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Student Zahra (picture centre) represented our academy in the London round of the ARTiculation prize yesterday, a national competition where students between 16-18 are invited to speak about an art work in front of an audience.

They are judged on delivery and presentation as well as conveying their thoughts and ideas about the art work.

The event was hosted by the Dulwich Picture Gallery and was adjudicated by Professor Juan Cruz, Dean of School of Fine Art at the Royal College of Art.

Inequalities

Zahra choose to speak about the art work Sometimes Making Something Leads to Nothing (pictured below) by Francis Alÿs.

Alÿs uses his art work to discuss political issues around social class and inequalities within political systems. This particular work is a performance piece which shows an absurd expenditure of effort, as Alÿs pushes a block of ice around Mexico City until it melted.

The work speaks to the frustrated efforts of everyday Mexico City residents to improve their living conditions.

Zahra was inspired by the work and linked it to everyday struggles and the need for resilience. She herself has overcome great obstacles during her time at our academy. She started her journey needing educational support and has also had personal struggles to deal with, at one point needing to be "the tower of strength for her family".

Resilience

She overcame all of her struggles and gained an A in Fine Art at GCSE and is now Deputy Head Girl. “We all have our own block off ice, no matter what culture or social class we come from,” says Zahra, and she challenges us to have resilience and further questions us to think about 'what is our block of ice'?

Commended

Zahra Gaal was selected to represent the academy after competing in the school selection process. Professor Cruz commended Zhara's grasp of the complex themes in Alÿs' work and her personal input and the parallels she made. 

Other competing schools were Chigwell School, Dulwich College, Godolphin and Latymer School, Kingsdale Foundation School, Queens Gate School, South Hampstead High School and Wallington County Grammar School. Over 4,000 young people from 200 schools currently take part in ARTiculation events every year.

A big thanks to Jose Campos, art teacher (pictured above, left), for organising our participation in the competition. Also pictured is Clare Stanhope, Head of Art. Below: Zahra speaking at the ARTiculation competition at Dulwich Picture Gallery.