Future Now Symposium 2018

17 May – 18 May 2018

Debate. Discuss. Connect.

Through panels, lectures, portfolio reviews and advice sessions, the Future Now Symposium provides an imaginative platform for attendees to consider the arts ecosystem within a broader social, political and professional context. Holding talent development at its core, this two-day event is a hive of innovation and idea generation.

The world is increasingly shaped by surveillance and data collection, and the human condition has become one of rehearsal and performance. Exploring the wider effects of over-consumption, media stimulation and data dissemination, this year’s topics call into question new modes of communication, offering reflection upon the era of post-truth through discussions surrounding photography, design, sculpture, painting and journalism.

Future Now is a platform for creating connections and sharing ideas with those shaping the art world today, with a wealth of speakers from the UK’s leading organisations, publications and galleries. Topics for 2018 include The Value of Design; Arts Journalism in the Digital Age; The New Language of Software; How To Get Ahead as an Emerging Artist; An Examination of Post-Truth; Risk Taking in Curation and Diversity in the Art World amongst others.

Representatives from the following organisations will be in attendance

Aesthetica Magazine / According to McGee / Anise Art Gallery / ArtAngel / Artnet / Arts Council England / BALTIC / Bright White Ltd / Central St Martins / CHARLIE SMITH LONDON/THE FUTURE CAN WAIT / DACS / DASH Arts / FACT Liverpool / Flowers Gallery / Frieze / Glasgow School of Art / Holden Gallery / i-D / Impressions Gallery / It’s Nice That / Lazenby Brown / Leeds Art Gallery / London College of Communication / Lumen Art Prize / Manchester Metropolitan University / National Media Museum / New Art Exchange / Open Eye Gallery / PHOTOFAIRS / Royal College of Art / Serpentine / Spectator / Spectrum / Sony World Photography Awards / TAFETA / Tate / Thames & Hudson / V&A / VICE / York St John University


Thursday 17 May 2018

8:45-9:30: Registration & Coffee
De Grey Court Foyer, York St John University, YO31 7EX

09:30-10:00: Keynote Speech: A Renewed Understanding of Living Part Two
Fountains Lecture Theatre, York St John University
Speaker: Cherie Federico,
Director, Aesthetica Magazine

Image: Stanza, The Nemesis Machine, 2015


Choose Your Morning Session

Sustainable Practices:
A Material World
10:15-11:30
Fountains Lecture Theatre

Sold Out

In today’s material world, objects that surround us – from plastic and packaging to defunct technological items and everyday possessions – present new opportunities for practitioners. Sculptors and designers have always explored and evaluated the world through materials, processes and narratives, so what types of works are now being created, and why? Caroline Till, (FranklinTill Studio and author of Radical Matters) will discuss how idea generation is bringing about a new wave of talent that recycles and creates with sustainability as the premise.

Image: Will Yates-Johnson, S-M-A-S-H-E-R. |  Photography by Paul Plews. 

Redressing the Balance:
Diversity in the Art World
10:30-11:45
De Grey 124

Sold Out

The arts communicate a wealth of ideas and experiences, however, the industry, like any other, still carries a certain amount of imbalance. This reflective session looks directly at diversity from a variety of perspectives, from those working in galleries to practitioners, as well as audiences and funding. Amira Gad (Serpentine), Ayo Adeyinka (TAFETA), Skinder Hundal (New Art Exchange) and Mike Layward (DASH) will consider how to create measurable change through widening participation and how to build a sector where diversity is fully integrated into curation, creation and exhibition.

Image: Anna Heinrich & Leon Palmer, Strange Attractor, 2016

Portfolio Review Sessions
with Industry Professionals
10:00-11:00
De Grey 016

Sold Out

These sessions are for practitioners working across all different types of genres including drawing and painting, photography and digital art, sculpture, design and three-dimensional art, video, installation and performance. Whether you’re established or emerging, artists, designers and writers have the opportunity to book a slot with industry experts – from a range of different fields – who provide essential advice on current practices and how to develop a career from both professional and personal perspectives. Click here to see the reviewers.

Image credit: Jim Poyner

Advice Surgery
with Arts Council England
10:30-12:00
De Grey 102

Sold Out

Join Denise Fahmy, Relationship Manager Visual Arts from Arts Council England, for a series of unique and tailored advice surgeries. Each 30-minute session gives individuals the opportunity to discuss funding applications and gain feedback on prospective projects. Learn more about how to access the wider industry through the annual Arts Grants – open access funding programmes for practitioners and art organisations working in multiple media. A unique opportunity to gain knowledge about the application process first-hand and about what’s on offer.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Coffee Break
11:30-12:30
De Grey Court Foyer

