How can art help us learn to live together again in a time of division and uncertainty?
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel invites you to join the lecture 'Art effects: sensory education in uncertain times' by prof. Premesh Lalu as part of the Ties That Bind Us series and the Pauwels Academy of Critical Thinking.
In this lecture, South African professor Premesh Lalu explores how art can help us rethink what it means to live together in a world marked by uncertainty and inequality. He speaks about the ties that connect people, but also about the moments when those ties may need to be loosened to make space for something new.
Lalu will integrate insights from The Herds, a groundbreaking public art and climate initiative designed to inspire action and renew our bond with the natural world. From April to August 2025, life-size puppet animals stormed through city centers on a 20,000km journey from Kinshasa in the Congo Basin to Nordkapp in the Arctic Circle, fleeing climate disaster. In doing so, the project brought together the worlds of arts and science in an urgent call for climate action.