Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery announces two compelling public events exploring the intersection of art, law, and justice, as part of J’Accuse…! Sculptures by Nicole Farhi — an exhibition addressing miscarriages of justice.

On Thursday 1 May, sculptor and former fashion designer, Farhi, whose exhibition is on view at Pitzhanger until 15 June, will be joined by leading defence solicitor and campaigner Matt Foot, co-director of the legal charity APPEAL, for a conversation chaired by journalist Torin Douglas. APPEAL have worked closely with Andrew Malkinson, whose wrongful conviction and eventual exoneration made headlines — and whose portrait is featured in Farhi’s exhibition. Together, they will explore how miscarriages of justice occur, and how art can be a powerful force for truth-telling and change.

On Thursday 12 June, Farhi will be in conversation with Professor Anthony Julius, Chair in Law and the Arts at UCL and Deputy Chairman of Mishcon de Reya. A notable lawyer, academic and author, Julius has written extensively on law, literature, art, and culture. He is best known for representing Diana, Princess of Wales, and Deborah Lipstadt in her landmark case against Holocaust denier David Irving. His conversation with Farhi will reflect on themes of truth, accountability, and the responsibilities of the artist.

The exhibition features 25 hand-painted busts of individuals from across the world who have suffered miscarriages of justice over the past 125 years. Inspired by Émile Zola’s open letter of the same name, the work invites reflection on legal systems and the human cost of their failure.

“These are the men and women to whom irrevocable wrong was done. The only thing anyone can do now is look them in the eye, see them plain, and commit them to memory. Not forgetting them is the greatest service we can offer.”
— Nicole Farhi