You Asked, Art Answered

Google Arts & Culture and BBC Arts tackle some of life's most unanswerable questions

By Google Arts & Culture

Love is Love (2017-01-21) by Susan Hodgin and Eija SumnerLatah County Historical Society

What is love?

Do I have free will? by Jamiel Laurence, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Do we really have free will?

The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van GoghMoMA The Museum of Modern Art

Is there anybody out there?

You might not know the answer to these questions, but don’t worry: neither do a lot of people. That is why they have become some of the top unanswerable questions searched on Google – and we’re here to bring you some answers.

To try and tackle these questions, Google Arts & Culture and BBC Arts invited six artists to respond through art. Each artist created a short film and picked out images from the Google Arts & Culture archive that responded to their selected question.

Now that this has got you thinking, see if you can answer any of these unanswerable questions yourself...

What does it mean to be British? by Sarah Maple, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Sarah Maple asks “What does it mean to be British?”

What does it mean to be British? by Sarah Maple, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Sarah Maple is a British-Iranian visual artist, known for her witty, playful, and controversial work. Through her art she has learnt to embrace her cultural background and create a platform to speak up about inequalities in society.

What does it mean to be British? by Sarah Maple, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

To tackle the question “What does it mean to be British?”, Maple took to the streets to interview members of the public. Back in her studio, Maple then dressed up as four iconic British figures – Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and Paul McCartney – and lip synced to the answers.

Find out what being British really means to the artist and see the images from the Google Arts & Culture archive that Maple thinks represents "Britishness".

Watch a clip from Maple's short film:

What does it mean to be British?, Sarah Maple
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Watch the full film on BBC Arts.

Do I have free will? by Jamiel Laurence, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Jamiel Laurence asks “Do I have free will?”

Do I have free will? by Jamiel Laurence, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Jamiel Laurence is a Scottish choreographer for stage, screen, and events. Laurence also captures and produces his own work through a variety of modern film-making techniques.

Do I have free will? by Jamiel Laurence, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

In Laurence’s short film, the question “Do I have free will?” is visible on the far wall as two dancers discover a games console controller and enter into a high energy dance of fighting and racing, trying to gain control over themselves and each other.

Does Laurence think we have free will? We spoke to the artist to find out. You can also take a look at the images that Laurence chose from the Google Arts & Culture archive in response to the question on free will.

Watch a clip from Laurence's short film:

Do I have free will?, Jamiel Laurence
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Watch the full film on BBC Arts.

Is there anybody out there? by Salena Godden, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Salena Godden asks “Is there anybody out there?”

Is there anybody out there? by Salena Godden, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Salena Godden is a British word artist and poet, regularly featuring in anthologies and headlining literary festivals. As a BBC regular, Godden has also written and presented several arts and music programmes.

Is there anybody out there? by Salena Godden, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Godden’s concept for her short film created in response to the question “Is there anybody out there?” takes her behind the internet, where she ends up inside the screen, looking out. This film touches on our attachment to the internet and its effects on the loneliness crisis, which is a growing issue across the globe.

Hear from the poet herself on whether there really is anybody out there and dive into the Google Arts & Culture archive with Godden to uncover images that question the world around us.

Watch a clip from Godden's short film:

Is there anybody out there?, Salena Godden
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Watch the full film on BBC Arts.

What is love? by Andy Holden, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Andy Holden asks “What is love?”

What is love? by Andy Holden, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Andy Holden is an animation artist, filmmaker, and musician, interested in connecting with audiences and exploring the relationship with ourselves. Holden’s work tackles profound themes through familiar formats, such as cartoons.

What is love? by Andy Holden, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

In his animation, Holden uses an avatar to answer the question “What is love?” Recognizable song lyrics and titles are recited through the artist's cartoon twin, who walks through a 3D re-imagining of Holden's spoken word.

Find out what love is, according to the artist, and see the images that Holden has chosen from the Google Arts & Culture archive to explore the complex concept that is love.

Watch a clip from Holden's short film:

What is love?, Andy Holden
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Watch the full film on BBC Arts.

What if I fall? by Runyararo Mapfumo, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Runyararo Mapfumo asks “What if I fall?”

What if I fall? by Runyararo Mapfumo, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Runyararo Mapfumo is a London-based writer and film director, whose work has been selected for several film festivals and is currently working on developing a project with the BFI NETWORK.

What if I fall? by Runyararo Mapfumo, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Mapfumo takes on the question “What if I fall?” through a fictional film about an athlete who has to outrun two bullies after they steal her bag. Mapfumo touches on the anxieties around success and failure, and creates an inspiring film about overcoming the fear of falling – literally and metaphorically.

Tackle your fears with Mapfumo, as we speak with the artist and find out more about the director's character 'Sensational Simmy' through images selected from the Google Arts & Culture archive.

Watch a clip from Mapfumo's short film:

What if I fall?, Runyararo Mapfumo
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Watch the full film on BBC Arts.

How do you know you're in love? by Jessie Cave, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Jessie Cave asks “How do you know you’re in love?”

How do you know you're in love? by Jessie Cave, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Jessie Cave is a London-based illustrator, writer, and performer, known for her role in the Harry Potter films. Cave is also an avid doodler and her first book of doodles LOVESICK uses her illustrative art to explore ideas around love and rejection.

How do you know you're in love? by Jessie Cave, Northern Town, and BBC Arts

Cave’s take on the question “How do you know you’re in love?” uses papier-mâché puppets to show different perspectives on the feeling of being in love. This short film is written and performed by the artist and is accompanied by Cave’s own illustrations.

Watch a clip from Cave's short film:

How do you know you're in love?, Jessie Cave
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Watch the full film on BBC Arts.

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