Post 3.11 - What Can Art Do? Four Years On: Art and the Disaster

Post 3.11 is a series of talks showcasing the activities of artists who through various ways, have been engaged with the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan. The series aims to re-examine the role of artists and art in the aftermath of such unprecedented events.

Four years have now passed since 3.11 and despite a new phase beginning in the areas affected, there are still a great number of problems to overcome. Marking the fourth anniversary of the disaster, the fourth session of this talk series will look into artists’ interactions with the affected areas a few years on, as opposed to the immediate response. Considering particularly the context of the ‘post’ aftermath, what does it mean for artists and cultural sectors to be involved at this stage, and what can they achieve themselves?

Broadening the focal point from specifically 3.11 to more global and historical events, the event will also explore how artists can be engaged once time has passed and the dust has settled, fundamentally questioning ‘what can art do’.