“Collar the lot!” Artists, Aliens and Aspects of Internment in Britain c. 1940 – Four Short Talks Chaired by Monica Bohm-Duchen

Internment in Douglas, Ernst Eisenmayer, 1940 © Ben Uri Gallery

12 Star Gallery, Europe House, 32 Smith Square, London

Ben Uri Gallery and Museum is delighted to present three free linked talks following on from the recent exhibition curated by the Ben Uri Research Unit, marking the contribution to art in Britain by the so-called ‘Hitler emigres’ on the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. A range of distinguished speakers engage with topics that continue to resonate deeply: identity, migration, displacement and internment – and the power of art to reflect and respond to these issues. Each talk will be preceded by refreshments and followed by an audience Q&A.

“Collar the lot!” Artists, Aliens and Aspects of Internment in Britain c. 1940

Charmian Brinson, Julia Winckler, Fran Lloyd and Rachel Pistol

Chaired by Monica Bohm-Duchen, Director: Insiders/Outsiders Festival

These four short talks present different aspects of the often-overlooked British internment crisis of 1940. Charmian Brinson discusses how cultural activities managed to flourish behind barbed wire, particularly in two very different Isle of Man camps: Rushen women’s camp and Hutchinson men’s camp (often known as the ‘Artists’ Camp, its internees including renowned German artists Kurt Schwitters and Ludwig Meidner). Julia Winckler focusses on the creative output of another Hutchinson internee, German painter/writer Fred Uhlman; Fran Lloyd, on young Austrian refugee, Ernst Eisenmayer; while Rachel Pistol provides a fascinating account of the reactions of the British press and other contemporary views on this extraordinary moment in Britain’s wartime history.

17 October 2019, 6.30pm

Admission free