Refuse/Refuge: Exhibition at York Art Gallery Curated by York PhD Students

Currently showing in the Project Gallery at York Art Gallery, Refuse/Refuge is a thought-provoking exhibition of contemporary artwork created in response to political representation of the current refugee crisis.

The exhibition is curated by two History of Art PhD students at the University of York, Kyveli Lignou-Tsamantani and Martha Cattell. It features work by international artists Majid Adin, Forensic Architecture (Forensic Oceanography), Ina Lounguine, Janne Malmros and Maria Tzanakou. It is free to visit and runs until 16 September.

From York Art Gallery’s description:

Refuse/Refuge is an exhibition of contemporary art exploring the role of visual politics in shaping the public’s reactions to the 21st-century refugee crisis. At the core of the exhibition lies a series of ethically and politically troubling questions. What does it mean to refuse refuge to someone who has fled from their home countries due to war, violence and poverty? How can we approach these issues and our own ethical responsibility, without using a photojournalistic ‘lens’?

There will be a Curator’s Guided Tour on Saturday 11 August and on Saturday 15 September, 12:30-13:00 (free entry – no need to book).

More information can be found on the project’s website and Facebook page.

The exhibition is supported by the History of Art Department, the University of York, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities and York Festival of Ideas.