Situated in the welcoming setting of De Grey Foyer – central to York St John University’s campus – visitors can enjoy a morning refreshment and plan their busy day ahead, getting to know the professionals, practitioners and participants in attendance in a relaxed environment. An ideal way to kick-start a day of industry sessions and networking, Morning Coffee is the perfect place to gather your thoughts, questions and portfolio materials before heading off to the next event. Complimentary refreshments are available with a symposium pass.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Choose Your Midday Session

Exhibition Programming:
Risk Taking in Curation
12:15-13:30
De Grey 124

Sold Out

Galleries are tasked with balancing blockbuster exhibitions whilst supporting talent development. How much does public opinion determine what is programmed? Does an artist need to be acclaimed in the private sector before being recognised by the public sector? Darren Pih (Tate Liverpool), Amira Gad (Serpentine), Nigel Walsh (Leeds Art Gallery), Zavier Ellis (Charlie Smith Gallery) and Steven Gartside (Holden Gallery) will look at various aspects of economic impact and footfall, considering how far calculable assets affect what is being exhibited.

Image: Emmanuelle Moureaux, I am here, 2016.

Digital vs Handmade:
21st Century Craftsmanship
12:30-13:30
Fountains Lecture Theatre

Sold Out

Technology is allowing artists to push to the extremes of design and product development. The fear that humans will be replaced by machines is as relevant as it was during the Industrial Revolution. This session explores how artisans are combining elements of digital and analogue – through the means of various multi-disciplinary methods – and what freedoms this introduces. Lucy Johnston (Author of Digital Handmade, Thames & Hudson) considers the local and global impact from practices that combine the craftsman with the machine.

Image Credit: Digital Grotesque Grotto, 2013.

Portfolio Review Sessions
with Industry Professionals
12:00-13:00
De Grey 016

Sold Out

These sessions are for practitioners working across all different types of genres including drawing and painting, photography and digital art, sculpture, design and three-dimensional art, video, installation and performance. Whether you’re established or emerging, artists, designers and writers have the opportunity to book a slot with industry experts who provide essential advice and guidance on current practices and how to develop both personally and professionally. Click here to see the reviewers.

Image credit: Jim Poyner

Advice Surgery
with Arts Council England
12:00-13:30
De Grey 102

Sold Out

Join Denise Fahmy, Relationship Manager Visual Arts from Arts Council England, for a series of unique and tailored advice surgeries. Each 30-minute session gives individuals the opportunity to discuss funding applications and gain feedback on prospective projects. Learn more about how to access the wider industry through the annual Arts Grants – open access funding programmes for practitioners and art organisations working in multiple media. Gain knowledge about the application process first-hand.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Networking Lunch
13:30-14:30
De Grey Court Foyer

The networking lunch takes place in De Grey Foyer, open to all attendees and speakers with a symposium pass. Offering a brown bag lunch – with both meat and vegetarian options available – this is a great opportunity to network with delegates and artists alike. Use this time to discuss future collaborations, feedback and ideas in a lively and open-minded setting, finding out the answer to questions, building upon conversations from sessions and connecting with other creative practitioners from a variety of different fields.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Choose Your Afternoon Session

Democratisation
of Photography
14:45-16:00
Fountains Lecture Theatre

Sold Out

How do we distinguish between an image and data? Today, there are over 2.1 billion people using smartphones and editing software, and uploading images to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Scott Gray (PHOTOFAIRS), Thomas Dukes (Open Eye Gallery), Eloise King (Vice / i-D), Olivier Richon (Royal College of Art), Lottie Davies (Artist) and Andrew Marsh (Central St Martins) discuss how the very definition of photography has been altered. Panellists will advise on how to create a successful image through composition, style and technique.

Image: Joachim Hildebrand, Wild West, 2015-17

Artists’ Film:
The Evolution of Moving Image

14:45-16:00
De Grey 124

Sold Out

Video content is  integrated into our culture, with one-third of online activity spent watching the moving image. Is artists’ film benefiting from a rising interest in video? How is it responding to new modes of communication? How much narrative is necessary and how can we encourage audiences to further engage with this art form? Artists Noemi Varga and Jasmina Cibic will consider how artists’ film has become a standalone genre alongside Phoebe Roberts (Artangel), Gideon Koppel (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Alessandro Vincentelli (BALTIC).

Image: Noémi Varga, The Happiest Barrack, 2017

Portfolio Review Sessions
with Industry Professionals

14:15-15:15
De Grey 016

Sold Out

These sessions are for practitioners working across all different types of genres including drawing and painting, photography and digital art, sculpture, design and three-dimensional art, video, installation and performance. Whether you’re established or emerging, artists, designers and writers have the opportunity to book a slot with industry experts who provide essential advice and guidance on current practices and how to develop both personally and professionally. Click here to see the reviewers.

