Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
In this engaging and thought-provoking talk, artist Michael Pinsky delves into the intricate relationship between humans, their environment, and the unseen forces shaping our lives. Drawing from his acclaimed public art projects such as Pollution Pods and Making a Stand, Pinsky explores how art can act as a bridge between the tangible and intangible, the external and internal.
Pinsky will reveal how his practice interrogates environmental and social issues, turning the "outside in" by inviting the audience to experience the complexities of our world through immersive and sensory-driven installations. From air quality to sustainable construction materials, Pinsky's work magnifies the hidden systems we are part of but rarely perceive.
Conversely, he will discuss turning the "inside out," where personal and collective emotional responses — fear, hope, and responsibility — are made visible and actionable through his creative interventions. Through stories of collaboration, experimentation, and public engagement, Pinsky will illustrate how art can challenge perceptions, provoke dialogue, and inspire change in how we view and interact with our surroundings.
The Inside Out Lecture Series at Leeds School of Arts, Leeds Beckett University is an incredible opportunity to present international cutting-edge research and arts practice innovation to our research and teaching community here and to the wider national and international public.
Michael Pinsky is a British artist whose international projects challenge the status quo on climate change, urban design and societal wellbeing. He explores issues which shape and influence the use of our public realm to create ambitious and provocative installations in galleries and public spaces. Taking the combined roles of artist, urban planner, activist, researcher and resident, he starts residencies and commissions by working with local people and resources, allowing the physical, social and political environment to define his working methodology.
His work has been shown at: TATE Britain; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chengdu; Saatchi Gallery; Victoria and Albert Museum; Institute for Contemporary Art, London; La Villette, Paris; BALTIC, Gateshead; Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow; Modern Art Oxford, KunstMuseum Bonn, Cornerhouse, Manchester; Liverpool Biennial, Centre de Création Contemporaine, Tours; Armory Center of the Arts, Los Angeles and the Rotterdam International Architectural Biennial.
His recent installation Pollution Pods is touring internationally and has been exhibited in Somerset House, London, COP 29, Dubia; COP 26, Glasgow; COP25, IFEMA, Madrid, Spain; UN Climate Change Summit, New York; Science Gallery Melbourne; Media City Plaza, Manchester; TED Annual Conference, Vancouver; Place des Nations, Geneva; Klimahaus, BremerHaven, Germany and STARMUS, Trondheim, Norway.
Artnet included Pollution Pods in its list of the 100 Works of Art That Defined the Decade. Stir Magazine, named the installation in its top ten Art works that stired the world in 2019. Connaissance des Arts, included Pollution Pods in the top 10 artworks which engage with climate change and BBC Culture featured the installation for Earth Day as one of the best ways to change the world.
Dr Michael Pinsky graduated from the Royal College of Art. He has received awards from the RSA, Arts Council England, British Council, Arts and Business, the Wellcome Trust and his exhibition Pontis was shortlisted for the prestigious Gulbenkian Museums Award.
