Chapter for New Practices/New Pedagogies, emerging contexts, practices and pedagogies in art in Europe and North America, Ed. Malcolm Miles, Swets and Zeitlinger (ND) “It’s serious – it’s art, it’s politics, it’s economics, it’s everything, and art in that instance becomes so meaningful.” Ken Saro Wiwa 1 Since 1983, artist-led London-based group PLATFORM has been working…
‘Reflective, compassionate and creatively invigorating’ Time Out, Critic’s Choice. As part of the Living Memorial project, we commissioned a short film from artist filmmakers Judy Price and Andrew Conio to serve as an ‘exhibition’ of the five short listed proposals for the Living Memorial. The film is called Refining Memory. Refining Memory was premiered at the Museum…
“Artists should be at the centre of society keeping alive a utopian vision, because society will not improve if the people envisioning a better society are politicians.” Peter Sellars The role of the artist in society is critical to communicate the injustices experienced daily by people. Art provides political expression beyond rhetoric, propaganda, and action,…
Presented at "Artist as Educator", Ikon Gallery and University of Central England, May 2003 as part of Arts Council England's "Interrupt" Symposia. Republished: a-n Collections April 2007. “The process of social change is in desperate need of creativity and imagination, and the aesthetic process in urgent need of social engagement” (from Course Document for the MA…
In Locality, Regeneration and Divers[c]ities, Eds Sarah Bennett and John Butler, Intellect Books, University of Plymouth In 1993, on the very outskirts of Budapest, Hungary, the ‘Statue Park Museum’ opened. It was born out of the idea of a literary historian who, four years earlier, had proposed that “all the various Lenin statues from all over…
“Education involves ethics and aesthetics hand in hand. It is beautiful because it is ethical” Paulo Freire Platform’s education work and exhibitions are creative opportunities for people to meet together, share, learn, and make change happen. It cuts across all of Platform’s work, demonstrating our values, processes, and…
“The planet today is the battlefield of a 4th world war (the 3rd was the so-called ‘Cold War’). The aim of the belligerents is the conquest of the entire world through the market. The arsenals are financial; there are nevertheless millions of people being maimed or killed every moment… Globalisation is merely the totalitarian extension…
This project is part of Platform’s long-term commitment to support environmental justice struggles at the front lines of oil and gas drilling internationally. BP does not carry out fracking in the UK where it is headquartered, because “it would attract the wrong kind of attention”. But BP, Shell and a host of other companies are…