LISSON GALLERY & ARTREVIEW LIVE: IN DEFENCE OF THE DEMOS

Lisson Gallery, in association with ArtReview Live, hosted an entire evening of talks, films and performances staged on Ai Weiwei’s work, Fondation, a platform made from the ruins of ancient columns. In the open spirit of the Roman forum or Greek agora, speakers discussed the issues of borders, identity and people’s role in politics.

“Intended as a contemporary equivalent to the Greek agora, a public place of assembly and discussion, visitors are invited to sit upon the bases of the pillars and reflect on the future. The historical aesthetic of the work is also a metaphor for Ai Weiwei’s use of social media as a platform to engage international audiences on salient issues irrespective of time and place. The installation will be used as an actual site for dialogue and debate as part of a performative discussion with leading artists, curators and activists, which will be streamed live on 8 December.”

Artist Jeremy Hutchinson was invited to participate in the live event. For his performance, he called upon two participants,  a Brexiter and a Remainer, requesting from them a collaborative effort and struggle to imprint their thoughts on the gallery wall.

lissongallery.com/news/livestream-in-defence-of-the-demos

Speakers in order of appearance:

Sue Clayton, film director, I am Human – Precarious Journeys
John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK
Adam Broomberg, artist, Hands off Our Revolution
Jeremy Hutchison, artist
Fatos Ustek, curator
Nigel Rolfe, artist
Julia Farrington, Index on Censorship
Michaela Crimmin, Culture+Conflict
Legacy Russell, writer and curator
Sam Jacob, architect
Keep it Complex, activist group
Oliver Chanarin, artist
Richard Wentworth, artist