STUDIO B UNSCRIPTED
Studio B Unscripted is a different discussion show for Al Jazeera English where two fascinating figures from different worlds meet for an unscripted, unmoderated discussion, in an intimate setting with breathtaking views of London. The show brings together two people, with two different life experiences and stories, in front of a small studio audience. Rather than focusing on what separates us, it focuses on what brings people together, or how we can tackle and discuss some of the big issues of our time in an intelligent manner.
On Tuesday 14th March 2023, we kindly invite you to join the studio audience of Studio B Unscripted on the 16th floor of the Shard above London Bridge station, as we host artist Trevor Paglen and forensic architect Eyal Weizman – two guests who speak truth to power and uncover the way states use military and surveillance systems to target citizens around the world.
From secret military bases to spy satellites and the algorithms that control artificial intelligence, MacArthur “Genius Grant” - winner Trevor Paglen has been exposing the infrastructures of state surveillance and mass data collection through photography, installation, film and writing. Trained as a geographer and drawing from a childhood spent on US army bases, Paglen is “making the invisible operations of military and corporate power visible to everyday citizens” (MacArthur Foundation) in works that “are as beautiful as they are terrifying” (Art Forum). His images of clandestine prisons, unmarked planes, and underwater fibre optic lines challenge audiences to reevaluate their surroundings, while establishing him as one of the leading chroniclers of the 21st century US surveillance state.
“Paglen’s work is confrontational, risky and extremely powerful” - The Guardian
“The investigative work of Eyal Weizman… is truly remarkable, breaking novel theoretical ground while actively supporting struggles for justice” - Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine
“Trevor Paglen blurs the lines between art, science, and investigative journalism to construct unfamiliar and at times unsettling ways to see and interpret the world around us” – Smithsonian American Art Museum
Eyal Weizman is the founder of Forensics Architecture, a UK-based research group dedicated to investigating human rights abuses. Examining the devastation wreaked on buildings and landscapes, they then reconstruct events like bombings, chemical attacks, extrajudicial killings and environmental crimes. Growing up in Haifa, Israel, Weizman first learned the political nature of architecture by observing the construction of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and has since emerged as a pioneer in the use of building analysis to resist state and corporate violence. Working with an international team of architects, coders, journalists, scientists, artists, and lawyers, Weizman employs cutting-edge technology to establish architectural facts as evidence in legal and political forums, including the International Criminal Court. His investigations on behalf of communities include CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, Israeli military attacks on Gaza, torture sites in Cameroon, and violence around illegal mining areas in the Amazon.
“When violence is enacted through architecture, architecture must somehow rise to resist it” - Eyal Weizman
We expect a lively discussion.
Our audience members are highly encouraged to join in the discussion with interesting and thought-provoking questions.
If you would like to join us at 6.30pm on Tuesday 14th March 2023 for an evening of compelling conversation, then apply now!
