{"id":785,"date":"2024-04-06T11:34:57","date_gmt":"2024-04-06T11:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/keithwhittle.org\/?page_id=785"},"modified":"2026-05-02T06:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T06:06:15","slug":"events","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/keithwhittle.org\/?page_id=785","title":{"rendered":"Talks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Keynote by Keith Whittle, Curator and Writer<\/h4>\n

Keith Whittle\u00a0curated and opened the first in a programme of five talks, featuring notable figures in the international art world:\u00a0Lewis Biggs, Founding Director of the Liverpool Biennial;\u00a0Shubigi Rao, Curator of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2022\u201323;\u00a0Fram Kitagawa, General Director of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale; and\u00a0Leah Gordon, artist and curator.<\/p>\n

Whittle\u2019s keynote explored the concept of\u00a0“Biennalisation”\u00a0and its implications for the contemporary art world \u2014 examining how the proliferation of biennials globally shapes artistic production, curatorial practices, cultural policy, and audience engagement.\u00a0His presentation addressed the growing influence of global curatorial discourse, the blurring of boundaries between art and non-art categories, and the increasing visibility of contemporary practices emerging from non-Western regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America.<\/p>\n

Together, these developments have contributed to the proliferation of periodic international exhibitions and a significant reconfiguration of the global art landscape. Building on Whittle\u2019s keynote, the following talks expanded on the complex and often contested position of the biennial in relation to local contexts.<\/p>\n

Presented in partnership with ArtLink, Inishowen<\/p>\n

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Talk by Leah Gordon, Co-founder of the Ghetto Biennale<\/h4>\n

In 2023, the Atis Rezistans | Ghetto Biennale<\/em> exhibition at St. Kunigundis Church during documenta fifteen<\/em> received AICA Germany\u2019s Exhibition of the Year award.<\/p>\n

In a talk moderated by Keith Whittle, artist, curator, writer, and co-founder of the Ghetto Biennale, Haiti, Leah Gordon\u00a0discussed the Biennale\u2019s origins as a response to social, racial, class, and geographic immobility.\u00a0Gordon recalled an early strap line from the first Ghetto Biennale: \u201cWhat happens when first-world art rubs up against third-world art? Does it bleed?\u201d\u2014a reworking of Gloria Anzald\u00faa\u2019s quote: \u201cThe U.S.\u2013Mexican border es una herida abierta (is an open wound) where the Third World grates against the First and bleeds.\u201d<\/em> She reflected on the often-uncomfortable encounters at these intersections and the new practices and relationships that can emerge from them.<\/p>\n

Read >> Ghetto Biennale<\/a>
\nRead >> Leah Gordon<\/a>
\nWatch >> Ghetto Biennale<\/a>
\nWatch >>\u00a0Atis Rezistans | Ghetto Biennale, documenta 2022<\/a>
\nWatch >> The Sculptors of Grand Rue<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2nd Ghetto Biennale, held in December 2011, revealed the contradictions at the heart of its mission. Though conceived to expose social, racial, and geographic immobility, it risked replicating the very hierarchies it aimed to dismantle. Co-founder Leah Gordon addressed these tensions and how later editions sought to confront them. She also spoke about Haiti\u2019s ongoing political crisis and how the Biennale has adapted, reflecting on its role in challenging sameness and difference within an allegedly de-centred global art world.\u00a0After the acclaimed Atis Rezistans | Ghetto Biennale exhibition at documenta fifteen<\/em>\u2014winner of AICA Germany\u2019s 2022 Exhibition of the Year\u2014and a recent showing at RISING Festival in Melbourne, the 8th Biennale was held in Jacmel in early 2024. Due to insecurity in Port-au-Prince, the move\u2014though temporary\u2014opened new connections with Haitian artists and venues.<\/p>\n

Leah Gordon is an artist, curator, and writer whose work explores the entangled histories of colonialism, capitalism, and class. Her films and photographs have been shown internationally, and she co-curated the Haitian Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale. Her documentary Kanaval: A People\u2019s History of Haiti in Six Chapters<\/em>premiered in 2022 and was broadcast on BBC Arena. She is co-director of the Ghetto Biennale and has curated major exhibitions in the UK, US, and Haiti.<\/p>\n

Presented in partnership with ArtLink, Inishowen and hosted by Void Gallery.<\/p>\n

