King's College London researchers and Somerset House Studios artists have been exploring new perspectives on contemporary culture and society through creative interdisciplinary practice.
This May, King's and Somerset House Studios celebrated the progress of six funded artist-researcher collaborations in an inspiring showcase evening, bringing together a diverse audience of academic, arts and culture representatives.
Treated to presentations, live demonstrations, and digital and physical displays, the audience were given unique insight into the innovative experimentation and collaborative process between King's researchers from the Arts & Sciences faculties and the Studios' hub of resident artists and designers. Over the past six months, the artist-researcher teams have sought to foster new perspectives and understanding of contemporary culture and society through creative interdisciplinary practice.
It was a privilege to explore core concepts with Vivienne, ultimately crystallising ideas that greatly enrich my research. This can now reach wider audiences and has a chance of making a real impact. Getting the chance, at the showcase, to see the breadth of research and the ways in which art could communicate concepts was fascinating. It left me wondering, what more is possible?– Cari Hyde-Vaamonde, MERCY project, PhD Candidate, Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London
Spanning five faculties at King's and crossing diverse academic and artistic practices – from literature, law, astrophysics, business and global affairs to visual art, immersive experience, film, and gaming, the artist-researcher pairs have involved students, researchers, activists, community groups and members of the public in their exploratory practice. They have produced everything from digital archive interfaces mapping modes of political resistance, prototype board games and AI based visual games, to cosmic narratives around radio telescopes built by students.
Artists and academics having the opportunity to work together is integral to the wider creative ecology, producing unique perspectives and distinctive work, and we're excited to see how these collaborations are progressing. – Marie McPartlin, Director of Somerset House Studios
