Charnwood Forest Geopark Visiting Artists
LU Arts is working in partnership with Charnwood Forest Geopark and three UK-based artists the opportunity to engage with the unique environment that has been identified as a future UNESCO Geopark.
The aim of these short residencies is to offer the artists to make connections with the site and research some of its interesting histories and unique properties. We hope that this period of research will help develop individual practices and support creative responses to the site.
We were delighted to receive such a variety of creative proposals in response to the Charnwood Forest Geopark mini residences opportunity. Charnwood Forest provides a unique and intriguing platform for research into a site of globally significant geology, as well as a landscape rich with wildlife and heritage. We very much look forward to seeing the creative responses that Andrea, Becky and Frances produce, inspired by their research and discoveries.
About the artists
Becky Lyon
Becky Lyon is an English-Jamaican artist, based in London, working at the intersection of art and ecology. She is interested in how art practice can help us rebody back into the vibrant, tangly messwork of our ecology and is interested in ecology as a sourcebook for co-flourishing in times of ruin. Her work manifests in multiple forms from tactile installations, rituals, sensory artefacts and word-foolery. Her work has been exhibited in international galleries, on Piccadilly Circus billboards and in woodlands in London! She is interested in alternative forms of ecological stewardship that resist the current dominant paradigm and is Grounder of Ground Provisions - an artist-led, schooled-by-the-forest for grown ups hosting participatory gatherings, walks and sensory seminars for a range of audiences. She has an MA Art & Science from Central Saint Martins and an MA Art & Ecology from Goldsmiths University and is a volunteer London National Park City Ranger.
View more information on Becky Lyon on her website, Twitter or Instagram.
Andrea Abbatengelo
Italian born Andrea Abbatengelo is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses both studio work and social engagement activities in public spaces. Abbatengelo holds a Master of Arts in Fine Art Digital from Central St Martins. They were awarded the prestigious UAL Home Postgraduate Scholarship in 2021.
Abbatengelo's ongoing research project, "New Observations on the History of Bees," delves into docu-fictional investigations. It uses organic and inorganic materials as primary sources to explore the profound impact of pesticides on the cognitive abilities of pollinators. This thought-provoking exploration has led to the presentation of Abbatengelo's work at prominent venues. These include Trinity Buoy Wharf (2022), Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair (2022), Press & Play at Phoenix Art Space (2022), and Vision-ary at 13 Soho Square, as promoted by The Earth Vision (2023).
Notably, Abbatengelo showcased a solo exhibition titled "A.A.LLES" as part of the "12. Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie" festival in Darmstadt, Germany, in 2023. Abbatengelo's innovative and socially-engaged artistry continues to captivate audiences, offering fresh perspectives on contemporary issues through creative expression.
Frances Scott
Frances Scott is an artist working with the moving image. Her films are often produced in exchange with other specialists, groups and publics, and are informed by collaborative, research-led processes. Her recent film ‘Wendy’ (2023), was made with filmmaker and sound designer Chu-Li Shewring, as a response to the work of composer, electronic music innovator and polymath, Wendy Carlos. Frances Scott's work takes multiple forms, through exhibitions to installations, screenings, events, broadcasts and publications, with presentations including: TACO!, London; Curzon Soho, London (2023); BFI, London; Curtocircuíto - International Film Festival, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Rencontres Internationales, Paris/Berlin (2022); ‘Mattflix’ Matt’s Gallery, London; Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester; 38th Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival; 67. International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (LUX distribution programme); transmediale, HKW, Berlin; CTM Festival, Berlin; ‘Unsung Stories: Women at Columbia Computer Music Center, New York (2021); and 57th New York Film Festival (2019). She was recipient of The Stuart Croft Foundation Moving Image Award (2017) and her films are distributed by LUX.