Events

EVENTS/TALKS

Video/audio recordings of events, where available, have been linked to entries. 

2023

Presentation (with Maya Indira Ganesh): Neo-colonial Visions: Artificial Intelligence and Epistemic Violence, Paul Mellon Centre, London, 15/03/2023

Lecture: Decolonising Artificial Intelligence: Visual Strategies and Digital Methodologies in a Post-Digital Age, Institute of Criminology, Ljubljana, 07/03/2023

Keynote: Decolonising Machine Vision, Aksioma, Ljubljana, 06/03/2023

Book Launch: Topologies of Air (Ed. A. Downey, 2022), Imperial War Museum, London, 10/02/2023

Presentation (with Alaa Mansour and Lesia Kulchynska): How an Image Matters, Transmediale, Berlin, 02/02/2023

2022

Keynote Talk: Algorithmic Command: Digital Archives, Data Sets, and Neo-Colonial Futures, Impulse Symposium at the University of Münster, Germany, 01/10/2022

Round Table Discussion with Heba Y. Amin, Anthony Downey,  Maya Indira Ganesh, and Ana Teixeira Pinto accompanied by the catalogue launch of When I See the Future, I Close my Eyes: Chapter II, Zilberman Gallery, Berlin, 30/07/22

Keynote: Heba Y. Amin & Anthony Downey: Aerial Prophecies: Digital Methodologies and the Practice of Research, The Photographers’ Gallery, London, 02/07/22

Talk: Programmed Visions and Techno-Fossils: Heba Y Amin and Anthony Downey in conversation, 01/05/22

New Journal: Memory, Mind and Media (Cambridge University Press), 02/02/2022

2021

Symposium: Archiving Future Knowledge Systems, Online Panel Discussion, 27/05/21

Symposium: Witness Statements and Technologies of Memory, Online Panel Discussion, 13/05/21

Seminar: War and Aesthetics: The Future of Death. Algorithmic Anxieties and Programmable Destruction, Online presentation, Royal Danish Library and live-streamed via Facebook, 23-24/09/21

Book Launch: (W)archives. Archival Imaginaries, War, and Contemporary Art, Mosaic Rooms, London, 25/02/21

Egypt’s 2011 Internet Shutdown: Digital Dissent and the Future of Public Memory, Mosaic Rooms, London, 28/01/21

2020

Launch of the Journal of Digital War (Palgrave/ Macmillan, 2020), Mosaic Rooms, London, 2020/04/11

Collective Infrastructures and Knowledge Production in a Post-Digital Age, Mosaic Rooms, London, 2020/12/11

Book Publication: Heba Y. Amin: The General’s Stork  (Sternberg Press, 2020), Mosaic Rooms, London, 2020/07/10:

Book Launch and Talk: The Matter of Critique, Tate Liverpool, April 30, 2020

Book Launch: Research/Practice 02: Heba Y Amin: The General’s Stork, HKW, Berlin, April 16, 2020

Book Launch: Balaskas and Rito, eds., Institution as Praxis: New Curatorial Directions for Collaborative Research, Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, March 26, 2020

2019

Book Launch: Research/Practice 03: Larissa Sansour: Heirloom, Copenhagen Contemporary, December 12, 2019.

Public Talk: “Beyond the Arab Uprisings: Cultural Activism and the Rise of Digital Authoritarianism in a Post-Truth Age”, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, December 12, 2019.

Lecture and PhD Workshop: “The Politics of Visual Culture in the Middle East and Global South”, Graduate School, Arts at Aarhus University, December 10, 2019

Public Talk: “Performing Rights”, Institute for Global Prosperity, UCL, London, 14 November, 2019

Public Talk: Trevor Paglen in conversation with Anthony Downey, Barbican Centre, London, 26 September, 2019

Keynote: “The Future of the Networked Image: Digital Archives in a ‘Post Truth’ Age”, Irish Museum of Modern Art Summer School, Dublin, June 11, 2019

Public Talk: Performing Rights, TrAIN Open Lecture, UAL, London, 24 Apr 2019

Public Talk: “Applied Futures”, The (Networked) Image in Conflict: Cultural Activism and Visual Culture, Modern Art Oxford, April 4, 2019

Conference Paper: “Conditions of Possibility”, The Midlands Higher Education and Culture Forum, March 27, 2019

Keynote: Applied Futures: Digital Archives in a “Post Truth” Age, Archive Kabinett Berlin/Silent Green Kulturquartier, Berlin, January 26, 2019

Public Talk: Was I sleeping, while the others suffered: Contemporary Art, the Refugee Condition, and the Alibi of Engagement, ifa, Berlin, January 28, 2019

2018

Keynote: The (Networked) Image in Conflict:  Digital Archives and the Dilemma of Evidence, ICPT Conference, Nicosia, Nov 24, 2018.

Public Talk: Akram Zaatari in conversation with Anthony Downey, New Art Exchange, Nottingham, 14 July, 2018.

Lecture: “Performing Rights”, Eastside Projects, Birmingham, 13 June, 2018.

Public Talk: “Unconformities: Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige in conversation with Anthony Downey”, Acropolis Museum, Athens, 30 April, 2018.

Lecture: “Performing Rights: Contemporary Art, Public Institutions and the Refugee Condition”, ThalieLab, Brussels, Belgium, 22 March, 2018.

Jury Member, Beirut Art Residency (BAR), Beirut, in conjunction with Ziad Antar, Sandra Dagher, Fouad Elkhoury, and Bernard Khoury.  24 February, 2018.

Talk: “The Future of Image Production in the Middle East”, Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, 13 February, 2018.

Conference: Anthony Downey in conversation with Edmund Clarke, “Edmund Clarke: In Place of Hate”, IKON Gallery, Birmingham, 12 February, 2018.

Lecture: “Who Benefits from the Work of Art: Political Exceptionalism and the Refugee Condition”, V-A-C Foundation, Moscow, 20 January, 2018.

2017

Conference Paper: “Neoliberal Visions: Cultural Institutions and the Political Economy of Global Culture in the Middle East”, Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine, 11 November, 2017.

In Conversation: Ai Weiwei and Anthony Downey, FOMU, Antwerp, 25 October, 2017.

In Conversation: John Akomfrah and Anthony Downey, Barbican Centre, London, 12 October, 2017.

Chair: “On Photography and Politics Today” (Ahlam Shibli, Edmund Clark, Nikolai Larsen), Unseen, Amsterdam, 23 September, 2017.

Paper: “The Future of Image Production: Hermeneutic Suspicions and Neoliberal Conundrums”, Producing Image Activism after the Arab Uprisings Conference, University of Stockholm, 6-8 September 2017

Paper: “The Archive as Alibi”, (W)archives Conference, University of Copenhagen, 21-22 August, 2017

Keynote Paper: “Performing Rights: The Subject of Injustice and the Cultural Logic of Late Modernity”, Art, Justice and Terrorism, a one-day conference, Imperial War Museum, London, June 17, 2017

Chair: “Representing the Artist”, Survival of the Artist, a one-day symposium at the British Museum, London, 2 July, 2017

Book Launch: Don’t Shrink Me to the Size of a Bullet: The Works of Hiwa K, edited by Anthony Downey, Documenta 14 (Kassel), 11 June, 2017

Keynote Paper: “Neoliberal Visions: Cultural Institutions and the Political Economy of Global Culture in the Middle East”, Decolonizing the Cultural Institution, CCLPS Conference, SOAS, London, 16 June, 2017.

Artist’s Talk: Anthony Downey in conversation with Judy Price and Lucy Reynolds, Mosaic Rooms, London, 26 April, 2017

Paper: Instrumental Visions: Neoliberalism, Cultural Institutions and Cultural Policy in the Middle East, Westminster University, London, 21 April, 2017

Richard Mosse in conversation with Anthony Downey, Barbican Centre, London, 20 February, 2017

Book Launch: Future Imperfect at Delfina Foundation, London 22 February, 2017

2016

Lecture: The Future of an Anachronism: Contemporary Art Practices and the Precarious Image, Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah, Palestine. 16 November, 2016, 17:00. 

Lecture: Qalandiya International Symposium, Mosaic Rooms, London, Saturday 29 October, 2016.

Larissa Sansour in conversation with Anthony Downey, Mosaic Rooms, London, Wednesday 6 July, 19:00. 

Chair: “Magnum Photos Presents On Migration”, Barbican Centre, London, 14 June, 2016, 19:00

Conference Paper: Terrorism and Cultural Freedom Conference, Birmingham City University, 7 June, 2016, 9:00 – 18:00.

Lecture: “Hermeneutic Suspicion: Digital Archiving, Conflict and Cultural Production in the Middle East” University of Sussex, Brighton, Tuesday 16 February.

In conversation: John Akomfrah and Anthony Downey, Arnolfini, BristolSaturday 16 January 2016, 11:00-12:30.

2015

Downey, Anthony, panel discussion for book launch of Gulf Labor’s The Gulf: High Culture/Hard Labor, edited by Andrew Ross for Gulf Labor (OR books, 2015) Rivington Place, 19 November 2015.

Downey, Anthony, Institut d’Etudes Supérieures des Arts: Performance Art and Public Space, Leighton House Museum, London, 3 November 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Challenges of a Shared World: New Media and Social Networks”, University of Oxford, Oxford, 25 October 2015. More info here

Downey, Anthony, “AICA: London Congress Symposium: Who Cares? Value, Veneration and Criticality”, Royal College of Art, London, 27 October 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Critical Conundrums and Curatorial Imperatives”, 30th Annual SAVAH Conference: Power and Visual Culture. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, 11 September 2015. 

Downey, Anthony, “Book Launch: Dissonant Archives: Contemporary Visual Culture and Contested Narratives in the Middle East” (I.B. Tauris), Rivington Place, London, 10 September 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Book Launch: Dissonant Archives: Contemporary Visual Culture and Contested Narratives in the Middle East” (I.B. Tauris), SALT Galata, Istanbul, 5 September 2015.

Downey, Anthony. “Edinburgh International Book Festival: Art on the Attack” Garden Theatre, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 28 August 2015.

Downey, Anthony. “Zarina Bhimji in conversation with Anthony Downey” NAE Nottingham, Nottingham, 15 July 2015.

Downey, Anthony. “JAOU Tunis 2015: Visual Culture In An Age Of Global Conflict” National Museum of Bardo in Tunis, Tunisia, 28-30 May 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Launch Of Dissonant Archives: Contemporary Visual Culture And Contested Narratives In The Middle East” (I.B. Tauris) Musee Bardo, Tunis, 30 May 2015.

Downey, Anthony. “Hermeneutic Suspicion, Digital Technology, And The Crisis Of Representation In The Middle East”, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 14 April 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Book Launch: Mirrors For Princes: Both Sides of the Tongue”, Art Dubai, Dubai, 19 March 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Art and Politics Now: Renzo Martens in Conversation with Anthony Downey”, Tate Modern, London, 16 March 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Against Representation: Digital Technology and Hermeneutic Suspicion in the Middle East”, Introduction to Global Art: Middle East and North Africa, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 26 February, 2015.  

Downey, Anthony, “Publishing Online Digitised Catalogues: A Case Study (Ibraaz and The Jerusalem Show)”, The Jerusalem Show Conference, SALT, Istanbul, 17-18 February 2015.

Downey, Anthony, “Digital Media, Online Platforms, and Cultural Production in the Maghreb”, Too Early, Too Late: The Middle East and Modernity, Arte Fiere, Bologna, 24 January 2015.

Downey, Anthony,What does Digital Activism in the Arts Mean Today?: The Middle East as a Case Study”, Harvard Centre for Government and International Studies/ Harvard & MIT Programming BBP, 17-24 January 2015.

2014

Downey, Anthony, Paper: “For the Common Good? Artistic Practices and Civil Society in Tunisia”. Digital Media, New Media and the Middle East. The Centre for the Study of Contemporary Art, University College London. .

Downey, Anthony,Art and Politics Now”, London School of Economics, 13 October 2014.

Downey, Anthony,Digital Media, New Media and Online Publishing in the Middle East”, Critical Machines Conference, American University of Beirut, 6-9 March 2014.

Downey, Anthony, “Digital Networks: Contemporary Art Institutions in the Middle East”, Dar El Hekma University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 14-16 February 2014.

Downey, Anthony, Principal Convenor: Cultural Production and Cultural Relations in the Middle East Today, National Museum of Bardo, Tunis, Tunisia. Chair and Paper Presentation: “Publishing in the Middle East: Arts and Institutions”.

2013

Downey, Anthony,Future Imperfect: Cultural Propositions and Global Perspectives”, Tate Modern, 9 November 2013.

Downey, Anthony, “What Can Art Do: Knowledge Production and Distribution in the Middle East and Public Sphere”, Museum Infrastructure and Domestic Support SOAS, Regional vis-à-vis Global Discourses, Contemporary Art from the Middle East at the London Middle East Institute Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, 5 July 2013.

Downey, Anthony, “Digitised Conflict: Wafaa Bilal in conversation with Anthony Downey”, Winchester School of Art, Global Futures, The Mosaic Rooms, London, June 2013.

