Ministry of Arts Podcast

REWIND - From October 2020This week Gary Mansfield speaks to one of the world’s most innovative sculptors; Richard Wilson.Richard Wilson is one of Britain’s most renowned sculptors. He is internationally celebrated for his interventions in architectural space which draw heavily for their inspiration from the worlds of engineering and construction.Wilson has exhibited widely nationally and internationally for over thirty years and has made major museum exhibitions and public works in countries as diverse as Japan, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Australia and numerous countries throughout Europe. Wilson has also represented Britain in the Sydney, Sao Paulo, Venice and Aperto Biennial and the Yokohama Triennal, was nominated for the Turner Prize on two occasions and was awarded the prestigious DAAD residency in Berlin 1992/3. He was one of a select number of artists invited to create a major public work for The Millennium Dome and the only British artist invited to participate in Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial 2000, Japan.Wilson was in 2004 appointed Visiting Research Professor at the University of East London, in 2006 he was elected as a member of the Royal Academy and in 2008 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate at the University of Middlesex.For more information on Richard Wilson and his work go to www.richardwilsonsculptor.comFor full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www. ministryofarts.org Email: [email protected] Social Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Abdollah Nafisi (@Abdollah.Nafisi)Abdollah Nafisi is a sculptor and skilled craftsman whose practice explores the relationship between nature, industry and human connection. His work draws on an interest in Western philosophy and experiences travelling alongside Iranian nomadic communities, informing a belief in the social and relational dimensions of being present.His debut solo exhibition, I Can’t Meditate, at Staffordshire St, Peckham, runs from 16 October to 1 November 2026. Bringing together bold, tactile sculptures made from natural materials and discarded industrial waste, the exhibition invites visitors to engage through touch, sound, movement and assembly. Rather than presenting meditation as solitary stillness, Nafisi proposes connection as an alternative route to contemplation. The sculptures become prompts for play, collaboration and shared discovery, encouraging visitors to consider the space between bodies as a place where relationships emerge. Part sensory environment, part participatory experiment, I Can’t Meditate asks whether making, moving and spending time together might offer a more accessible form of mindfulness.For more information on the work of Abdollah Nafisi go to https://www.staffordshirest.com/Cover image courtesy of Sergey Novikov @plus1apTo Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofartsFor full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.ukEmail: [email protected] Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Louise Fletcher (@LouiseFletcher_Art)Louise Fletcher is a UK-based artist whose atmospheric, semi-abstract paintings are inspired by the wild landscapes of North Yorkshire, where she lives and works. Her practice explores the relationship between place, memory and emotion, using expressive colour, texture and intuitive mark-making to create landscapes that feel both familiar and imagined. More recently, Louise has been embracing change and experimentation in her work, moving towards increasingly intuitive and abstract approaches while allowing new ideas to emerge without forcing a particular outcome. This openness to creative discovery is central to her philosophy as an artist.Louise is also widely known as the co-host, with fellow artist Alice Sheridan, of Art Juice, a popular podcast exploring the realities of creative life, from making and selling art to confidence, inspiration and the challenges of sustaining an artistic practice. After six years and hundreds of episodes, the podcast concluded in 2025, leaving a lasting resource for artists and art lovers.For more information on the work of Louise Fletcher go tohttps://www.louisefletcherart.com/To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofartsFor full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.ukEmail: [email protected] Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Ryan Stanier, founder of Fair Play Art Fair (@FairPlayArtFair)Ryan Stanier, founder of The Other Art Fair (2011), is about to launch a brand new art fair during Frieze week. Fair Play Art Fair brings around 70 independent artists to One Marylebone for four days this October. Meet the artists, see their work up close and, if something grabs your attention, buy it directly from the person who made it. Every artist exhibiting at Fair Play has been chosen by an independent Selection Committee for the quality of their work, not their ability to pay for exhibition space.This opens the fair to artists beyond the usual commercial routes, providing a broader yet still curated view of art being made today. A sense of play runs through the whole fair, with live performance, music, artist-led events, food, drink and late-night programming drawing you through One Marylebone and into the evening.Expect live performance, music, artist-led events and unexpected interventions throughout the building, with selected nights carrying on late. Full programme coming soon.Fair Play is a new, curated, artist-first fair, designed to connect outstanding independent artists with engaged collectors and a new generation of art buyers. Join us at One Marylebone from 15-18 October. The general sale Advance price is £24.For more information on the work of Pure Evil go tohttps://fairplayartfair.com/To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofartsFor full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.ukEmail: [email protected] Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Peter Morris @petermorrisarchitects@kcawlondon Peter Morris is primarily an architect, who has been running his own practice for over a decade. But his other creative work – as an artist, illustrator, model-maker and designer of products and interiors – has always sat alongside his architectural work, and he loves to bring the colour, quirkiness and joy of his artworks to his buildings wherever possible. The sculpture joining KCAW ART TRAIL this summer is a Wendy House version of a house that Peter is about to start building for his family, in North London, called The Cloud House – and the story of how this lifelong dream came into being has deep roots in the K&C borough. Commenting on the theme of this year’s Kensington + Chelsea Art Week, Peter said: “Kensington & Chelsea changed me, and this artwork reflects and celebrates that change.” For more information on the Kensington Chelsea Art Week & Trail go to https://www.kcaw.co.ukTo Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofartsFor full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.ukEmail: [email protected] Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.