Cornelia Parker's THE FUTURE (Sixes and Sevens), 2023

Cornelia Parker’s multidisciplinary work addresses the important social and political issues of our time. In it Parker asks a class of primary school children to answer questions about what they imagine their future to be like. There is a form of dialogue between two video screens, with some children answering questions while others listen or ponder their responses. The film’s title makes reference both to the phrase ‘at sixes and sevens’ (meaning confusion and disarray) and the 1964 TV documentary Seven Up!, in which 7-year-olds were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. In her video, Parker asks children about their hopes and fears, prompting a range of responses.