Last week, OpenAREA, created by Ollie Olanipekun, premiered its “anthem film” in London at an event sponsored by ASICS. The film, a two-minute mission statement for the project, juxtaposes clips of birds and plants next to images of fashion shows, cars, and marathons. 

“Our ‘anthem’ film is a call-out to the world to change everything we know about nature,” he writes. “It is definitely not what you’d expect from a ‘nature film’ and that’s the point.” 

The concept is central to the work that Olanipekun does. Starting with Flock Together, a collective of bird watchers, and expanding to New Nature, and his most recent project: OpenAREA – “a new possibility for culture in the outdoor space, platforming the next generation of creative minds to redefine the environments that shape us and making new shared spaces that use creativity to reinvent how we see nature.” 

As with all of his projects, Olanipekun wants you to forget everything you know about going outside. “Everyone’s connection to nature is different, and that’s the beauty of it,” Olanipekun explained to Highsnobiety last year. “No rights, no wrongs. It’s the idea that nature is open to interpretation, and however you perceive, explore, or connect to it is valid, meaningful, and important.” 

Olanipekun believes this idea to be important in fighting the climate fatigue he sees coming up in the conservation space, and in promoting a more inclusive vision of nature appreciation. 

“We need something new, something positive, exciting and inspirational to breathe new life into the topic.” Olanipekun writes. 

OpenAREA / Dennis Eluyefa

If the “anthem film” makes one thing clear, it’s that OpenAREA wants the interpretation of “nature” to remain a fluid source of inspiration. The individuals and groups spotlighted on the project’s website all draw from nature as a prompt for their work. These creatives include DEEP, an ecological impact foundation “bringing hacktivism to the great outdoors, and Spirits Up, a Black yoga and mindfulness collective. 

“We want it to surprise people and make them question why they have such a fixed idea of what nature means - when in reality, it can be anything,” Olanipekun wrote. 

The film premiere also featured nature-inspired sculptures from London-based visual artists. Having artwork that could be experienced in a physical space was important to Olanipekun when planning the event. “By embodying these in physical form, artists let viewers engage with even the most complex ideas on a visceral level, bypassing the limitations of language and avoiding biased intellectual analysis,” he writes.

Olanipekun has come a long way since 2020, when he first gained a following through Flock Together, a birdwatching club he founded with Nadeem Perera, an activist and wildlife enthusiast. Flock Together aimed to tackle the issue of underrepresentation of Black, Brown, and other POC in nature appreciation spaces.

OpenAREA / Dennis Eluyefa

“Everyone should feel connected to nature, and at the moment, a lot of people don’t.” Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the liberty of taking off work, going off the grid, and trekking through Kathmandu,” Olanipekun told Highsnobiety last year. 

Flock Together, which now has nearly 27 thousand followers on Instagram, has evolved from a small birdwatching group to a global movement, organizing walks from London to New York to Tokyo. 

With OpenAREA, Olanipekun hopes to bring that energy beyond birding, and teach the world to see nature differently.

Watch the film here:

Creative Direction: Ollie Olanipekun, OpenAREA

Creative Consultant: Geo Stuart

Design Direction: George Smith

Editor: LAUZZA

Music: Big Animal Theory - Frankie [SLOWED], Yuragi - Unreachable (Big Animal Theory Remix) [SLOWED]