I have written frequently about technology and innovation in the arts over the years and as of last week this topic has become my full time job. I joined Arts Council England (ACE) as its first Director, Arts Technology and Innovation. In this role, I'll have the pleasure of working with arts organisations to help embed … Continue reading New Horizons: Arts Technology and Innovation
I am pleased to be speaking at the Munch Museum's international seminar on 30 November 2018. The goal of this seminar is to address challenges and develop solutions which enable cultural institutions to thrive and compete in the digital world. The seminar will give me the chance to talk to other cultural sector professionals about … Continue reading 30 November: Why Do We Fail Digitally at the Munch Museum
The Frankfurt Book Fair is commonly referred to as the biggest book fair in the world. While I don't know if that's actually true, I can confirm it is BIG. Clearly the publishing industry is trying to spread its wings and explore the interconnections between literature, other forms of culture and creativity and digital technology. … Continue reading The Arts+ Future of Culture Festival: Highlights & Reflections
I joined V&A Director Tristram Hunt and Tate Modern Director Francis Morris on a panel discussing the future of museums at the RA's Festival of Ideas
I am pleased to be taking part in The Arts + innovation summit in Frankfurt, Germany this year. The summit will examine the question: How can the cultural and create sectors bridge the innovation gap? I will be part of the panel discussing innovation in cultural heritage. Click here for more information.
Mind you, I only had one day to look around. Here's what caught my eye: (1) Joey Yaque, (2) Ai Weiwei, (3) Robert Longo, (4) Thomas Saraceno, (5) Michael Rakowitz, (6) Sanford Biggers, (7) Olfur Eliasson, (8) Tony Oursler, (9) Robert Longo, (10) Titus Kasher, (11) Rathin Barman, (12) Oliver Lanc.
I visited the two main sites of the Berlin Biennale 10 this weekend: KW Institute of Contemporary Art and Academie der Kunst. The first artist I encountered was Firelei Baez and her work does not disappoint: she overlays historic maps, architectural drawing and statistical charts with vibrant images which uncover issues of colonialism, forced migration, and … Continue reading A First Look at the Berlin Biennale 2018
ArtLab is the inspiring and powerful, cross sectorial, independent Italian platform, dedicated to innovating practices and policies in and through arts and culture, by the structured dialogue among the key stakeholders of the cultural and creative ecosystem, in an international perspective. I was pleased to participate in the Arts+ Innovation Summit workshop on cultural heritage … Continue reading Artlab18: 24th-25th May 2018
The following commentary originally appeared in ICOM UK weekly news The tragic events of Charlottesville, instigated by the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, highlights the important role we as museums and heritage professionals play in preserving, interpreting and displaying public history. Myself and Edmund Connolly, Head of Communications for … Continue reading Continuing the Conversation: Statues, Monuments and Difficult Histories
The New York Times opinion page featured a piece called Why the Met Should Appoint a Female Director in response to the resignation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s current Director Thomas Campbell. Based on pure probability, I agree: women make up the majority of the workforce in museums both in the US and UK. … Continue reading Curators vs. Managers: Succession Planning in Museums
