The Sculpture x Policy Lab: Artists in Policy
The Sculpture x Policy Lab: Contemporary and historical examples of artists working in policy and the MANIFEST artist-policy placement programme in dialogue with APG
Discover how artists are shaping policy today. This discussion, led by Stephen RG Bennett and Gareth Bell-Jones, brings together leading voices to explore the impact of the MANIFEST artist-policy placement programme in dialogue with the pioneering work of the Artist Placement Group. Whether you’re an artist, policymaker, or curious about the intersection of creativity and governance, join us for an engaging discussion on art’s role in shaping the world around us. This conversation features contributions from artists Christopher Samuel, Beatrice Andrews, Gavin Wade, and Ruth Claxton.
MANIFEST is a Policy Lab programme, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, that supports artists in exploring how their work can enrich policymaking. Inspired by the Artist Placement Group (APG), several placements within the programme have drawn directly from APG’s legacy for insight and direction.
The Upper 2 Gallery
1 – 3pm
No booking necessary
This is the second in a series of live conversations activating The Sculpture (1971), a key work from the Artist Placement Group, as part of Barbara Steveni: I Find Myself. These discussions are programmed in collaboration with Policy Lab, Incidental Unit and the London Residency Network.
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Policy Lab is a part of the UK government which brings many of the ideas and ethos of the Artist Placement Group into contemporary policymaking. This includes bringing together a highly diverse and interdisciplinary group of practitioners to bridge between internal and outside perspectives and directly engage artists in the policymaking process.
The Artist Placement Group (APG) was initiated by Barbara Steveni in 1965. The group devised the concept of the ‘Placement’ as a strategy to position artists within industrial corporations and government departments in order to explore the role of art in the decision-making processes of society. In her role as primary strategist and spokesperson she came to see her critical administrative role negotiating behind the scenes as representative of women’s invisible labour more widely, in later years understanding this as her own art practice. Barbara Steveni: I Find Myself includes the important Artist Placement Group work, The Sculpture from APG’s 1971 Hayward Gallery and Dusseldorf exhibitions. The Sculpture comprised a boardroom table with chairs in the gallery space where the APG artist members led discussions with industrialists and government officials as the main focus of the exhibition. Steveni was integral to these negotiations, so it’s in the spirit of highlighting her discursive approach to art-making that we’re re-staging this live artwork in collaboration with Policy Lab, Incidental Unit and the London Residency Network.