The I and the We
2021 UK exhibition at Southbank Centre
Curated by Camille Walala and Sarah Ihler-Meyer
29 October – 5 December 2021
Exhibition Space, Level 1, Royal Festival Hall
Curated by artist Camille Walala and her sister, curator Sarah Ihler-Meyer, The I and the We presented around 200 powerful artworks selected from over 6,400 entries to the 2021 Koestler Awards.
The 2021 Koestler Arts UK exhibition of art, music and writing by people in criminal justice settings was back in Level 1 of Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
The exhibition showcased quirky artworks made of found materials, works full of humour and joy, as well as pieces reflecting on loss, relationships and prison life, all created during the pandemic.
Events
Voices from Prison
Friday 26 November, 6.30pm; Level 5 Function Room
Powerful performances of written work from the 2020 and 2021 Koestler Awards. Hosted by artist and curator Gary Mansfield, a previous Koestler Award-winner and host of The Ministry of Arts Podcast.
*Recording coming soon*
Exhibition Tours
Daily; Exhibition Space
A group of ex-prisoner exhibition hosts, employed by Koestler Arts, were specially trained to help guide visitors around the exhibition. Working alongside Southbank Centre Visitor Assistants, hosts shared their insights about the artworks and used their personal experience to help visitors understand more about where the pieces have come from.
Pop-up shop
Open daily; Exhibition Space
Closed during exhibition tours
Hundreds of artworks from this year’s Koestler Awards were for sale and ready to take away at our Pop-Up Art shop. Visitors could also find Koestler Arts merchandise and publications, including and the charity’s brand-new poetry anthology Koestler Voices Vol. 3. The book showcases insightful poetry written by those in criminal justice settings during the challenges of the past two years, and features a foreword by poet Jackie Kay.
Playlist
Listen to the music from the exhibition, The I and the We, through the Soundcloud playlist below.
Film and Animation
Watch the three short films from the exhibition, The I and the We in the YouTube playlist below.
Online Gallery
View the artworks from the exhibition, The I and the We, in the gallery below.