It is often held that we live in a ‘risk society’, with ecological crisis, political instability and economic volatility creating increasing danger and uncertainty. At both an individual and collective level, it is difficult to say what kind of world we might come to live in. Coming to grips with ‘risk’ is often understood to be a way of mitigating the worst effects of this state of affairs by by making the future knowable, manageable and even profitable (for some, at least). Artists, meanwhile, often mobilize risk in their work, with risky and chance-led processes used by those seeking to diminish or alter their agency in systems of production.

Risk, then, is variously to be avoided, managed, speculated upon, utilised or encouraged; and might be associated with danger or possibility (or both, sometimes simultaneously). Risk Related is a year-long programme of challenging and playful artistic commissions and events exploring and utilizing risk, as well as the social, cultural, economic, political and ecological relations it draws from and gives rise to. Collaborating with academics from across the University and beyond, commissioned artists will explore how different forms of risk intersect, as well as adopting risky approaches and methods in their work. 

Two major new works have been commissioned from Sonia Levy and Stine Marie Jacobsen, whilst Theo Reeves-Evison, Libby Heaney, FRAUD, Ami Clarke and Helen Papaioannou have been commissioned to undertake residencies culminating either in the production of a standalone happening, or which contribute to the development of larger, ongoing projects.

The academic lead for Risk Related is Dr Ksenia Chmutina (Senior Lecturer in Sustainable and Resilient Urbanism). Other project partners are listed on the pages for the relevant artistic commission.