Greatly increased mobility and high-speed information exchange have brought an unprecedented variety of beliefs and cultures into proximity and often into conflict. St. George’s House, The London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange (LCACE) and Difference Exchange hosted a dinner debate entitled Beyond The Eye of Reason that explored the role art could play in this constantly shifting landscape, and reassessed the parallels between art and religion. The dinner consisted of 3 provocations, 8 tables, 8 debates, 50 diners and 1 reflection. The aim was not to reach consensus, but high quality disagreement, a genuine and rigorous engagement with the issues to hand. The evening began with three provocations by speakers drawn from the worlds of faith, the arts and academia. The invited audience was defined by its eclecticism, and inclusive of artists, atheists, humanists, scientists, theologians, clergy and cultural theorists from a broad sweep of faith backgrounds. The dinner debate explored the contemporary relationship between art and faith; the similarities and differences in practice, shared methodologies and arts as a common language.

Contributors/Speakers: Professor Maleiha Malik, King’s College London; Ansuman Biswas, Artist; Professor Ben Quash, King’s College London; Dr Tiffany Jenkins, sociologist and cultural commentator.