Join acclaimed sculptor and former designer Nicole Farhi and leading criminal defence solicitor Matt Foot for a powerful discussion on J’Accuse…! Sculptures by Nicole Farhi chaired by writer and journalist Torin Douglas at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery.
Featuring 25 hand-sculpted ceramic busts, the exhibition portrays individuals from around the world who have suffered miscarriages of justice over the past 125 years—cases that have shaped legal history. Inspired by Émile Zola’s famous 1898 letter exposing the wrongful conviction of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, Farhi’s work invites visitors to reflect on the human cost of injustice.
As a campaigning lawyer and co-director of APPEAL, Foot has dedicated his career to defending protestors and victims of wrongful convictions. His insight into the legal battles behind these cases will offer a compelling perspective on the themes of justice, accountability, and the role of art in social change.
Please be aware that this talk will discuss cases of miscarriages of justice, including wrongful convictions and legal failings which have had huge impacts on people’s lives. Some of the cases referred to the exhibition involve accounts of abuse. Attendees may find the subject matter distressing. If you are affected by any of the issues raised, then you can find links to support and practical advice here.
Thursday 1 May 2025
6.30–7.30 pm
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ
£12 Adult
£8 Student
Ticket also grants you access to Pitzhanger Manor, all exhibitions, and free Thursday Lates activities on the night.
If you wish to view the house and gallery before the talk, this ticket grants you entry from 5pm onwards.
A celebrated designer turned full-time sculptor, Nicole Farhi CBE is widely known for her eponymous fashion brand but has dedicated the past two decades to her artistic practice. Having trained under Jean Gibson and Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, she has exhibited at Gainsborough’s House and The Harley Gallery. Farhi, a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, has often focused on the human form, and J’Accuse…! marks a new focus — one that uses portraiture to depict the victims behind cases that have made legal and political history.
Matt Foot is APPEAL’s Co-Director, leading aspects of both the law practice and charity alongside Emma Torr. He is a solicitor. Matt has previously worked as a defence solicitor at the law firm Birnberg Peirce for more than 17 years, building a reputation as one of the country’s top miscarriage of justice lawyers and acting in a number of high-profile criminal appeals, including those of Sam Hallam and Eddie Gilfoyle, as well as specialising in protest cases.
Alongside his legal practice, Matt has established himself as a leading voice in the fight to make the system fairer for those at the sharp end of criminal justice. Most recently, he co-authored Charged: How the Police Try to Suppress Protest – an investigation into violent and authoritarian police tactics. Previously, he co-led the campaign to protect legal aid, co-founding Justice Alliance, and to review the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).
Matt has written extensively in the media, including in the Guardian and the London Review of Books.
Torin Douglas was the BBC’s media correspondent for 24 years and has interviewed numerous BBC director generals, chairmen and Cabinet ministers. He has worked at Campaign, Marketing Week and Creative Review, written media columns for The Times, the Economist and the Independent, and presented LBC Radio’s media show. He was appointed an MBE the 2013 New Year’s Honours list. Torin is now Director of The Chiswick Book Festival.
Please contact pitzhanger@pitzhanger.org.uk for more information.
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Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery
Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ
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Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 17:00
First Thursday of the month: 10:00 - 20:00
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Bank Holidays: 10:00 - 17:00
Last admissions 30 minutes before closing
Partial Closure: 17 October, 3–5pm
Please note that the Eating Room and the Upper Drawing Room in Pitzhanger Manor will be closed at 3–5pm on 17 October for a private function. Artworks in the affected space will be temporarily off view, but General Admission continues as usual. All rooms will be open before and after this time during our regular opening hours.
Questions? Email us at foh@pitzhanger.org.uk.
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