As Funkytown once sung “Talk about it, Talk about it, Talk about it, Talk about, Talk about Talk about movin.” A good lecture, panel discussion or talk can make a visit to an exhibition that bit more exciting. As long as you do not interrupt people in the style of a PhD student in a group seminar and remember it is always polite to ask a question.
Tramway has surpassed itself with two exceptional artist shows to coincide with the Glasgow International. Performa curator Mark Beasley brings them together for this talk with performances about their use of humour. Smiles are guaranteed.
April 6, Tramway, Glasgow: Discussion 3-4pm; Performance by Michael Smith 5pm; Performance by Bedwyr Williams 5.45pm
Travelling space Bosse & Baum have put together a wildly smart panel of women for this discussion on gender and contemporary sculpture to coincide with Lauren Kelly’s solo show in Kings Cross, including the exceptional art historian Griselda Pollock.
Apr 9, Bosse & Baum, London
Lauren Kelly, "Silicone Rubber Molds - in progress", 2014Courtesy of Bosse & Baum
This talk with John Russell and Sarah Salih at Rowing Projects touches on the abject and the divine and will be accompanied by a pair of talks by lectures – artist John Russell on ‘Irigaray, Bataille and The Capitalisation of Death’ and lecturer Sarah Salih on ‘Medieval Mysticism, Body Horror and the Contemporary'.
"Jim Shaw, True False Mirror", 1987/1989. VHS videotape transferred to DVD. 5:00.Courtesy the artist and Simon Lee Gallery, London. Photo: Plastiques Photography
Not for those looking for a light bit of conversational fodder. Here Joshua Simon discusses the ideas of his new book at The Sculpture Center – including “commodity, the general intellect, debt, labor, subjectivity, thingness, the dialect of material and dialectical materialism”
Deller’s touring show All that is Solid Melts into Air hits Nottingham and it's a chance for the British artist to discuss the influence of Industrial Revolution on British popular culture – which sounds like a bloody good topic. Deller will be chatting to art historian and former Manifesta associate curator Dawn Ades.
Apr 15, 6.30-8pm, Nottingham Contemporary
Adrian Street and his father, 1973,Courtesy of Dennis Hutchinson 2013
Do you need an excuse to hear anyone talk about Mike Kelley? Obviously not. To coincide with the Los Angeles incarnation of the travelling uber retrospective of the late Kelley’s work, curator Bennett Simpson will be talking about the artist in his former hometown.
Apr 17, 7pm, Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles RSVP
Silver Ball by Mike KelleyPhotograph by Jonathan Alcorn /Reuters. Courtesy: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/mar/31/mike-kelley-retrospective-los-angeles-moca-geffen
Why go to one talk when you can go to an entire symposium? This day at the New Museum looks at exhibitions organised by artists with speakers like Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster talking about her own shows and artist-formed shows discussed by Richard Hamilton, Yael Bartana and Mary Kelley.
Apr 19, New Museum, New York
Noah Purifoy, “66 Signs of Neon,” ca. 1966. Exhibition view.Courtesy the Noah Purifoy Foundation noahpurifoy.com
You can always count on The ICA for a good talk. This two way conversation between Jack Halberstam and Zach Blas looks at the relationship with queerness and technology from queer code to new media activism.
Apr 29 6.45pm £5, ICA London
Zach Blas, "Facial Weaponization Suite: Fag Face Mask", 2012Courtesy of the
This talk, which includes a bowl of soup and bread to keep you happy, looks at artists (well actually a couple of critics and curators) writing fiction. Readers include Paul Becker, Simon Bill, Jennifer Higgie, Tom Morton, Audrey Reynolds and Dazed Emerging Artist Award winner Faye Green.
William Pope L, inspired by a story by sci-fi writer Gene Wolfe, has an exciting solo show of abstract VHS works, wooden sculpture and drawings opening at Chicago’s Renaissance Society this month. The artist is presenting a talk just before the exhibition opening.