‘Still Life’ and the Safer World Conference 2022

Running yesterday and today is the Lloyds Register Foundation’s Safer World Conference at the Old Billingsgate, London, which brings together thought leaders from research, academia, business and government to discuss today’s biggest safety challenges and new approaches needed to create a safer world. The organisers of the event invited Ross to exhibit ‘Still Life’ in the hall as the genesis of the project chimes with the aims of the conference. The piece, inspired by the government’s pushback policy and the safety of refugees at sea, hanging in the centre of the exhibition floor emblematic of the work the conference in championing. There is also a chance to see a screening of the documentary film ‘Searchlight‘, previously shown at the Hay-On-Wye Festival. This includes a Q&A session with the RNLI’s Jamie Chestnutt and award-winning journalist Dan McDougall. Searchlight is the third short film commissioned by Lloyd’s Register Foundation to explore the relationship between the ocean and people all around the world

‘Over 320,000 people worldwide drown every year. As long as people and vessels are on the water, search and rescue (SAR) operations are needed. Yet operating conditions are increasingly challenging and SAR teams face unprecedented new risks. Given the increasing demands we are placing on ocean space and the risk of working in ever more extreme environments, how can we better protect people from harm?’ Lloyd Register Foundation.

To coincide with ‘Still Life‘ at the Old Billingsgate, we have produced a book of the ‘Still Life’ exhibition shown at the Leicester Contemporary Gallery in November. Complementing the Artefact book we produced last year, the book is available to purchase directly from us for £15 plus £3 postage and packaging via PayPal, please email us at moderneccentrics@gmail.com for further information.

Lloyd’s Register Foundation is an independent global charity that aims to engineer a safer world by reducing risk and improving the safety of the critical infrastructure that supports society. It does this by supporting high-quality research, accelerating technology to application and through education and public outreach. Topics under discussion at the conference will include safety in a post-Covid word, how to maintain sustainable oceans, and whether businesses can combine profit with social purpose.

The Victorian Grade II listed Old Billingsgate Market was once a world famous fish market, running up until 1982. The Grand Hall, which now holds varying events from exhibitions to awards dinners, was the market floor, and the basement of Old Billingsgate, now The Vault, was covered in 50 years of ice used to store the fishermen’s catch. Given an industrial twist by architect Lord Richard Rogers, the building has undergone an amazing transformation, from the 19th century’s largest fish market to London’s premier event space.