Stephen Bennett
SRG Bennett is a multimedia artist and policymaker, interested in the intersection of art, science and politics.
He has worked in policy areas including biofuels, climate change, migration and ageing, where he has sought to apply science and evidence into the policy process. Whilst studying MA Art and Science at Central Saint Martins, Stephen increasingly focused his practice on the relationship between evidence, emotions & political action. In parallel Stephen has experimented with the application of artistic practices in a UK policymaking context.
His work explores the interaction between art, science and politics. Ice caps are melting and species are being wiped out. There is abundant evidence and data on this yet the right political decisions are not always taken. His work explores whether art can bridge the gap between science and public decision-making. Data visualisation and maps are points of departure. Edward Tufte (2006) describes the importance of escaping ‘flatland’, given that “all the interesting worlds (physical, biological, imaginary, human)… are… multivariate in nature”. Regan et al (2015) describe how processing, analysing and presenting data is “increasingly removed from the everyday experience”. His work takes information from electronic and relatively inaccessible data repositories and presents it in analogue, tangible and interactive formats. Nicolas Bourriard (2002) argues that artworks can build micro-communities, and relational aesthetics can be employed to embroil the viewer in an issue. His hypothesis is that participatory and interactive art can increase agency and engagement in evidence.
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