Shared Visions

Shared Visions is a groundbreaking Creative Europe project that has established O.U.R. COOP, a transnational cooperative for visual artists—a democratic, solidarity-based structure committed to reshaping how artists live, work and organise, particularly in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and across wider international contexts.

The project emerges from a common concern: the increasing precarity of artistic labour and the shrinking space for artistic autonomy across the continent. Despite a growing number of graduates in the arts, many visual artists face limited opportunities, fragmented support systems, and a lack of access to markets – especially in Eastern Europe. Traditional state support is dwindling, while market mechanisms often marginalize experimental and non-commercial practices. Artists are expected to act as entrepreneurs while lacking the necessary infrastructure, legal protections, and collective tools to do so.

In response, Shared Visions proposes a bold alternative: the formation of an international visual artists’ cooperative headquartered in Serbia, a non-EU country with a rich cultural history but a fragile art economy. Unlike conventional institutions and enterprises driven by profit maximization, this cooperative will be owned and democratically governed by its members – artists and cultural workers themselves – combining entrepreneurial ambition with social purpose. In contrast to the often ambiguous line between genuine cooperativism and the rhetoric of the creative industries, this model is grounded in the principle of goal maximization: profits will be reinvested into collective needs, such as studios, legal support, and pension systems, while also supporting non-market forms of collaboration and mutual aid among members and local communities.

Supported by the Creative Europe Programme, the project is led by Foundation Fund B92 (Serbia) and implemented in collaboration with key organizations from across Europe: SOTA (State of the Arts, Belgium), CARADT (Avans University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands), SULUV (Association of Fine Artists of Vojvodina, Serbia), Landscape Choreography (Italy), Institute for Contemporary Art (Montenegro), Soshenko 33 (Ukraine), and KICKVOIDLÖOP Cultural Cooperative (Portugal). A wider network of associated partners – including Blue Cube Foundation (Bulgaria), INKA (North Macedonia), Platform ACCT (Netherlands) Kunstenpunt (Belgium) and Art Workers Italia (Italy) – contributes to the project’s knowledge base, advocacy, and regional connections.

A major milestone: the launch of O.U.R. COOP

In May 2026, Shared Visions reached an important milestone with the official establishment of O.U.R. COOP, an international social cooperative for visual artists.

The cooperative was formally founded during a five-day assembly in Nikšić, Montenegro, bringing together more than 40 artists, cultural workers, researchers, curators, activists and digital technology experts from thirteen countries. The founding assembly marked the culmination of a multi-year collaborative process within the Shared Visions project and officially launched a new international model for democratic and solidarity-based cooperation among visual artists.

Built on the principles of shared ownership, democratic governance and collective care, O.U.R. COOP responds to the growing precarity of artistic labour and the need for more sustainable ways of organising artistic practice. The cooperative aims to provide artists with access to shared resources, international collaboration, legal and production support, new market opportunities and collective economic models.

During the assembly, participants also presented one of the largest comparative studies on the visual arts market in the Balkan region, alongside reports from Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Ukraine. The research explores artists’ working conditions, institutional support, economic models and opportunities for international cooperation. These findings will help shape the future strategic development of the cooperative.

The programme also explored digital infrastructure for transparent governance, including the potential of Web3 technologies and digital commons to support collective decision-making and resource sharing. As part of its next phase, O.U.R. COOP will launch an online sales gallery designed to create new international opportunities for artists while strengthening sustainable working conditions in the visual arts.

This milestone represents an important step towards Shared Visions’ ambition to build a fairer and more resilient international ecosystem for artists through solidarity, cooperation and collective ownership.

The project will integrate expertise from digital commons and Web3 communities to co-design a secure and transparent digital infrastructure for internal decision-making and resource sharing. This will be paired with a feasibility study of art-related markets – from education and tourism to tech and finance – aimed at identifying new access points for artists and increasing public engagement with visual arts.

The Shared Visions cooperative responds to current crises in the art world while also proposing a long-term vision for a more just and sustainable ecosystem. By connecting local experiments with broader European networks, and by foregrounding solidarity, equity, and collective care, the project aims to empower artists to shape the future of their field – together.

The Shared Visions team will post regular updates on this blog. You can also find us on Instagram (@sharedvisions_coop). If you want to know more or get involved, please feel free to contact us at sharedvisions.coop@gmail.com.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Creative Europe Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.