Much has been written about V&A’s decision to purchase a part of Robin Hood Gardens: an ex-council estate; more recently social housing. The estate is currently being demolished to make way for Blackwall Reach – a luxury property development. Campaigners fought to save Robin Hood Gardens: some because of its architectural significance; others because they believed in maintaining social housing. Yet the estate was not saved. This blog post argues that V&A are artwashing the demolition of social housing and the gentrification of East London...
Month: November 2017
Rethinking the role of artists in urban regeneration contexts
I was invited to lecture at Winchester School of Art on 3rd November 2017 as part of their Talking Heads series. This is a transcript of my lecture along with a link to my lecture slides (with notes) and a link to an edited recording of my discussion with Nick Stewart afterwards. The lecture covers a broad range of topics from my research including creative cities and the creative class, social capital, placemaking, artwashing, art and gentrification, anti-gentrification art, anti-art activism, the radical avant-garde, and examples of artists engaging with regeneration that do not result in artwashing or gentrification. It's quite long but perhaps gives an overall illustration of my work and a taste of my PhD thesis, Artwashing: The Art of Regeneration, Social Capital and Anti-Gentrification Activism.
“We salvaged a slice of those streets in the sky” – an imagined conversation with Tristram Hunt
This is a very short response to the acquisition of a part of Robin Hood Gardens by the V&A museum. An ex-council housing estate, being demolished. I am horrified that a section will be displayed in the V&A galleries - once the social housing's been demolished and the working-class residents have been scattered.
This is an imagined narrative by Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, political parachutist and Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds...
colouring in culture 