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In association with ‘What Photography & Incarceration have in Common with an Empty Vase’ by Edgar Martins, currently on exhibition at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, Edgar Martins will be in conversation with Fiona and Sarah from the Koestler Arts Trust and Sophie from Grapevine. During the event the speakers will talk about some of the themes explored in the exhibition including isolation, loneliness, loss and disadvantage.

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Edgar Martins was born in Portugal and grew up in Macau, China. In 1996 he moved to London, where he studied at the University of the Arts and the Royal College of Art. Landscape, place, space and political, social and human issues are explored in his multifaceted work.
His work is included in significant collections including the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon; Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Royal Institute of British Architects, UK; Dallas Museum of Art;  Fondazione MAST, Bologna; Fondation Carmignac, Paris. His first book was awarded the Thames & Hudson and RCA Society Book Art Prize. Between 2002 and 2020 Martins published twelve separate books.  He was the recipient of the inaugural New York Photography Award (Fine Art category) in May 2008. Between 2009 and 2010 he was also awarded the SONY World Photography Award and 1st prize in the Fine Art/Abstract category of the 2010 International Photography Awards. In 2017-2018 he was distinguished in the Magnum and SONY World Photography Awards. He also represented Macau, China, at the 54th Venice Biennale.

Grapevine is an organisation that helps all kinds of people experiencing isolation, poverty and disadvantage in Coventry and Warwickshire. They are a pioneering example of how to help people work together to solve their problems for good. Grapevine strengthens people, sparks action and shifts power across services. They empower local citizens with the skills and confidence to act on what they care about; connecting through their shared humanity, taking power into their own hands and regenerating their communities. To find out more about their activities and programme visit www.grapevinecovandwarks.org

Koestler Arts has been inspiring participation in the arts by people in the UK’s criminal justice system for nearly 60 years. The Koestler Awards – an annual awards programme spanning 52 categories, judged by over 100 expert judges including Jeremy Deller, Hot Chip, Emma Bridgewater, Raphael Rowe and Joelle Taylor, is key to their programme as well as outreach, mentoring, events, sales, feedback and exhibitions. They also run exhibitions and events featuring work by entrants to the awards across the UK with the aim of helping offenders, secure patients and detainees lead more positive lives by motivating them to participate and achieve in the arts and to increase public awareness and understanding of arts by people in the criminal justice system. To find out more about our work and upcoming exhibitions and events visit koestlerarts.org.uk