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Talk by Fram Kitagawa, director of Echigo-Tsumari Triennale<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Over the past two decades, Japan has witnessed a surge in ambitious contemporary art festivals responding to ecological, social, and economic challenges. Among the most influential is the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, one of the world\u2019s largest art festivals, held every three years in the rural Satoyama region of Niigata Prefecture. It offers a powerful rethinking of human-nature relationships in the age of globalisation and the Anthropocene.<\/p>\n

In his talk moderated by Keith Whittle, Fram Kitagawa\u2014visionary curator and General Director of the Triennale since its inception in 2000\u2014discussed the ideas behind his life’s work and its wide-reaching impact on contemporary art and Japanese society.\u00a0Featuring major international artists including Marina Abramovi\u0107, James Turrell, Yayoi Kusama, Antony Gormley, and Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, the Triennale blends art with local culture, revitalising communities through socially engaged practice.<\/p>\n

Read >> Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale<\/a>
\nRead >> Art Place Japan: Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and the Vision to Reconnect Art and Nature<\/a>
\nWatch >> Keynote by Fram Kitagawa<\/a>
\nWatch >> Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale<\/a><\/p>\n

Born in Niigata Prefecture in 1946, Kitagawa has long been a pioneering figure in art-led community development. His past projects include the Faret Tachikawa Art Project<\/em>, Apartheid Non!<\/em> festival, and cultural work at Daikanyama Hillside Terrace<\/em>. He has also led other major art festivals across Japan, including the Setouchi Triennale and Northern Alps Art Festival.<\/p>\n

His numerous accolades include the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), the Order of Culture (Poland), Japan\u2019s Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon, and the Order of Australia (AO). His book Art Place Japan: Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and the Vision to Reconnect Art and Nature<\/em> has been translated into several languages.<\/p>\n

Presented in partnership with ArtLink, Inishowen.\u00a0Special thanks to Rei Maeda, Art Front Gallery and\u00a0Akemi Nomoto<\/p>\n

Artist Talks & Publication Launch<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Mari Katayama in conversation with Simon Baker<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Royal Society of Arts, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the Royal Society of Arts, London, White Rainbow and the Japan Foundation hosted an artist talk with Mari Katayama to coincide with her solo show at White Rainbow. Katayama discussed how her physical challenges have shaped her artistic process and body image. The talk was followed by a conversation with Simon Baker, director of the Maison Europ\u00e9enne de la Photographie, Paris.<\/p>\n

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Daisuke Ida in conversation with Keith Whittle<\/strong><\/h4>\n

3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arts Chiyoda presented an in conversation between\u00a0Daisuke Ida and Keith Whittle, to coincide with his solo show at 3331. Ida discussed his artistic process, the\u00a0aura of the artwork, The Gates of Hell (French: La Porte de l’Enfer)<\/em> a monumental sculptural group work by French artist Auguste Rodin that depicts a scene from the Inferno, the first section of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Ida\u2019s reproduction of this iconic work and the process of its reproduction, plurality of possible copies, reactivates the object reproduced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organised by 3331 Arts Chiyoda<\/p>\n

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Art that Speaks: Meiro Koizumi<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Royal Society of Arts, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

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White Rainbow and Japan Foundation presented an artist talk by Meiro Koizumi, to coincide with his solo show at White Rainbow. Meiro Koizumi will introduce his representative works to date, his most recent work showcased at the gallery, and his challenging attitude towards the subject.The talk was followed by conversation with Charlotte Knaup.<\/p>\n

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Taro Izumi in Conversation\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Jerwood Space, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

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White Rainbow and Japan Foundation presented an artist talk by Taro Izumi, to coincide with his solo exhibition at White Rainbow.Taro was in conversation with ArtReview Editor-in-chief Mark Rappolt, expanding on the themes behind his exhibition and previous works.<\/p>\n

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Aki Sasamoto ‘Clothes Line’ performance and catalogue launch<\/strong><\/h4>\n

White Rainbow, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

A performance lecture by artist Aki Sasamoto, and the launch of a new catalogue to accompany her exhibition \u2018Clothes Line\u2019 at White Rainbow.<\/p>\n

