Manchester Art Gallery

This incidental meeting is part of a seven-city UK tour to explore the long term impact of the radical work of Artist Placement Group¹ (1960-70s). In this context, the term ‘incidental’ refers to activities without a predetermined intention. The only item on the agenda of incidental meetings is the ‘unfinished business’ of Artist Placement Group and its commitment to placing artists beyond the worlds of art, thereby interrupting norms in law, health, industry, education, administration and more.

This event will be led by artist Jane Lawson. With an introduction into the history of the Artist Placement Group to its third, present day iteration, Incidental Unit, the meeting will convene to think through the legacy of the Artist Placement Group in Manchester.

This Incidental meeting is part of Incidental Futures, a public programme supported by Arts Council England, The Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media (CREAM) of the University of Westminster Flat Time House and University of the Arts London. Incidental Futures is coordinated by Polly Wright and co-curated by Marsha Bradfield and Polly Wright.

Curatorial support for this incidental meeting is provided by Barbara Steveni, Marsha Bradfield, and Polly Wright, who are all members of Incidental Unit, the current iteration of Artist Placement Group (2016 – ongoing).

For more information, please contact: info@incidentalunit.org

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Jane Lawson Necessary Human Elements of a Potentia 2016

^{1.The Artist Placement Group (APG) was conceived by Barbara Steveni in London in 1965, and established in 1966 as an artist-run organisation seeking to refocus art outside the gallery, predominantly through attaching an artist in a business or governmental context for a period of time. Then the participating artists would try to create and organize exhibitions of work related to those new experiences. ?}