The history of humanitarianism has been inseparable from concerns with the forced disappearance of peoples. It has sought to provide protection to those who face possible annihilation and the threat of vanishment. But might humanitarianism itself now be facing its own disappearance in this increasingly hostile world? Join us as we discuss this very question with Gareth Owen OBE, former Humanitarian Director, Save the Children.

The Disappearance of Worlds exhibition will showcase the work of Mexican painter Chantal Meza, whose work for the past decade has confronted the violence, terror, and the complexities of disappearance in both a human and ecological context. Complementing the exhibition will be a series of public talks from world-leading authorities exploring the multiple ways disappearance occurs and the possibilities for response.

​The programme is led by the Pembroke College JCR Art Collection; Pembroke College, University of Oxford; The FOUND Project; the Centre for the Study of Violence at the University of Bath; and the Oxford Festival of the Arts, in partnership with other supporting global partners and institutions.