Martin Parr, Cornelia Parker, Nadav Kander and John Keane are key speakers for this year’s edition of the Aesthetica Future Now Symposium.

Through panel discussions, lectures, funding advice sessions and portfolio reviews, the Aesthetica Future Now Symposium (York UK, 12-13 March) is an exploration of 21^st century culture through the mechanism of art. It offers practical support as well as wider inspiration. It is a key event in the UK arts calendar.

This year’s speakers include renowned UK documentary photographer Martin Parr, who will speak about his distinguished career documenting contemporary life and the human condition. Cornelia Parker (OBE, RA) will touch upon the use of materials in sculpture and large-scale installation, exploring their meaning in a world of mass-consumption and geological fragility. Also in attendance is Prix Pictet-winning artist and director Nadav Kander, and Official War Artist John Keane, who will speak about the ethics of representing a war zone, reinterpreting the definition of painting.

Representatives from Magnum Photos, Somerset House, British Journal of Photography, Creative Review, Photo London, The Photographers’ Gallery, Design Museum, The Art Newspaper, Queer Britain and Serpentine Galleries will also be speaking about the landscape of curation, digital art, funding, journalism and the role of art prizes today. 

Panel discussion topics include: Building an Inclusive Industry; How to Get Ahead as an Emerging Artist; The Business of Art: Galleries, Art Fairs and Markets; New Technologies: The Potential of Data-Influenced Artworks and The Changing Face of Journalism.

Future Now 2020 runs 12-13 March at York St John University. It coincides with the launch of the Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition at York Art Gallery, bringing together 18 shortlisted artists from the competition.