'State of the arts' conference goes global

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It began as a rumbling dissatisfaction with the state of contemporary art, grew into a local Sussex protest and is now an international movement supported by Prince Charles and the celebrated composer Arvo Part.

This year the fourth annual conference of New Metaphysical Art (NMA) on campus has attracted speakers from around the world.

The one-day event will once again be addressing the issue of what can be done to counteract the trivialisation of art.

Ninian Smart, Professor of Comparative Religion at the University of California, will look at 'Art as the Exploration of Spiritual Experience'. Indian filmmaker Rajan Khosa will introduce and show his film Dance of the Wind, while Raul Peschiera will launch the sixth edition of international literary magazine The Literary Review and modern composer James McMillan will talk about 'Inspiration and Music'.

From closer to home, Professor Gabriel Josipovici, author and visiting fellow in HUMS, will pose the argument "Why art matters" and Norbert Lynton, Emeritus Professor of History, will introduce and discuss the work of Seaford painter Harold Mockford, who will also be available for questions.

Sussex's Professor of Arts Education Peter Abbs, who is a founder of the NMA along with composer Jonathan Harvey and choreographer Anna Carlisle, will read from his poetic work Love After Sappho.

Peter said the group's campaign against the "uncritical and endless use of parody and pastiche in art" continues: "We need art which is defiant, passionate, metaphysical and utterly inexorable."

He said the way forward is to encourage a global dialogue between philosophies and to look beyond the Western world to understand the role that art still plays in primitive and indigenous cultures.

"Modern art, even the Turner Prize, has become institutionalised," he said. "There could be something better than this. If we don't begin to confront the future, it looks very bleak."

The NMA conference is on Saturday 8 April, in the Chichester Lecture Theatre, from 9.30am until 8pm. For tickets contact Lorna Pidgeon on ext. 8438.