Art Happens is an events series organised by The Art Fund exploring
contemporary art and related themes. It offers the opportunity to learn more
about art in a relaxed, informal setting. Experts lead the discussions, which
take place over a glass of wine.
In the past, we've invited a variety of artists, curators, musicians,
journalists and architects to host events at distinctive venues across London,
including Chinawhite, the Wellcome Trust and the T Bar.
To book for an event: Please call 08700 503
688. For general enquiries, contact the Events Department on
020 7225 4875.
If you would like to subscribe to our Art Happens e-newsletter, please send
your details to arthappens@artfund.org.
Art & Medicine: Can Design
Save your Life?
Achievements and innovation in design are changing, improving and challenging
the worlds of medicine, health and well-being. The debate will explore the
ways in which the design and medical worlds intersect and ask whether design
really can save your life?
Journalist, author, and curator Henrietta Thompson will
chair the debate with panellists Ken Arnold, Head of Public
Programmes for Wellcome Collection, who has commissioned displays from some of
the best young British designers; Jim Dawton, Director of
Pearson Matthews, known for the innovation and development of breakthrough
healthcare products; rising star designer, Sally Halls; and
Sunand Prasad, President of the Royal Institute of British
Architects and Senior Partner at leading healthcare architecture firm, Penoyre
& Prasad.
Wellcome Collection is one of the four shortlisted projects for The Art Fund
Prize for Museums and Galleries 2008. There will be a chance to visit its three
exhibition galleries, which explore the connections between medicine, life and
art.
This event is being held in conjunction with Museum and Galleries Month, the
UK-wide celebration of museums and galleries which takes place in May, and whose
theme this year is 'Ideas and Innovation'.
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Ken Arnold has worked in a variety of museums on both
sides of the Atlantic. He joined the Wellcome Trust in 1992 after
completing his Ph.D. on the history of museums. He now heads the Trust’s
Public Programmes department, which runs a variety of events and
exhibitions in Wellcome Collection, a new venue that explores the links
between medicine, life and art, and has commissioned displays from the
best young British designers for the windows of the Wellcome Trust's
headquarters at 215 Euston Road. He regularly writes and lectures on
museums and on contemporary relations between the arts and sciences. His
has published much including Cabinets for the Curious (2006). He
is married and lives in London with his wife and two sons. |
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Jim Dawton, Director of Pearson Matthews, known for
their innovation and development of breakthrough healthcare products, from
a portable, lightweight case for osteoporosis drug to smaller, faster,
more accurate blood glucose meters to one-handed plaster
applicators. |
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Co-founder of Penoyre & Prasad in 1988, Sunand has
played a central role in the design and delivery of the practice’s 300
plus projects. He is closely involved in guiding the design
philosophy of the practice and the design development of projects. His
experience encompasses education, healthcare, housing, the arts,
commercial development, sustainable design and masterplanning.
Sunand is currently President of the Royal Institute of British Architects
(RIBA), previously the Vice President for Policy and Strategy, chair of
the Climate Change Board and founder of Constructive Change. He is a
trustee of Architects-for-Aid and a member of the Mayor of London’s 4th
Plinth Commissioning Group. |
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Sally Halls developed an interest in medical design at
the Royal College of Art, whilst working on her award winning graduation
project which looked at how incubators could be humanised to allow more
contact between mother and child. Sally now works at the Helen Hamlyn
Centre where her portfolio includes product, service & communication
design as well as the development of design strategy in the health sector.
She was part of a team that redesigned the resus:station , a resuscitation
trolley which went on to receive two Medical Futures Innovation
Awards: Best Medical Device, and Overall Winner in the Anaesthesia
and Critical Care category. She has since worked with the National Patient
Safety Agency (NPSA) to produce industry wide guidelines on the design of
injectable medicines, and is currently improving the design of infusion
devices. |
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Journalist, author, curator and editor Henrietta
Thompson writes regularly about architecture, design and
technology for Arena, Business Life, the Independent on Sunday, Monocle,
Wallpaper*, the Guardian and the Architects Journal. Henrietta is author
of Phone Book, the first book to be published internationally about mobile
phone culture and design, and Simply Contemporary. As a curator,
Henrietta¹s exhibitions include the annual 100% Norway, and Hearwear
(V&A 2005) among others. She is currently writing a series of
books about new resourceful design with Thames &
Hudson. |
  
Date:
Thursday 29 May Time: Drinks 6.30pm, Talk
7.00pm Location: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road,
NW1 Nearest tube: Euston Square Tickets:
£12, includes a glass of wine
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Recent event highlights
include:
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- White Cube’s Tim Marlow
led a heated discussion of the proposition All Modern Art is
Leftwing at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room, with Turner Prize
winner Grayson Perry, Guardian writer Munira
Mirza and controversial portraitist Jonathan
Yeo.
- Street Art vs. Fine Art:
Time Out Art Editor Ossian Ward and Street Renegades
author Francesca Gavin joined artists Pure
Evil and Part2ism to discuss the changing nature
of Street Art and its place within the contemporary fine art world.
- London vs. The Suburbs:
Acclaimed musician Billy Bragg, along with author
Iain Sinclair, poet Tobias Hill, and
artists Susanna Edwards and Richard
Wentworth debated the relationship between London and suburbia at
the Museum of London.
- Martin Creed,
Tom Service and Gillian Moore examined the
cross-fertilisation of art and music in the unique surroundings of
Chinawhite
- Leading experts in interactive media
Matt Adams, Ross Cooper, Lauren
Parker and Stefano Roveda were Interrogating
Interactive Art at the T Bar
- A preview of the Wellcome Trust new
public venue and a healthy discussion of The Art of Medicine,
featuring Christine Borland, Siān Ede,
Mark Lythgoe, and Guy Noble.
- Behind the scenes Private View of
Christie's Nordic Art & Design Sale, with insight from art
experts Sophie Hawkins and Simon
Andrews.
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