Video: A Conversation With Dario Calmese, Founder of the Institute of Black Imagination

A cultural hub for Black creatives is flourishing in Lower Manhattan.

The Institute of Black Imagination (IBI) is the brainchild of photographer, artist, writer and director Dario Calmese. Like its founder, the IBI, which is nestled in the South Concourse of Lower Manhattan’s Oculus, is also a multi-hyphenate: a brick-and-mortar library, a digital archive, an event space, a podcast production studio and retail store Space 001, which showcases curated products from up-and-coming Black designers and brands. 

The Downtown Alliance sat down with Calmese to learn more about how the Institute of Black Imagination grew from a 2018 acquisition of books from the personal archives of artist Geoffrey Holder to the all-encompassing creative enterprise it is today. With the potential of Black creativity as its driving force, the IBI is a unique, ambitious addition to Lower Manhattan’s ever-growing arts and culture scene. Watch the video below and learn more about IBI here; be sure to visit the storefront in person to check out the institute’s events, art installations and incredible retail offerings.