About us
The Centre for Philosophy and Art, founded in 2016, is a major multi-disciplinary initiative based at King’s College London. Its aim is to bring together academics, artists, curators and gallerists to explore the connections between philosophy, theory and the arts. We do this through Film, Podcasts, Interviews and Live Events.
We have two central goals.
First, to make the ideas behind art accessible and engaging to a broad public. We collaborate regularly with galleries and museums, from major public institution like the National or the Tates through to local independent venues, developing talks, catalogues, audio trails and other tools.
Second, to work with curators and artists on the key research questions at the intersection of philosophy and art. Here we organise a wide range of gallery events, exhibitions and residencies. The research questions we are interested in include:
How can philosophy contribute to the study of artistic practice, training, and theory in the contemporary arts? How should we conceptualise the role, limitations, and capacities of the various artistic media?
How might philosophy critique or theorise specific methods and techniques within the contemporary arts?
What philosophical frameworks are currently dominant on the contemporary arts scene and how are these used to licence, support or theorise particular pieces of work or particular practices?
How have particular philosophers influenced recent and contemporary work in the arts and in arts theory?
How should we understand the relationship between philosophical texts and artworks which share a common theme or topic?
To what degree can a focus on the concrete reality and sociology of contemporary artistic practice in the West act as a corrective to traditional aesthetic theories?
Above all, the Centre is committed to developing ongoing collaborations between artists and philosophers, and to exploring the way in which the format of such collaborations alters or deepens the interplay between the two approaches.
The Board
Our Partners
The Centre for Philosophy and Art works with a number of Artists, Museums, Galleries and Events partners including
The Richard Wollheim Centenary Project: The Interdisciplinary Psychoanalytic Thought research network has organized a programme of events during the academic year 2023-24, to mark the centenary of the birth of the philosopher Richard Wollheim (1923-2003). The Richard Wollheim Centenary Project is delighted to be partnered with the CPA, and is also a Local Partner of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, and supported by the Independent Social Research Foundation.
Artists
We are delighted to have had the opportunity to collaborate with exceptional artists working in a variety of media. Several of the artists are listed below.
Melissa Franklin (Residency)
Nadège Mériau (Salon interview)
Ted Hunt (Sense of Time, Residency, Panelist)
Laura Pannack (TPG, Panelist)
Kasia Molga (Salon Interview)
Jane Wildgoose (Salon Interview)
Hester Reeve (Residency, Video Interview, Workshops)
Kenny Hunter (Video Interview)
Noemi Lakmaier (Video Interview, Tate Events)
Alina Azedeh (Salon Interview)
Ted Hunt
Lina Iris Viktor
Gretchen Andrews
Laura Pannack
Melissa Franklin