Art
The New War Photographers: In the Picture with David Birkin
For the second in a series of events in partnership with PARC, the University of the Arts London photography research centre based at London College of Communication, we are delighted to welcome artist David Birkin to discuss his work that challenges elements of censorship and spectacle in the so-called War on Terror.
Two Minutes with Molly Crabapple
Heenali Patel sat down with artist and journalist Molly Crabapple to discuss ‘Scenes from the Syrian War’, her collection of illustrations made in collaboration with Syrian writer Marwan Hisham. Using photos sent via cell phone, Molly recreated rare glimpses of daily life in ISIS-occupied areas of Syria. Filmed by Adam Barr.
An Evening with Molly Crabapple: Drawing Blood
We live in an age of frenetic journalism. When the internet can deliver any snapshot of the world to us at the press of a button, it is easy to forget that there are some places the camera cannot go.
Insight with Molly Crabapple: Drawing Blood
Acclaimed journalist and artist Molly Crabapple has drawn and reported on stories from Guantanamo Bay, Syria, the West Bank, Iraqi Kurdistan and across the United States. With her powerful illustrations she has pushed the boundaries of visual reportage – and established an important place for art in hard news. On the release of her memoir Drawing Blood, she will be joining us to reflect on recent work and to share her personal insight into the use of art as a tool for better understanding and documenting current events.
Screening: They Will Have to Kill Us First + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Johanna Schwartz.
In 2012, three extremist groups captured most of northern Mali – an area the size of the UK and France combined. The cities were virtually shut down, sharia law was instituted and all music was banned. They Will Have To Kill Us First follows a number of prominent musicians in Mali in the wake of a jihadist takeover and subsequent banning of music.
Shorts at the Frontline Club: Inside the Artist’s Studio
This April our monthly short film night is dedicated to profiling artists from around the world, who work with an array of mediums and represent eccentric, inspiring and pioneering personalities.
Sun Mu: From North Korean Propagandist to Pop Art Defector
By Heenali Patel On Friday 20 November, the Frontline Club hosted a premiere screening of the documentary I Am Sun Mu, a remarkable insight into the life and work of North Korean defector and political pop artist Sun Mu. The film follows Sun Mu as he prepares for his first solo exhibition in Beijing in […]
Yallah!: Underground Music in the Middle East
By Ratha Lehall On Monday 16 November, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of the documentary Yallah! Underground, a vibrant look at a diverse groups of Arab artists and musicians using culture to challenge the status quo. The film is set in the years prior to and during the Arab spring, and focuses on artists from […]
Screening: I Am Sun Mu + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Adam Sjöberg. I Am Sun Mu documents the life and work of North Korean defector and pop artist ‘Sun Mu’. In North Korea, Sun Mu was a prolific propaganda artist for Kim Jong-un’s regime. After swimming to safety and beginning a new life in South Korea, Sun Mu turned his skills against North Korean leadership, satirising those who he once worshipped.
Screening: Yallah! Underground + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Farid Eslam via Skype.
From the early days of the Arab Spring that sparked hopes for change to the years of instability and political tension that followed, this enthralling documentary follows the stories of young prominent underground artists from across the Middle East during the period of 2009 to 2013.
Screening: Tomorrow We Disappear + Q&A
This film will be followed by a Q&A with directors Adam Weber and Jimmy Goldblum via Skype.
Described as India’s “tinsel slum,” the Kathputli artist colony in New Delhi is home to over 1,500 families of puppeteers, acrobats, painters and magicians. That’s all about to change. When the government sells the land to private developers, traditional life is set to be razed for the city’s first skyscraper. Gorgeous and inspiring, Tomorrow We Disappear is a splendid tribute to fading artistry and the tenacity of tradition.
Take a Stand
A tribute to Manning, Assange and Snowden, organised and sponsored by Italian sculptor Davide Dormino and his supporters, Charles Glass, Laure Boulay and Marco Benagli. This evening of tributes, talks, film, food and drinks is open to all. It coincides with a simultaneous celebration at Shakespeare and Company Books, 7 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris to be linked by video and live-streamed.
Politics and Art: The Role of the Arts in Promoting Human Rights and Exposing Injustices
This event is organised by Lacuna: A Writing Wrongs Project.
‘What I have most wanted to do . . . is to make political writing into an art.’ – George Orwell
Chaired by Maureen Freely, English Pen president, the panel will discuss the role of the arts in promoting human rights and social justice issues.
Abdulnasser Gharem: Saudi Arabia – art and war
As both a conceptual artist and lieutenant colonel in the Saudi army, Abdulnasser Gharem is somewhat of an unusual figure. Described as the “rock star of Saudi contemporary art”, he recently made history when his installation Message/Messenger sold for a record price at auction in Dubai.
Abdulnasser Gharem will be joining us at the Frontline Club to discuss the inspiration behind his work, which is now in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture & Information. He will also reflect on how he reconciles being a soldier and an artist, shedding light on Saudi’s secretive society and culture.
The week ahead at the Frontline Club: Focus on Israel, reporting Libya and art meets war in Saudi Arabia
Tonight we will be joined by the "rock star of Saudi contemporary art" Abdulnasser Gharem, an artist and lieutenant colonel in the Saudi army, he will be discussing how he balances these two professions in Saudi Arabia. Screenings in the week ahead include Danfung Dennis’ Hell and Back Again, a cinematic revolution in documentation. With unrivalled artistry, […]
TS Satyan: A life less hurried
"I have begun to despise politicians and their ways. At my age, I don’t want to photograph any of them unless Barack Obama visits India." As India goes to the polls at the start of its rather overwhelming general election, the words of TS Satyan, a revered photojournalist who has spent his life chronicling […]