Interdependencies

Opening: Friday, October 6, 2023

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have all experienced varying levels of difficulties in our personal and private lives, brought on by isolation, sickness and adapting to new situations. Due to this monumental shift in society, an outpouring of care has been experienced across the globe. This is in stark contrast to the failures of care that have long been present in society, especially for the most vulnerable members of society. While for some, models of self-care might offer respite from the harsh realities of global capitalism, they are a privilege for the few. More than ever before, care has become a central question in a variety of contexts, in clinical environments, socially, and in the workplace.

It could be said that artists have always responded to various forms of care either collectively or individually, in response to social and political crises. But as care has entered the zeitgeist as a reaction to today’s political climate, artists are seeking to present alternative models of radical care, which engage histories of grassroots community action, queer, feminist and social movements, and attack neoliberal models of self-care. This expansive group exhibition considers models of radical care through three distinct themes: self-care, politicised care, and collective care. These themes emerge through practices that propose and deliver interventions, commentary and acts of care that challenge our understanding of the phenomenon today.

The exhibition will include a publication, an extensive public programme and a symposium.

With works by: Sharona Franklin, Maryam Jafri, Grace Ndiritu, Rory Pilgrim, Lauryn Youden and others.

Curator: Dr. Michael Birchall