Andres Colmenares is the co-founder of IAM, the alternative think–tank, strategic consultancy and network exploring the co-evolution of the internet(s), digital technologies and societies, collectively understanding, interconnecting and shaping post-technological futures: of everything, for everyone and everywhere
Since 2015, together with his partner Lucy Black-Swan, they are developing unconventional research, curatorial & commissioning projects through creative partnerships with cultural institutions, universities and media companies as Tate, University of Arts London or the BBC, along with a number of experimental initiatives, including events, videos, learning journeys and publications, always expanding and following the principles stated in the IAM manifesto.
His approach is built on over 10 years dedicated to explore speculative research themes, methods and narratives, looking at how the evolution of the internet as cultures, is shaping the futures of everything, creating tools and experiences to empower people through critical, planetary and long-term thinking.
On the public side, Andres also writes opinion articles for publications as CRACK Magazine or LS:N Global and has been invited to speak at events as Lift Conference in Geneva, Calvert Forum in Kazan, Youth Marketing Day in Helsinki, Pecha Kucha Night and World Youth Student Travel Conference in Barcelona, and has been selected to participate in hackathons and design sprints in Doha (CANVAS Open-innovation Hackathon by Al-Jazeera), Berlin (Hack/Hackers Connect by Google News Lab) and Stockholm (Future of banking sprint by Swedbank) He is also a guest lecturer in University of Arts London, Istituto Europeo di Design, Blanquerna, LaSalle College International and ELISAVA School of Design & Engineering of Barcelona.
Projects
- Internet Age Media WeekendIAM Weekend is a unique event connecting the ecosystem that is shaping the future of design, fashion, creative tech, visual arts and music, from a media perspective. IAM Weekend believes that internet is more than tech. It is a way of life. 320+ people from influential online publications, leading agencies, brands, media & publishing companies, gather in Barcelona for 3 days to start building better futures, together.
Projects credited in
- IAM Weekend 2020 (March 19-21, Barcelona)The annual gathering for creative thinkers & doers exploring the futures of the internet(s). Join 400 international designers, strategists, researchers, digital creatives & post-label minds on March 19-21 in Barcelona to explore the futures of the internet(s).6
- IAM x UAL Futures Studio: How to Invent What Happens NextHow does one start such an ambitious task as building utopias or defining a 2030 planetary goals agenda? In 2017-2018 we had the opportunity to worked together in this epic challenges with our learning partners at the University of Arts London (UAL) co-creating a cross-disciplinary series of programmes which brought together UAL students and staff, learning partners as BBC, It's Nice That, Ideo, Protein and the IAM community to prototype post-technological futures led by young people.9
- Event: IAM Weekend: The Quantumness of Archipelagos (March 21-23, 2019 - Barcelona)IAM Weekend 19 is the 5th edition of IAM's annual meeting for creative thinkers and leading organisations who care about the futures of the internet(s), digital technologies and their impact in societies.17
- IAM Weekend 18: The Subversion of ParadoxesHow do we want to live, work, eat, learn, exchange, design, create, play in 2025? #IAMW18 Join us next spring in Barcelona for the fourth edition of IAM Weekend, exploring our 2018 research theme: 'The Subversion of Paradoxes', looking at contradictions, collisions and coexistence in the next 7 years.14
- IAM Weekend 18 - Visual DesignerIAMW18’s theme ‘The Subversion of Paradoxes’ explores deeper how we can use paradoxes in the internet age, instead of feeling trapped by them, to better understand reality and be more empowered to invent collectively better futures. The identity was created by myself for a 6 month campaign to promote the event. Using a game UI and the IAM Hyperlink Blue, with various elements to create the ‘random & WTF’ tone that IAM’s visual language is known for. See more at www.conorrigby.com/iamweekend18/
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Work history
Strategist & Co-directorIAM
Barcelona, SpainFull Time
Co-founder and co-director of IAM, the alternative think–tank, strategic consultancy and network exploring the co-evolution of the internet(s), digital technologies and societies. Leading strategic and creative partnerships with cultural institutions as Tate, foundations as Mobile World Capital Foundation, global brands as Red Bull, media organisations as BBC and universities as UAL.
Skills
- Digital Media
- Events
- Problem Solving
- Project Management
- Strategic Planning
- Creative Direction
- Communications
- Creative Thinking
- Curating Content
- Future Studies
- Strategic
- Trends Analysis