Shortlisted for the Independent Podcast Awards 2023. This episode explores how artists have represented ideas about civil unrest and rioting. I discuss the recent protests about police brutality and harassment in the Parisian suburbs that quickly escalated into violence. And I consider recent academic research on what riots can tell us about what's going wrong in society and what we need to put right. I look at the work of three contemporary artists: the French street artist JR, whose collaborative work with young suburban Parisians has been challenging entrenched perceptions; the British film-maker John Akomfrah, whose 1986 documentary Handsworth Songs about the Birmingham race riots was a record of resistance and solidarity; and the American painter Faith Ringgold, whose American People Series #20 shows how we are all interconnected and must strive together for equality. Plus wise words from Martin Luther King Jr.
The Gallery Companion is hosted by writer and historian Dr Victoria Powell. It's a thought-provoking dive into the interesting questions and messy stuff about our lives that art explores and represents.
To see the images and watch the videos discussed in the podcast visit www.thegallerycompanion.com. This is where you can subscribe to The Gallery Companion email list, which goes out every fortnight to accompany each new podcast episode, and is packed full of links to more info. That's where you can share your thoughts and join the conversation too.
