Bette Adriaanse and Brian Eno

Why do we need art? What does it do for our communities? How can it transform us?

These are some of the questions artists Bette Adriaanse and Brian Eno attempt to answer in this discussion about the social power of art. The pair have collaborated on social projects, and their conversation led to working together on What Art Does, a book that assembles the ideas Eno has developed during his working life.

Eno studied art at college before joining the band Roxy Music, and he spent five decades making music with people including David Bowie and Grace Jones. His visual art has been shown internationally in over 200 venues and he is involved in activist work.

Adriaanse is an artist who writes novels and short stories. She teaches in art schools and co-founded TRQSE – a network of artists and scientists who work together on social projects, which is where she met Eno.