Dr Marsha Bradfield

Biography

My practice research explores the broad subject of interdependence. I’m interested in how context, ethics, politics, archives and technology shape cultural production. Through conversation, translation, and hybrid processes—across labour and leisure, human and artificial intelligence—culture is continually created and recreated, including its intangible heritage.

Whether a drawing, a publication or a business, I rely on curiosity to generate experiments that avoid a signature style. Approaching interdependence with an attitude of openness helps me to work with complexity and ambiguity. Through this, new conditions of possibility can emerge for creating multidimensional value.

I am well known for working with artist-led, long-term, self-organised collaborations, collectives and other forms of cooperation. These include the Artificial Intelligence Research Group, BeFantastic/Jaaga/Dara, Critical Practice, Future Reflections, Pangaea Sculptors' Centre, Precarious Workers Brigade and Shared Campus.

I approach each collaborative opportunity by asking questions that I want to answer through my expanded practice. This finds form as dialogic art, intercultural practices and other expressions of critical cultural production. For instance, I have been co-convening Incidental Unit since 2016, when it was established as the third iteration of the Artist Placement Group to continue grappling with the artist’s role in society and the purpose and purposelessness of art. Incidental Unit is a glocal network that is reprising co-founder Barbara Steveni’s preoccupation with ‘not knowing’ and John Latham’s use of the term ‘incidental’ to enrich debates about creative agency.

I have realised large-scale, site-specific projects including Incidental Futures (UK tour, 2018–2019), Producing Future Homes and Communities (Tate Modern, 2018) and #TransActing: A Market of Values (Chelsea College of Arts, 2015). My international track record spans exhibitions, residencies and other cultural production for V&A (London), 16 Beaver (New York), India Art Fair (Delhi), Wyspa (Gdansk), Berlin Biennial 7 (Berlin), Centre A (Vancouver), ICA (London), The Knot (Berlin), Labor (Budapest), Modern Art Oxford (Oxford), Museum of Modern Art (Warsaw), Matadero (Madrid), the Serpentine (London) and steirischer herbst (Graz).

Since 2021, I have led the MA Intercultural Practices at Central Saint Martins. This complements my teaching in Fine Arts at Camberwell College of Arts and my work as a PhD supervisor. (Look here for my specialisms.)

I welcome interest from collaborators and prospective MA and PhD students who are grappling with issues aligned with my diverse lines of practice research in art, design, curating, performance and their education and organisation. Please email me at marsha.bradfield@arts.ac.uk