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Yuko Mohri and Jason Waite in conversation<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Camden Arts Centre, London<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Following Yuko Mohri\u2019s first UK solo show in 2017, and coinciding with her Voluta<\/em> exhibition at Camden Arts Centre, White Rainbow hosted a talk between independent curator Jason Waite and Mohri. They discussed their work and reflected on socially engaged and participatory art practices in contemporary Japan, especially after the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.<\/p>\n

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Chim\u2191Pom: White Rainbow and ArtReview Asia presented Chim\u2191Pom in conversation<\/strong><\/h4>\n

ArtReview Bar, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

A special screening programme and conversation with Chim\u2191Pom members.Tokyo-based artist collective Chim\u2191Pom are known for their sharp social critique and provocative actions in public space and in contested territories around the world, including the Fukushima Nuclear Zone, Japan, and the U.S.-Mexico border.The group discussed their practice with reference to their current solo exhibition at White Rainbow, alongside a newly selected screening of the group\u2019s performance works.<\/p>\n

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Chikako Yamashiro ‘Shapeshifter’ Catalogue Launch<\/strong><\/h4>\n

White Rainbow, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Launch event of a new monograph on Chikako Yamashiro, to coincide with her current solo exhibition, Shapeshifter<\/em>. The catalogue includes a newly commissioned essay by Isabella Maidment and an artist response by Claire Potter.<\/p>\n

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Yuko Mohri: Catalogue Launch<\/strong><\/h4>\n

White Rainbow, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

White Rainbow was delighted to launch<\/span> the first Yuko Mohri catalogue<\/span> with a drinks reception and talk between Yuko Mohri and Richard Wentworth. Mohri\u2019s catalogue<\/span> features\u00a0Mor\u00e9 Mor\u00e9 [Leaky] \u2013<\/em>\u00a0her recent exhibition at White Rainbow, as well as related texts and previous works.<\/p>\n

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Closing Event: ‘Overlay’ | Book Launch and Performance<\/strong><\/h4>\n

White Rainbow, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

Closing event of \u2018Overlay\u2019, an exhibition of new works by four young artists \u2014 and a historic work by a celebrated older artist \u2014 gathered in response to the 10th Tokyo Biennale, 1970. Artists: Cathy Haynes, Nancy Holt, Hannah Lees, Zo\u00eb Paul, Claire Potter. White Rainbow was delighted to announce the launch of a new publication containing an extended conversation between the artists and the exhibition\u2019s curator, Jeremy Millar, as well as reference and installation photographs.In conjunction, Claire Potter\u00a0performed a newly written text developed for the event.\u2018Like an idiot on a moor\u2019, expands on the themes from Potter\u2019s exhibited work \u2018Cast Metal Nut\u2019 and puts them in correspondence with Nancy Holt\u2019s \u2018Trail Markers\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Fitz Lates | Performance by Patrick Coyle and Jenny Moore<\/strong><\/h4>\n

White Rainbow, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

To coincide with the Fitzrovia Lates, White Rainbow was pleased to host a collaborative performance between Patrick Coyle and Jenny Moore, in response to White Rainbow\u2019s exhibition, Index II, by Shigeo Anza\u00ef. Coyle and Moore staged an improvised performance in response to a 1984 performance in Tokyo by Joseph Beuys and Nam June Paik, as documented by Anza\u00ef.The original performance, Coyote III with piano variation, was a duet between the two artists. Nam June Paik improvised on piano while Beuys conducted a vocal performance that varied from animalistic grunting to sophisticated sound poetry.<\/p>\n

White Rainbow also launched publication of a new monograph on Shigeo Anza\u00ef. Titled Index<\/em>, the book contextualises Anza\u00ef\u2019s career as a celebrated recorder of contemporary art.<\/p>\n

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Common Thread: Artist Talk by Satoru Aoyama<\/strong><\/h4>\n

ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) | Studio, The Mall, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

Building up layer upon layer of intricate coloured thread, Japanese contemporary artist Satoru Aoyama creates photo-realistic interpretations of his subject matter entirely constructed through the art of embroidery. Like pixels on a monitor, Aoyama reproduces modern media images through an assemblage of fine stitches to disguise his craft and any evidence that his efforts are handmade and thus tricking the eye. After graduating from university in both London and Chicago. Aoyama explores and re-values craft art forms and technology rendered archaic in modern art with his highly original ideas and methods.<\/p>\n

