Does art connect us?
Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth
Saturday 16 February 2019 12am - 11.59pm
The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Various events, booking required.
Bill Viola / Michelangelo
Supported by the Genesis Foundation, with grateful thanks to John Studzinski CBE.
Join us for this day of events as we explore what role the arts play in connecting people across religions, spiritual beliefs, human emotion and human experience.
Does art connect us? Can art be transformative or transcendental? Can art influence society, change opinion or human behaviour? We unpick these questions at a special day of events, exploring key themes and questions in relation to the Royal Academy’s current exhibition Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth.
How are the fundamental human experiences of birth, death, and aspects of consciousness played out in contemporary arts culture? Through performances, discussion and film we look at these issues in depth and discuss the role art can play in connecting us.
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As part of our day of events titled ‘Does Art connect us?’ our panel, chaired by Andrew Graham Dixon, and including Marina Warner, Professor Ben Quash and Mariko Mori, examine how artists and the public might use contemporary art as a means to express and reflect on religion and spirituality.
The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, 11.00am–12.15pm, £15/£9
Join us for intimate performances by spoken-word artists and poets as we explore just how powerful the spoken word can be for expression of individuality and the transcendence of belief. In addition to special readings of their works, participating poets will offer insight into how they believe the spoken word can act as a platform for expressing their views and opinions, whether that be religion, spirituality, personal issues or global current affairs, and ultimately allow them to connect with others.
Participating poets in include Bridget Minamore and Emily Berry.
The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, 2–3.15pm, £15/£9
As part of our 'Does Art Connect Us?' day and to coincide with the Bill Viola / Michelangelo: Life, Death, Rebirth exhibition, we have joined forces with MUBI for a special screening of Bill Viola: The Road to St Paul’s (2017).
The screening is followed by a Q&A with Director, Gerald Fox and independent film curator, Karen Alexander.
Organised in partnership with MUBI
The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, 4.30–6.30pm, £15/£9