Vox Populi is a nonprofit art gallery and collective in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988, it presents experimental art and ideas via monthly shows, performances, and gallery talks.[1] Located on North 11th Street, it is the longest running artist collective in the city.[2]
Among the artists whose work the space has hosted include Kembra Pfahler, Paul Thek, Alvin Baltrop, Taisha Paggett, Adam Pendleton, Cecilia Dougherty, Guy Ben-Ari,[3] Virgil Marti[4] [5] and Brainstormers member Maria Dumlao.[6] Musical performers at their old location on Cherry Street included Gang Gang Dance, Comets on Fire, CocoRosie, Growing,[7] Wolf Eyes[8] and many others.
In 2011, under the Executive Directorship of Andrew Suggs, Vox Populi opened a 1,000-square-foot black box performance space, AUX, which highlights interdisciplinary time-based art with sound art, film screenings, performance, dance, and experimental theater as well as hosting classes, workshops, and other events.[9] AUX has hosted programs with performers and media artists such as Dynasty Handbag,[10] Jacolby Satterwhite,[11] C.A. Conrad, Angela Washko,[12] Ann Hirsch,[13] and Miguel Gutiérrez[14] among others.
Vox is also home to Fourth Wall, a dedicated video lounge which the collective invites outside curators to program for 2 to 3 months at a time. Fourth Wall was founded as an independent gallery within the space called "Screening" in 2007 by collaborative video artists and former members Matthew Suib and Nadia Hironaka.[15]
In 2010, Vox Populi was invited to participate in "No Soul For Sale" at the Tate Modern, a festival of 70 international independent non-commercial art spaces, held in the Turbine Hall as part of the museum's 10th anniversary celebrations.[16] Four years later, Vox Populi hosted the show "Alien She," the first exhibition to examine the lasting impact of Riot Grrrl on artists and cultural producers working now co-curated by Astria Suparak and Ceci Moss.[17]
The galley's programming is made possible in part by funding from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage among other charitable foundations and private individuals.[18]