exhibitions, residencies, and public programs for contemporary African art. Directly comparable as a mission-aligned African contemporary-art nonprofit.
• Nubuke Foundation: Accra- and Wa-based visual arts and cultural institution co-founded and directed by Third Space board member Odile Tevie. It is the most directly comparable peer — a grantmaking-adjacent nonprofit presenting contemporary African art programming and residencies, with overlapping board-level ties.

Emerging players

• Akodi Orisa Art Sanctuary: Ile-Ife, Nigeria-based art sanctuary founded and directed by Third Space board member Moyo Okediji. Comparable as a place-based nonprofit advancing African artistic knowledge systems and collaborative creativity, though more focused on sanctuary/residency model than biennale programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thirdspaceartfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Third Space Art Foundation