Image credit: Jim Poyner

Advice Surgery
with Arts Council England
14:30-16:00
De Grey 102

Sold Out

Join Denise Fahmy, Relationship Manager Visual Arts from Arts Council England, for a series of unique and tailored advice surgeries. Each 30-minute session gives individuals the opportunity to discuss funding applications and gain feedback on prospective projects. Learn more about how to access the wider industry through the annual Arts Grants – open access funding programmes for practitioners and art organisations working in multiple media. Gain knowledge about the application process first-hand.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Special Event: Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition
Private View and Prize Giving
18:15-20:15
York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, YO1 7EW

Visitors have the chance to explore the 2018 Aesthetica Art Prize ahead of the crowds at the Private View. Following an informative day of talks and panel discussions, join delegates, guests from the art world and the Aesthetica team for a special evening of networking and attending the awards ceremony – all within the heart of the York Art Gallery. Find out about 12 shortlisted artists whose diverse works include questions about an increasing level of mass consumption, over-stimulation and emotional disconnection.


 Friday 18 May 2018

8:45-9:30: Registration & Coffee
De Grey Court Foyer, York St John University, YO31 7EX

09:30-10:00: Welcome Speech:
Fountains Lecture Theatre, York St John University
Speaker: Cherie Federico
Director, Aesthetica Magazine

Image: Emmanuelle Moureaux, I am here, 2016


Choose Your Morning Session

What is the
Future of Painting?
10:15-11:45
De Grey 124

Sold Out

Painting and drawing are time-honoured techniques. They are two of the oldest known methods, from religious and representational to abstract and surreal, consistently evolving with the times. How has the rise of digital changed the landscape of painting’s potential? Alistair Payne (Head of Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art) offers new perspectives on what it means to paint in today’s accelerating world, answering pivotal questions and looking at interdisciplinary practices. He will give advice on what makes an enduring piece.

Image: Peter Davis, Cardboard Reality 1, 2017

How to Get Ahead
as an Emerging Artist
10:15-11:30
Fountains Lecture Theatre

Sold Out

Offering insight into art prizes as models for talent development, this session considers the end goals of gallery representation, interest from collectors and further exhibition, and the ways for artists to break into the sector. Find out what prizes are looking for and what they offer for professional development as part of a wider career plan. Speakers include Griselda Goldsborough (Aesthetica Art Prize), Javier Pes (Artnet), Carla Rapoport (Lumen Art Prize), Jaquelyn Jobert (Anise Gallery), Rachel Ara (Artist) and Rebekka Kill (York St John).

Image: Jiayu Liu, Ocean Wave, 2017

Postproduction: Manual for Redesigning Reality
10:30-11:30
De Grey 019

Sold Out

Post-production dominates both life and art. Representation of reality is in our control through editing, cropping and filtering. This new way of living enables the internet to leave the screen and manifest materially. Images, sounds and even entire cities are now transitioning, forcing us to critically assess what this might mean for the environment, the economy, society and individual identity. Thomas Greenall, Matteo Mastandrea and Nicola Koller (Royal College of Art) look at the outcomes of smart technology for the creative industries.

Image Credit: Meagan Streader, Response VII (Partition III), 2017. Photo: © Sam Whiteside.

Portfolio Review Sessions
with Industry Professionals

10:00-11:00
De Grey 016

Sold Out

These sessions are for practitioners working across all different types of genres including drawing and painting, photography and digital art, sculpture, design and three-dimensional art, video, installation and performance. Whether established or emerging, artists have the opportunity to book a slot with industry experts who provide essential advice and guidance on current practices and how to develop both personally and professionally in a competitive landscape. Click here to see the reviewers.

Image credit: Jim Poyner

 


Coffee Break
11:30-12:30
De Grey Court Foyer

Situated in the welcoming setting of De Grey Foyer – central to York St John University’s campus – visitors can enjoy a morning refreshment and plan their busy day ahead, getting to know the professionals, practitioners and participants in attendance in a relaxed environment. An ideal way to kick-start a day of industry sessions and networking, Morning Coffee is the perfect place to gather your thoughts, questions and portfolio materials before heading off to the next event. Complimentary refreshments are available with a symposium pass.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Choose Your Midday Session

Responsive Worlds:
The Value of Design

12:15-13:30
De Grey 124

Sold Out

Presented by the V&A, Curator Mariana Pestana asks: what is the value of design? How is it changing to reflect the needs of society? Taking ideas from The Future Starts Here exhibition, Pestana looks into how everything that is designed is being constantly re-written by the demands of the wider world. Ultimately, practitioners are reflecting upon what we value most, coming up with solutions that address environmental realities whilst adhering to popular trends. Pestana discusses the responsive nature of design across a broad range of industries and sectors.

Image Credit: Tomás Saraceno, Aerocene.

