The Fitzwilliam Museum Podcasts Fitzwilliam Museum

In this episode, artist Paul Scott discusses Cumbrian Blues Palestine Gaza, a ceramic plate recently acquired by the Fitzwilliam. This dessert plate once showed an idealized landscape of 19th-century Palestine, but Scott has overlaid this image with scenes of modern-day destruction in Gaza. Scott discusses the history of transferware pottery, and his efforts to reveal the hidden politics behind landscapes. This series is supported by the Charlotte Bonham-Carter Trust.

In preserving our pasts for the benefit of future generations, museums have always been forward looking. But what does the future, and the future of museums, look like? In this episode of What Are Museums For?, Fitzwilliam Museum Director Luke Syson and Athena Art Foundation Director Nicola Jennings are joined by Professor Rebecca Kilner and Esme Ward, to explore museums’ relationship to the environment, nature and science. What role have the arts historically played in shaping our ideas about the environment? How do museums help to bring scientific knowledge into the public sphere? How can museums promote sustainable values and become more sustainable themselves whilst nurturing a global audience? This podcast is a Fitzwilliam Museum, Colnaghi Foundation and Athena Art Foundation co-production.

In this episode, artist Aida Wilde discusses Dreamboat II, a tiny origami boat made from repurposed Syrian Banknotes. Dreamboat II was commissioned by The Fitzwilliam as part of its Currencies of Conflict and Exchange exhibition. Wilde discusses her desire to raise money and awareness for refugees, as well as her own experience as a survivor of political violence from Iran. 
This series is supported by the Charlotte Bonham-Carter Trust.

Digital technologies are continually changing the way we engage with and relate to physical objects. In this episode of What Are Museums For?, Fitzwilliam Museum Director Luke Syson and Athena Art Foundation Director Nicola Jennings are joined by Alayo Akinkugbe, Dr Gus Casely-Hayford OBE and Daniel Pett, to discuss the current digital opportunities around museum collections and engagement. What role can virtual exhibitions play in connecting people to collections? How might digital and physical approaches be combined to generate new layers of meaning? How can social media help us to tell different stories and engage younger audiences? This podcast is a Fitzwilliam Museum, Colnaghi Foundation and Athena Art Foundation co-production.

Every object tells a story, and the stories of how objects ended up in museums can be fraught with political and moral complexity, and even violence. In this episode of What Are Museums For?, Fitzwilliam Museum Director Luke Syson and Athena Art Foundation Director Nicola Jennings are joined by Professor Nicholas Thomas and Dr Donna Yates, to consider questions of institutional and community authority in the context of historical collections. Why do debates – and actions – around restitution matter? What responsibility do collectors/collections have to investigate and respond to the histories of the objects in their care? How does the restitution of objects fit with a broader desire to understand all cultures in all parts of the world?
This podcast is a Fitzwilliam Museum, Colnaghi Foundation and Athena Art Foundation co-production.

In this episode, artist Reza Aramesh discusses, Action 125, a hyper-realistic polychrome sculpture acquired by The Fitzwilliam Museum and displayed alongside Berruguete's Saint Sebastian, made 500 years earlier. Aramesh discusses the detailed process behind this sculpture and how it asks the viewer to engage with themes of representation and the iconography of the subjugated body in the context of race, class and sexuality. This series is supported by the Charlotte Bonham-Carter Trust.