Where does culture happen? was a week-long project at Tate Modern exploring the communal and personal spaces where cultural production happens, as part of TENT x Tate - a collaboration between TENT platform for contemporary art in Rotterdam and Tate Young People’s Programmes, October 2017.
As one of three 'artist provocateurs', I constructed a talk/tour responding to key themes:
How is protest related to culture?
How is home a site of cultural production?How can the internet and its networked communities give rise to representation?
The tour focused on Battersea Power Station as a site of transience during its redevelopment, exploring ways in which communities protect cultural icons, how culture is used to protest gentrification, but also how art is commissioned by developers fulfill contractual responsibilities. This talk questioned How is culture used in gentrification? Who profits, and what alternative models can we propose?
10 young people acted as 'researchers', documenting and debating, following which they worked collaboratively over two days to create display in the Tate Exchange gallery. The group responded through a series of artworks, including audio performances and instructions for collective games.
The project culminated in an exhibition at Tate Modern, and I was invited to debate the theme on a panel of artists on 20th October 2017.
Zine showing research and ideas around the Battersea development:
Photos from the project:
Young people's resulting work:
