Central Saint Martins returns to Tate Exchange

Following the inaugural residency in January that saw 4,000 members of the public join Fine Art students to turn the art school upside down, Central Saint Martins returns to Tate Exchange in 2018 with Studio Complex: How to survive as an artist in the metropolis

“It occurred to us that last year we were thinking about students while they were with us, and this year we should think about once they’ve left,” says Alex Schady, Director of the Fine Art Programme.

“London was once a city with overlooked spaces open to occupation and experimentation. It has become an increasingly difficult environment for emerging artists,” Schady continues. Those graduating from art school now find fewer spaces in which to work, with affordable studios a thing of the past. According to the GLA’s Artists’ Workshop Study, 30 per cent of artists’ studios in London will be lost by 2019.

What will the London of the future look like if you can only afford to live here if you’re a banker or a city lawyer? What happens to the cultural diversity, does it cease to be a city and become a financial centre?”
Alex Schady

With the romantic notion of a workspace an increasing impossibility, where will the studios of the future be? A park bench, a public library, a social media thread, a local radio station – anywhere! Over 200 Fine Art students and staff will be building their studios at Tate Modern in full public view.

As with the first Tate Exchange outing, the event comes to life with members of the public who – for Studio Complex – are encouraged to join in and help build the creative life of their chosen studio.

Studio Complex: How to survive as an artist in the metropolis is at Tate Modern, 16-21 January 2018.

More:

• Tate Exchange
• Fine Art Programme