An inspiring conversation on art, place, and poetic resistance

Discover how art can shift perspectives and spark new ways of thinking. Join Monica Narula of Raqs Media Collective in conversation with Andy Franzkowiak, Custodian of the Cultural Reforesting programme and Arts Direction of Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival. The event will be chaired by Jeanine Griffin, Curator at Invisible Dust.

Delhi-based Raqs Media Collective, one of the most influential voices in contemporary art, are currently collaborating with Invisible Dust on The Tides of Our Tears: a trail of augmented reality poems along the frequently flooded Thames riverside path.

Founded in 1992 by Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula and Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Raqs Media Collective have shaped the international art world through their expansive, interdisciplinary work. They move fluidly between roles as artists, curators, editors, filmmakers and philosophical provocateurs, producing acclaimed exhibitions, films, books and collaborative projects across art, science, technology and urban life.Their concept of ‘kinetic contemplation’ invites audiences to look again at what they take for granted, creating work that resonates intellectually, politically and poetically.

As part of the event, we’ll take a gentle riverside walk to experience the AR works in situ, before ending the afternoon at a beloved local pub on the tideway, complete with a beer garden that regularly floods with the river.

Visit The Tides of Our Tears throughout the festival and encounter a poetic reimagining of the Thames foreshore through augmented reality.