It Matters What Happens Next was a free public programme of newly commissioned artworks and live events that considered origins of care and the transition between states of ‘caring’ to being ‘cared for’ by others. How do we understand welfare, labour, and communities through the lens of care? What does it mean to give as well as receive care? The project brings together individuals, institutions, and the public, interweaving our collective notions of care by looking toward the question: how do we maintain ongoing acts of reciprocal care into the future?
Prior to the final launch, four creative workshops were held at Spring Grove Care Home, which overlooks the garden of Camden Art Centre. A group of residents from the neighbouring home collaborated with artists Youngsook Choi and Eva Freeman to create a dialogue about care, exploring themes such as vulnerability, strength, resilience and institutional care. The residents reflected and shared stories whilst engaging in various forms of artistic practice such as sculpting and watercolour painting. Drawing inspiration from the resulting conversations, physical objects and images collected during the workshops, the two artists presented a live, multimedia performance, the Circle of Care, in the garden, which adjoins the care home.
Besides the performance, the programme also hosted a roundtable conversation Talkaoke in the garden led by collective, The People Speak. The pop-up talk show asked audiences to explore what everyday acts of care look like today. On the next day, visitors were invited to drop into an afternoon workshop with artist Lucy Steggals to rub their bodies with charcoal, exploring the tactility of textile-based materials, to consider tender moments of care for the body and our intimate relations with objects, places and people.
It Matters What Happens Next, curated by students from the Royal College of Art MA Curating Contemporary Art, is a part of 2022 Graduate Projects in partnership with Camden Art Centre. It Matters What Happens Next is curated by Pierce Eldridge, Holly Pines, Chuhan Luo, Ruidi Sun, Yuwei Ren, Mohan Shao, Yangjie Zhang.
