Drawing An Arc Through Our Digital Lives is part of a speculative research project co-led by Professor Dryden Goodwin (Slade School of Fine Art) and Jack Southern (University of Gloucestershire / City + Guilds of London Art School).

Symposium Overview

The central focus of this research is to explore how current and emerging technologies of seeing, capture and representation may influence, and create potent dialogues with Drawing. As a framework of thinking, Goodwin and Southern have been reflecting on the range of ways we increasingly observe, record, navigate, curate, and share our lived experience through multiple digital forms. This includes specifically looking at the role of mobile devices in our everyday, as both emblematic and symptomatic of our ‘always connected - always online’ data driven culture. How do the means and sensibilities we develop through our use of digitalia make us think about notions of time, space, memory and identity in distinctive and evolving ways? - And how might these inform a range of approaches to Drawing as material, tactile and autographic translations of the world around us?

Over the two days, the co-organisers will be speaking alongside six invited external guests. The work of these distinguished prac- titioners and thinkers resonates in different ways with the overall themes and ideas of the symposium. Speakers include curator, writer and co-founder / co-director of Drawing Room, London - Kate Macfarlane, and artists Margarita Gluzberg, Soheila Sokhanvari, Ciprian Muresan, Phoebe Boswell and Erica Scourti.

This symposium follows a two-day practical workshop and series of discussions with Slade students and doctoral researchers, led by Goodwin and Southern. Both the workshop and symposium will take place at the Slade Research Centre (Studio 5 & 6) University College London, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT.

Symposium Schedule

Thursday 7 November

Session1 -10am–1pm

• Welcome and introductions from Dryden Goodwin + Jack Southern
• Presentation by Margarita Gluzberg

Coffee break

• Presentation by Kate Macfarlane
• Panel discussion with all session 1 speakers

Session2

• 2pm-5pm - Intro to session 2
• Presentation by Soheila Sokhanvari

Tea break

• Presentation by Ciprian Muresan
• Panel discussion with all session 2 speakers

Friday 8 November

Session 3 - 10am - 1pm

• Intro to session 3
• Presentation by Phoebe Boswell

Coffee Break

• Presentation by Erica Scourti
• Panel discussion with all session 3 speakers

Session 4 - 2pm – 4.45pm Open discussions with student participants and guest speakers from session 3 - followed by closing comments

From 5pm - Closing drinks

This research project has been made possible with the generous support of Slade School of Fine Art, UCL; University of Gloucestershire; City + Guilds of London Art School and the Worshipful Company of Educators.

Download pdf version of programme.