In conjunction with his solo exhibition at White Rainbow in London, Aoyama gave an illustrated talk about his medium and method. He discussed the relationship between the life of the modern world and technology, issues of gender and labour which are motifs in the foreground of his pieces, and how the creativity of his work invokes the sensibility of human beings.<\/p>\n

Following the talk, Aoyama was joined in conversation by Dr\u00a0<\/strong>Caterina Albano, Reader in Visual Culture and Science at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London.<\/p>\n

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Fitzrovia Lates | Ken Ikeda music performance<\/strong><\/h4>\n

White Rainbow, London<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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30 minutes\u00a0performance in collaboration with the Japanese\u00a0musician Ken Ikeda\u00a0for \u2018Fitzrovia Lates\u2019. \u00a0Ken Ikeda is a composer born in Tokyo (1964) \u2013 currently living in New York. He has exhibited sound art and visual installations around the world. He often collaborates with artists, such as the painter Tadanoori Yokoo and artists Mariko Mori and Hiroshi Sugimoto. He has also composed and recorded for the filmmaker David Lynch.<\/p>\n

The performance accompanied the exhibition \u2018Division of Labour\u2019 by Satoru Aoyama, which presented his series of embroideries titled Map of the World<\/em> (in reference to the Italian artist Alighiero Boetti\u2019s Mappa del Mondo<\/em>, 1989).<\/p>\n

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Intervening in Nature: Talk and in conversation between Kenji Kajiya and Keith Whittle<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Japan Foundation, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

This talk explored the rise of non-museum-based art exhibitions in Japan during the early 21st century. From artist-led initiatives to expansive countryside festivals, these events\u2014often referred to as art projects<\/em>\u2014emphasise process, impermanence, and site-specificity.<\/p>\n

As international biennales and triennials proliferate, Japan\u2019s major festivals such as the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale\u00a0and Setouchi Triennale stand out as uniquely embedded in natural and rural landscapes. Through a historical and critical lens, Kenji Kajiya and Keith Whittle traced the development of these projects, examining how they engage with both environment and society.<\/p>\n

Organised by\u00a0The Japan Foundation, London<\/p>\n

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Post 3.11: What Can Art Do? – Talk by Ichiro Endo, Keith Whittle and Kaori Homma<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Post 3.11 is a series of talks exploring how artists have supported communities affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan\u2019s Tohoku region. Highlighting individual responses, the series considers the role of art in times of crisis\u2014raising awareness, restoring confidence, and questioning whether art must serve a practical social function.<\/p>\n

For the inaugural session in 2012, the Japan Foundation invited Ichiro Endo\u2014a painter, performer, and self-described \u201cfuture artist\u201d known for his vibrant, optimistic work shown at venues such as Art Tower Mito, BACC Bangkok, and the Beppu Contemporary Art Festival. Reflecting on his projects in Tohoku, Endo was joined in conversation by Kaori Homma, UK-based Japanese artist, and Keith Whittle, curator and Japan Foundation Fellow. Together, they explored how such initiatives reshape the relationship between artist and society.<\/p>\n

Organised by The Japan Foundation, London<\/p>\n

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Film Without Film: SHIMURAbros in conversation with Keith Whittle<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Siblings Yuka and Kentaro Shimura, working collaboratively as SHIMURAbros, create work that merges sculpture, installation, and avant-garde filmmaking. As former researchers at Studio Olafur Eliasson, they are known for pushing the boundaries of film beyond its traditional two-dimensional form, transforming cinematic language through complex spatial installations and experimental techniques.<\/p>\n

In this talk, SHIMURAbros delved into the formal and contextual dimensions of their moving image practice, examining how technology and film history inform their aesthetic and conceptual strategies. Their work reimagines the cinematic experience, creating immersive environments that challenge perception and narrative conventions.<\/p>\n

Curated by Keith Whittle and presented in partnership with The Japan Foundation and Central Saint Martins, home to the British Artists\u2019 Film & Video Study Collection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Kashiwa Artist Residency: Adam Chodzko, Sutapa Biswas\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Beppu Contemporary Art Triennial 2015, also known as \u201cMixed Bathing World,\u201d featured a rich lineup of talks and artist\u2011in\u2011residence projects. Among them, a noteworthy discussion brought together British-based artists Adam Chodzko and Sutapa Biswas, alongside curator and progremme director\u00a0Keith Whittle, who led their residences and exhibition’s at the Fujiya Gallery (Ichiyahaku) in Beppu\u2019s Kannawa district.<\/p>\n