2012

Downey, Anthony, “Uncommon Grounds: What we talk about when we talk about cultural production in North Africa and the Middle East”, Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam, and the Stedelijk National Museum, Amsterdam, 28-29 November 2012. [from 51:26]

Downey, Anthony, “Power, Knowledge and Patronage in the Context of Civil Society in the MENA Region”, Art and Patronage Summit, Royal College of Arts, 13 January 2012.

2011

Downey, Anthony, Keynote Address ‘Create and Voluntary Arts Ireland: Arts and Civil Society Symposium’ Triskel Arts Centre, Ireland, 20 October 2011. 

Downey, Anthony, “All that Fits: The Ethics of Representation”, QUAD, Derby, 2011.

Downey, Anthony, “Agamben & the Future of Law, Politics & Philosophy”, Symposium, Newcastle Law School, 9 March 2011.

Downey, Anthony, “The Lives of Others: Ethnographic Ethics or Politicized Aesthetics”, Centre for Transcultural Research and Media Practice: ‘Ethnography in Visual Arts Practice’ Workshop, Fire Station Artists’ Studios, London, 16 February 2011. 

2010

Downey, Anthony, “I Felt Part of It, So I Did: Engaging Subjects in the Work of Anthony Luvera”, The Ethics of Participatory Practice, Photographer’s Gallery, London, November 2010.

Downey, Anthony, “Yinka Shonibare: The Anarchist Artist”, CNN African Voices, 17 May 2010.

Downey, Anthony, “The Rules of Engagement: Towards an Ethics of Collaboration”, AAH Conference, University of Glasgow, April 2010.

2009

Downey, Anthony,Pete and Repeat: Anthony Downey and Tom McCarthy Discuss Repetition in Art, Philosophy and Literature”. The London Consortium, Zabludowicz Collection, 26 November 2009.

Downey, Anthony,Tate Encounters: Between the Museum, Academy and Society”, Tate Britain, October 2009.

Downey, Anthony,Gender, War and Chadors II”, British Museum, October 2009.

Downey, Anthony,Thresholds of a Coming Community: Aesthetics, Ethics, and Politics”, AAH Annual Conference, Manchester University, April 2009.

Downey, Anthony,Tate Triennial Conference: Global Modernities”, Chair for Artist’s Roundtable Discussion, Tate Britain, March 2009.

Downey, Anthony, “The Lives of Others: Artur Zmijewski’s ‘Repetition’ and the Aesthetics of Surveillance”, Social East: Forum on the Art and Visual Culture of Eastern Europe, Courtauld Institute of Art, London, February 2009.

2008

Downey, Anthony,Discerning the Indiscernible: Contemporary Art and Zones of Indistinction”Sovereignty and Bare Life, Zones of Conflict: Rethinking Contemporary Art During Global Crisis, Tate Modern, 29 November 2008.

Downey, Anthony,At the Limits of the Image: Representations of Torture in Popular Culture”, Symposium on Iconoclasm and Iconolatry: Image, Terrorism and Blindness, CENDEAC, Murcia, Spain, October 2008.

Downey, Anthony,The Burden of Representation: Contemporary Visual Arts in the Middle East”, Representing Islam: Comparative Perspectives, Manchester University, September 2008.

Downey, Anthony,And I Bring Back Untold Treasures: The Curator As Artistic Importer”, chair, Institute of Contemporary Art, May 2008.

Downey, Anthony, Documenting Disappearance: Algeria, State Terrorism and the Photographic Image”, Centre for the Study of Human Rights public debate, London School of Economics, 15 May 2008.

Downey, Anthony, Critical Imperatives: Africa Remix and the Curatorial Dilemma, Museum Studies”, Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York University, April 2008.

Downey, Anthony, Beyond Identity Politics: Excessive Identities in the work of Yinka Shonibare, Aimé Ntakiyika, and Samuel Fosso”, Diasporic Bodies and Visual Culture, Department of the History of Art and Visual Studies, Cornell University, April 2008.

Downey, Anthony, Time Was When: Duration in the Work of Zarina Bhimji, Yto Barrada, Fatou Kande Senghor, and Allan de Souza”, International Conference on Time and Photography, Leuven and Louvain-La-Leuve University, March 2008.

2007

Downey, Anthony, “Yto Barrada and the Politics of Aesthetics Colour Photography: From Autochrome to Cibachrome”, Courtauld Institute, 10 November 2007.