Crossing Boundaries: The Right to Speak

Produced by Venice Agendas in the UK in November 2015, Crossing Boundaries: The Right to Speak is a panel of cross-disciplinary speakers discuss the many ways art not only trespasses geographical territories but how it crosses cultural, political and artistic boundaries. The event series builds on the theme of Venice Agendas' Crossing Boundaries program at 2014's Venice Biennale.

The advent of the Internet and the rapid expansion of social media have redefined what constitutes the public space. Has this in turn created a clash between the intellectual property rights of artists and the fundamental right of freedom of speech? Moderated by Vassiliki Tzanakou with guests including Sacha Craddock, Pierre François Docquir, Manik Govinda, Nicholas Sharp and Gavin Turk.

Vassiliki Tzanakou is a London-based political scientist, independent arts consultant and curator. Whilst working as researcher at the Laboratory of Political Communications, University of Athens, she focused on the construction of identities and the societal consequences of Internet usage. At the same time she developed her interest in semiology and iconology with particular attention paid to the aesthetisation of power.

Sacha Craddock is a freelance critic and curator. She is Chair of both New Contemporaries and Braziers International Workshop, a Member of the Curatorial Board of Fondazione MACC, Sardinia and Public Art Advisor for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. She was previously co-founder and curator of Bloomberg Space, 2002-11 and Director of Programme, Max Wigram Gallery, 2011-2. She also co-founded Artschool Palestine and was the founder of Fellowship in Contemporary Art at British School at Rome.

Pierre Francois Docquir is a researcher and expert in the fields of human rights law, Internet and media law and regulation. He has worked on topics such as the European Convention on Human Rights, comparative free speech law, the evolution of media landscapes, the governance of virtual worlds, and various aspects of freedom of expression in worlds that are digitized - or not.

Manick Govinda is Head of Artists’ Advisory Services and a Producer for Artsadmin. He worked with Turner Prize-shortlisted artist Zarina Bhimji on her critically acclaimed films for Documenta 11, Whitechapel Gallery and Pérez Art Museum Miami. He has also produced films by Zineb Sedira, and co-curated and commissioned new works by Peter Liversidge, Debbie Lawson and Claire Morganthe for the Town Hall Hotel, Bethnal Green, commissioning to name a few.

Nicholas Sharp is a solicitor who specialises in the arts. After working in the City and industry, he joined law firm Swan Turton LLP as a consultant in 2006. Nick has over 25 years’ experience advising artists, arts organisations and charities on governance, copyright, contracts, charity law and other issues.

Gavin Turk is a British-born, international artist who lives and works in London. He has pioneered many forms of contemporary British sculpture, including the painted bronze, the waxwork, the recycled art-historical icon and the use of rubbish in art. Turk’s installations and sculptures deal with issues of authorship, authenticity and identity.

About workinprogress and Venice Agendas
Venice Agendas is a program of events and performances investigating the intersection of culture, politics and art, curated by London-based workinprogress. The first edition of Agendas was held at the Venice Biennale was in 1999, created by the sound artist Bill Furlong and the writer Mel Gooding, Since 2011 Clare Fitzpatrick and Terry Smith, have continued the project working closely with Vittorio Urbani, director of Nuova Icona who has supported Venice Agendas since 1999.

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