Art is necessarily caught up in contemporary politics in many complex ways. Come Together invites you to join forces, to ‘come together’ and consider how we might reflect on and tackle our current state of affairs.
Artists have always responded to the political climate in which they exist. Art can critique, reflect, support or challenge the powers that be. The experimental approaches that many artists deploy are to challenging established systems of authority. But in today’s volatile political landscape, the role of the artist is an increasingly dangerous one. Across the world, artists have been arrested as a result of the political nature of their creative output – Pussy Riot, Ai Weiwei and Tania Bruguera to name a few. In the UK, visas for international artists are becoming more and more difficult to secure. In schools, politics is challenging our creative faculties from the inside out, favouring STEM subjects over art and design.
Join students and staff from the Art Programme at Central Saint Martins for a series of events in three zones: talking together, making together and playing together. These will include practical workshops, lectures, reading groups, film screenings and performances among others. Join in a wide range of practical activities which explore the many ways in which making and politics might intertwine.
About Central Saint Martins
Central Saint Martins is an arts and design college and part of University of the Arts London. The College’s alumni include artists and designers who have challenged and shaped the world around us.