SUPPORTING THE SPACE YOU WANT TO BE PART OF.
Holly Fraser
Editor-in-Chief & VP of Content
WeTransfer & WePresent
From years spent immersed in music videos, and London nightlife to leading WeTransfer’s arts platform WePresent, Holly has consistently championed artists and the ecosystems that sustain them. Under her direction, WePresent has evolved into a global arts commissioning force. We spoke to Fraser about creative responsibility, and supporting the people shaping culture.
You had a career that spans culture, media, and storytelling long before WeTransfer. Can you take us back a bit?
I grew up in rural Ireland, literally in the middle of nowhere, and my tether to outside culture was books, magazines, music and film. My parents had a friend who had VH-1 and MTV long before we did and he used to record music videos onto VHS for me. I would spend hours watching everything from early Mariah Carey, to Nirvana, to TLC to Janet Jackson. I guess it was the 90s version of being chronically online!
My dad was also a music buff who listened to every kind of genre and my mum was a big film fan – I watched a lot of David Lynch probably a lot younger than I should have because of her taste. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be involved in these worlds in some way and never really faltered from that.
I moved to London originally for fashion design, but eventually switched to journalism and just worked my way up the ranks while simultaneously immersing myself in London culture and nightlife. Clubs like Boombox also taught me so much about creativity and individuality, and how culture is so often born from artists. After about a decade of working at places like Dazed & Confused, Conde Nast and Hunger magazine with Rankin I ended up at WeTransfer leading its arts platform WePresent.
WeTransfer at its core, is a tool — at what point did it become clear that this functional space could also hold cultural weight?
Many people perhaps don’t know that WeTransfer was founded by creatives - so while it is functional it was born from creativity. In the early days the WeTransfer backgrounds (we call them wallpapers) were used by the founders as a way of advertising the work or the businesses of their friends who were all fellow creatives.
The ads that were built by the in-house creative studio and designed to look as artistic as possible. As WeTransfer’s users grew people would get in touch about artists they’d seen on wallpapers, which led to the decision to consciously curate the space to feature artists and share their stories. But even prior to WePresent being official, WeTransfer had also worked with artists – Prince used the platform to give away music to his fans for free in 2013 and FKA Twigs partnered with the brand on a series of videos.
In almost a decade we’ve grown from being a platform that tells artists stories to one that collaborates directly with them to commission and create new projects across art, photography, film, music and design, and hopefully further cultural conversations while doing so.
Today, WePresent feels like a platform with its own voice, values, and audience. How do you define the relationship between WeTransfer and WePresent?
WeTransfer has never been a brand that just talks about being creative without backing it up, and WePresent is the proof of that. I think some brands that operate in cultural spaces are guilty of playing it safe and not really saying anything at all, or at worst, being completely performative. We want the work we commission to be progressive, to start conversations, to be provocative where necessary, to amplify the viewpoints of how artists (and by extension) many of us are feeling now, and to get new ideas into the world. I think that’s always been the job of art of any kind.
And if its creation can be supported by a brand at a time when arts funding is constantly on the chopping block then that’s not a bad thing, in my opinion.
I think you have to constantly be aware of how you’re giving back and supporting the space that you want to be a part of, not just sticking some brand logo on it and being like, job done. For us that means supporting artists at every stage of their careers, paying people fairly and being responsible and careful with their art.
" You need to get in the trenches with your artists when times are tough — amplifying their voices, aligning with their viewpoints and not being scared of criticism from people that want to silence them "
Projects like The Supporting Act feel like are a natural extension of WePresent’s ethos?
The Supporting Act is a non-profit foundation that was founded by WeTransfer to give revenue back to artists and grassroots institutions through grants in order to create better opportunities. It’s a fantastic initiative and since its launch in 2021 has given away millions to emerging artists. It is separate from WePresent but we both share the goal of supporting artists.
Was there a moment where you realised WePresent had grown into something closer to a digital publisher or cultural studio?
The moment, I suppose, was after the pandemic. We were extremely busy over those few years, starting with the release of The Long Goodbye, a short film we commissioned by Riz Ahmed in 2020. Within the space of two years we had won an Oscar, published our first book, released a feature length performance film with Moses Sumney, launched a guest curatorship and exhibition with Marina Abramovic, collaborated with Wes Anderson on a music video, commissioned Little Simz’ first short film and worked with institutions like the Royal Academy of Art and the Serpentine Gallery to reimagine how they released art and connected with audiences digitally during COVID.
When we came out the other side it was clear that we had to adapt. Our website became more of a shop window for projects, while the artist collaborations became platform and medium agnostic, led instead by the idea and how we all felt this would best connect with the relevant audience. This has led us to think much more specifically about community and connection, as opposed to just scale.
As WePresent continues to evolve what excites you most about where it’s heading next?
We've been working for a while on WePresent becoming more 360–think publishing, merch, experiences and a lot more physical presence. That starts with a big public exhibition, or more of a WePresent festival really, in Peckham from May 7-10 called “On Belonging”. And I can't say too much now but at the end of the year there is a very special retrospective of sorts in the pipeline which I think will do a lot to crystallise people's understanding of what WePresent is and what it has achieved.
" We won’t compromise our integrity, our beliefs, and our respect for artists "
WePresent has become a touchpoint for young creatives around the world - how do you balance guidance with letting people fully own their voice?
It's such a privilege to be the first platform to feature an emerging artist, or the first to commission new work and then watch them evolve. With early career artists we always offer guidance, meaningful consultation and an objective viewpoint when they want it. We can point out things they may not have taken into account before, but the final approval is always with the artist. It’s their vision and we’re here to support it, not compromise it.
When you’re an artist in the early stages of your career it’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to please other people and that can end up tainting your work at a time when you’re trying to establish who you are. So we always have that conversation and stress that the final decision is up to them. Also i think it’s important that if you collaborate with artists, it’s incredibly important to respect their vision and the fact that you won’t always agree. If you want 100% control then make the thing yourself!
After building something that’s genuinely influential, what still feels urgent or unfinished for you?
Personally, it’s the opportunity to be constantly challenged, and to constantly learn which in turn makes me a better creative myself. Watching how a director manages their set, discussing imposter syndrome with a world famous artist, understanding how people that I admire approach new ideas–all of these things are endlessly inspirational and I feel very lucky to have these experiences. I’m starting to feel a more urgent need to use my creativity to bring my own stories to life, rather than just other people’s. I think that as I’ve gotten a bit older I’ve realised that your own stories and experiences are valid, and you do not always have to look to someone outside of yourself for inspiration.
Finally… Where is your SOMEWHERE GOOD?
At a great flea market on a warm spring day searching for old treasures. And if not that then a dark cinema by myself, no outside distractions, fully immersed in the world in front of me.
Credits.
Portrait by Tom van Huisstede.
WePresent newspaper designed in collaboration with CanCan Press in Mexico.
Qalb Mahmood by Abdulaziz Al-Hosni by WePresent.
Holy Ohio by Nadia Lee Cohen by WePresent.
WePresent magazines, designed by Fisk, Polymode & Gustavo Eandi.
Traces, collaborative exhibition with Marina Abramović. Photography by Ejatu Shaw.
Blackalachia by Moses Sumney by WePresent.
Mia Khalifa from "Can I Come In?" series by Sarah Bahbah by WePresent.
Words. Mick Wilson
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