The notion of how cities and urban spaces are built, negotiated, ordered and attributed cultural significance is key to understanding patterns and trends in society. This year, Future Now addresses how the arrival of the digital age has created an unprecedented feeling of alienation. Communication has changed and we now rely on technology to interact, presenting ourselves in ways that are evolving beyond control. The sense that the public is merging with the domestic has also spread into a larger, blurred depiction of reality.
Sessions for 26 May:
The Contemporary in Historical Settings: The Creative City – 10:15 – 11:30, De Grey124
Cities have quickly become a malleable arena for architects, festivals and artists. Sorcha Carey (Director of Edinburgh Art Festival) and host Steven Gartside (Holden Gallery) expand on the potential to uncover new perspectives in the historic city and the opportunities for promotion and programming amidst an array of festivals all jostling for space and audience.
The Changing Face of the Art Institution – 10:30 – 11:45, De Grey Lecture Theatre
As viewers’ expectations are altered and artists follow new modes of making, the role of the public gallery is in a state of flux. Rachael Browning (Art Fund), Maitreyi Maheshwari (Zabludowicz Collection) and representatives from Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016 finalists John Heffernan (Jupiter Artland) and Reyahn King (York Art Gallery) discuss the challenges of curating in the 21st century and how funding shapes exhibition programmes.
Engaging with the Site: The Importance of Place – 12:15 – 13:30, De Grey Lecture Theatre
The increasing number of site-specific artworks being commissioned, accompanied by the rise of “pop-up” art projects, suggests this area of creative practice is growing at a remarkable rate. Laura Purseglove, Production Coordinator for Artangel – which is known for Rachel Whiteread’s House, Michael Landy’s Breakdown and Roger Hiorns’s Seizure – discusses strategies of engagement, in relation to both the physical and social aspects of a site.
The Future of Art Journalism: A Panel Discussion – 12:30 – 13:45, De Grey 124
Print media has been left in a precarious position after the release of the smartphone and the subsequent ways to consume information. Kate Simpson (Aesthetica Magazine), Lara Eggleton (Corridor8), Christiane Monarchi (Photomonitor) and Molly Taylor (Elephant Magazine) discuss the balance between editorial and advertorial. Chaired by Sarah Cooper (Leeds Beckett University).
Preparing for the Future: Talent Development and Art Prizes – 14:45 – 16:00, De Grey Lecture Theatre
Reyahn King (York Art Gallery), Scott Gray (Sony World Photography Awards), Griselda Goldsbrough (Aesthetica Art Prize) and Bryony Harris (Max Mara Art Prize for Women) think about how awards give practitioners a chance to display their pieces amongst peers, gaining increased exposure and further developing their ideas.
Shaping a Space for Artists’ Film – 14:45 – 16:00, De Grey 124
James Boaden (University of York) and Sarah Perks (Home) look at the way the medium is exhibited and how this can challenge perceptions, as well as noting the current platforms available in terms of distribution. An important question is asked: What is the key difference between being an artist and a filmmaker?
Meet the Artists – 16:15 – 17:15, De Grey Foyer
Creatives from the 2017 Aesthetica Art Prize shortlist and longlist participate in the Future Now Symposium closing event. Meet the Artists invites delegates and guests to hear from this year’s international line-up of practitioners in an information and networking session.
Future Now runs 25-26 May at York St John University. For more information: www.aestheticamagazine.com/art-prize/symposium-2017
Credits:
1. Courtesy of Anthony Garratt.
