Artists Against Artwashing: Anti-Gentrification & the Intangible Rise of the Social Capital Artist
This is a transcript of my paper I presented at the Edge | Situated Practice conference at Here East on Saturday 7th October 2017. The conference was organised by the UCL Urban Laboratory and the Folkestone Triennial, with additional support from the Bartlett School of Architecture and Slade School of Fine Art. There's a link to my PowerPoint presentation too. It was a really interesting conference and I think my paper provoked some challenging debate.
ASHwash: Architects for Social Housing AND for Establishment Values?
This blog post is about ASH - Architects for Social Housing. It uncovers a different side to ASH's founder that is rooted in the establishment and seeks to work with local councils to promote citizenship and art as a public good. It suggests that these values (and others) are at odds with the aggressive and passionately political persona often adopted by ASH. ASH's work has been outstanding but is it all it appears?
If only Balfron Tower could talk, if only we could see - an ode those in social housing so cruelly dispossessed
This is a re-blog of a guest post I wrote on 20th September 2016 for the Balfron Social Club. An ode to Balfron Tower and its dispossessed residents...
If only Balfron Tower could speak, if only we could see. My new blog for @BalfronSocial
I wrote a short blog post for the lovely people at Balfron Social Club. Here's an embedded version. Check out their site for loads more brilliant writing and information about Balfron Tower.
The Right and Freedom to a Home: My introduction to Theresa Easton's new artist book
Everyone has the right and freedom to a home, don’t they? And yet, so many people are homeless in the UK, in Europe, across the entire planet; displaced by war, oppression, climate change and the imperialistic march of global capitalism. The United Nations are concerned: deeply concerned.
heresa Easton's superb new book explores housing crises and homelessness. She kindly asked me to write the introduction. Here's the draft published with the author's permission.