Lunchtime Lecture: Layers of History: Contemporary Sculpture at the V&A

What can contemporary art practice tell us about the past, and in doing so make us more perceptive observers of our present, or indeed invite us to be what philosopher Roman Krznaric terms ‘good ancestors’ to future generations? Join Dr Melanie Vandenbrouck, Curator of Sculpture 1900 – Now, as she discusses how contemporary artists Hew Locke and Sokari Douglas Camp CBE reflect on the African and Caribbean diaspora, the legacies of slavery and empire, gender, and the climate crisis, in their work. She will particularly focus on the ways in which their work speaks to the V&A’s own collection and history, to bring hidden histories to the fore.

Dr Melanie Vandenbrouck is Curator of Sculpture, 1900–Now at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Prior to this she was Curator of Art post-1800, at Royal Museums Greenwich, where she curated the Contemporary Arts Programme and the major exhibition, The Moon.

To see our full Autumn 2022 Lunchtime Lecture Programme, click 'Download Programme' on the right of this screen.