Please click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to listen.<\/p>\n

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Child of The Atom: David Blandy in conversation with Keith Whittle<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Create London, The Rose Lipman Building, EAST, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

As part of the Frieze London VIP events in 2013, and coinciding with the solo exhibition\u00a0Anjin 1600: Edo Wonderpark<\/i>, this conversation between artist David Blandy and curator Keith Whittle offered insight into Blandy\u2019s multifaceted practice. The discussion centered on\u00a0Anjin 1600<\/i>\u00a0while also reflecting on earlier key works such as\u00a0Child of the Atom<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Blandy’s work navigates the complex terrain of cultural identity, drawing from a wide range of popular media\u2014from hip-hop and soul to video games, manga, and anime. Through digital imagery, including YouTube tutorials, music videos, and game narratives, he explores and deconstructs these influences, often casting himself as a displaced or alienated figure within the mythologies of global pop culture.<\/p>\n

Presented at The Rose Lipman Building in partnership with East London arts agency Create London.<\/p>\n

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Daisuke Ohba: The Light Field, talk and in conversation with Keith Whittle<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

This talk accompanied the London solo debut of Japanese artist Daisuke Ohba, whose distinctive \u2018light field\u2019 paintings explore the interplay between light, perception, and pictorial space. Using iridescent pearl paint, Ohba creates surfaces that shift in color and image depending on the viewer\u2019s angle or changes in lighting\u2014inviting a dynamic and immersive visual experience.<\/p>\n

Organised by The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, London.<\/p>\n

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Mirrored Lenses: A Brief History of Japanese Video and Media Art<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Cornerhouse<\/strong>, Manchester<\/strong><\/p>\n

Programmed alongside The Conquest of Imperfection<\/em>, the first major UK exhibition of Japanese media artist Masaki Fujihata, Keith Whittle\u2019s talk explored Japanese moving image and media art, focusing on how generations of artists have embraced and manipulated technology.<\/p>\n

Covering work from the 1960s to today, the talk highlighted key figures like Shigeko Kubota and artists blending performance, sculpture, and moving image to merge the physical and digital through new media and video installations.<\/p>\n

The talk accompanied Fujihata\u2019s UK solo debut at Cornerhouse, Manchester.<\/p>\n

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Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions: Matter and Light talk by Liliane Lijn<\/strong><\/h4>\n

V&A South Kensington, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

A programme of talks that opened with Liliane Lijn, a pioneer of kinetic art known for her experiments with light, movement, words, film, liquids, and industrial materials. Born in New York, she studied archaeology at the Sorbonne and art history at the \u00c9cole du Louvre, Paris (1958). Between 1961 and 1963, living in New York, Lijn explored fire, acids, light, poetry, movement, and liquids, quickly establishing herself as a leading kinetic artist through numerous international exhibitions.<\/p>\n

She moved to London in 1966 and has since participated in many group exhibitions across Britain, Europe, and Japan. Her work is held in major public and private collections worldwide. In 2008, she was one of five artists featured in the BBC1 program Let There Be Light<\/em> in the Imagine<\/em> series, presented by Alan Yentob. Recent highlights include exhibitions at Riflemaker Gallery (2008), the ICA London, and Poem Game<\/em> during the Serpentine Poetry Marathon curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist.<\/p>\n

Curated by Keith Whittle and presented in partnership with V&A South Kensington, Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions: Matter and Light<\/em> is a series of artist talks exploring light and matter.<\/p>\n

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Academic &\u00a0Research\u00a0Related Talks & Events<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Art in the Age of the Global Environment Conference at the Sainsbury Institute, Norwich<\/strong>
Debating the International Relevance of Rural Contemporary Arts Festivals in Japan<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sainsbury Institute hosted two days of events focused on the impact and international relevance of rural contemporary arts festivals in Japan. These festivals address pressing social issues in Japan, including an aging population, rural-urban divides, post-industrial decline, depopulation, political disengagement, and recurrent natural disasters. Among the most significant festivals are those curated by Fram Kitagawa, notably the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Niigata (2000-2015) and the Setouchi Triennale in the Setouchi Islands (2010-2016), where he served as General Director.<\/p>\n

Speakers and Participants:<\/strong><\/p>\n