An Examination
of Post-Truth

12:30-13:45
Fountains Lecture Theatre

Sold Out

In a world where “alternative facts” are offered instead of reality, art offers us the chance to make sense of the world. Edmund Clark is an award-winning artist who engages with state censorship to explore the hidden spaces of control in the “war on terror.” Having exhibited at a number of galleries including ICP, New York, and Imperial War Museum, London, Clark will discuss how his work finds new ways to visualise the covert sites and experiences associated with the global response to terrorism, and the impact this has on our society and culture.

Image: Edmund Clark, Swimming pool in the Hotel Gran Melia Victoria Palma de Mallorca.

Portfolio Review Sessions
with Industry Professionals

12:00-13:00
De Grey 016

Sold Out

These sessions are for practitioners working across all different types of genres including drawing and painting, photography and digital art, sculpture, design and three-dimensional art, video, installation and performance. Whether established or emerging, artists have the opportunity to book a slot with industry experts who provide essential advice and guidance on current practices and career progression. Find out how to develop your work, creating new opportunities. Click here to see the reviewers.

Image credit: Jim Poyner

Advice Surgery
with Arts Council England
12:00-13:30
De Grey 102

Sold Out

Join Denise Fahmy, Relationship Manager Visual Arts from Arts Council England, for a series of unique and tailored advice surgeries. Each 30-minute session gives individuals the opportunity to discuss funding applications and gain feedback on prospective projects. Learn more about how to access the wider industry through the annual Arts Grants – open access funding programmes for practitioners and art organisations. Gain knowledge about the application process first-hand and receive answers to any questions surrounding funding.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Networking Lunch
13:30-14:30
De Grey Court Foyer

The networking lunch takes place in De Grey Foyer, open to all attendees and speakers with a symposium pass. Offering a brown bag lunch – with both meat and vegetarian options available – this is a great opportunity to network with delegates and artists alike. Use this time to discuss future collaborations, feedback and ideas in a lively and open-minded setting, finding out the answer to questions, building upon conversations from sessions and connecting with other creative practitioners from a variety of different fields.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Choose Your Afternoon Session

VR and Data-Influenced Artworks:
The New Language of Software

14:45-16:00
De Grey 124

Sold Out

Technology is the signifier of our times and new outputs such as VR and data-influenced artworks are dominating the sector. Taking examples from those that create, curate and fund art that utilises technology, the panel will discuss this new language, and how we are still defining the vocabulary that surrounds media arts. Thomas Greenall (Royal College of Art); Jacquelyn Jubert (Anise Gallery), John O’Shea (National Science & Media Museum); Mike Stubbs (FACT) and Warren Fearn (Chair – York St John) will consider how these modes of communication are vital creative pathways for the dissemination of wider culture through the artistic lens.

Ethics of Content:
Art Journalism in the Digital Age

14:45-16:00
Fountains Lecture Theatre

Sold Out

What is the meaning of responsible content in the 21st century? Online platforms have introduced new possibilities for sharing, commenting and editing. Questions need to be asked: do digital outlets encourage certain types of behaviour? Is everyone a critic? We must consider if there is such a thing as authentic content and reliable publications. Kate Simpson (Aesthetica), En Liang Khong (Frieze), Lara Prendergast (Spectator), Javier Pes (Artnet) and Will Hudson (It’s Nice That) discuss the changing nature of arts journalism and the balance of sponsored content in the digital age.

Image: Joanne Handley, Untitled (Orange), 2016

Portfolio Review Sessions
with Industry Professionals

14:15-15:15
De Grey 016

Sold Out

These sessions are for practitioners working across all different types of genres including drawing and painting, photography and digital art, sculpture, design and three-dimensional art, video, installation and performance. Whether you’re established or emerging, artists, designers and writers have the opportunity to book a slot with industry experts who provide essential advice and guidance on current practices and how to develop both personally and professionally in a competitive landscape. Click here to see the reviewers.

Image credit: Jim Poyner

Advice Surgery
with Arts Council England
14:30-16:00
De Grey 102

Sold Out

Join Denise Fahmy, Relationship Manager Visual Arts from Arts Council England, for a series of unique and tailored advice surgeries. Each 30-minute session gives individuals the opportunity to discuss funding applications and gain feedback on prospective projects. Learn more about how to access the wider industry through the annual Arts Grants – open access funding programmes for practitioners and art organisations. Gain knowledge about the application process first-hand and discuss your work at greater lengths with those shaping the industry today.

Image credit: Jim Poyner


Special Event: Cocktail Reception
17:00-18:00
1331 Bar & Restaurant, Grape Lane, YO1 7HU

Celebrate new connections and inspirational ideas at the Future Now closing event. This is a fantastic opportunity to unwind after a busy day of sessions, exhibition viewing and networking, and catch up with participants and delegates alike. In York’s picturesque Latin Quarter, 1331, a unique bar and independent cinema, is the location for this event, providing the perfect end to an imaginative and informative two days alongside attendees.

Image credit: Jim Poyner