Artist & Writer in Residence 2011-12

Heather Ackroyd & Dan Harvey - UCLEI Artists in Residence January 2012


Often working outside the gallery space and in diverse contexts, Ackroyd & Harvey are acclaimed for large-scale architectural interventions where they grow landmark buildings with seedling grass. In 2007 they realised their largest temporary living public artwork ‘FlyTower’ on the exterior of London’s National Theatre.

They are also acknowledged for their pioneering work utilising the light-sensitivity of the pigment chlorophyll in making complex living photographs in seedling grass, receiving the NESTA Pioneer award, the Wellcome ‘Sci-Art’ award and the l’Oreal Grand Prize for this work.

Earlier in 2011 they were also selected for the major MAPPING THE PARK public art commission in the Olympic Park; their winning proposal comprises 10 artworks marking the entrances of the Park as a lasting legacy of the 2012 Games for future generations. The artists were also awarded special mention in the ‘Prix COAL Art & Environnement’ for their ongoing project ‘Beuys’ Acorns.’

Since 2003, they have made a series of expeditions to the High Arctic with Cape Farewell, studying effects of climate change on the ecosystem and have shown the resulting work ‘Stranded’, a skeleton of a Minke Whale encrusted with crystals at London’s Natural History Museum, the Liverpool Biennial, and in Spain and Japan.

Visit their website here.

David Finnigan - UCLEI Writer in Residence June 2011

David Finnigan is an Australian writer, theatre-maker, festival director and founding member of science-theatre ensemble Boho Interactive. From July - November 2011, David has been working at the UCL Environment Institute, examining different forms of modeling.

Working with Dr Yvonne Rydin and other UCL researchers, David's research has included looking at predictive climate simulations, participatory models for communities and governments, integrated assessment models, the processes through which these scientific tools are translated into public policy and decision-making and UCL's inter-disciplinary report Building Health Into Cities. This research is the first phase of the development of a new model-based interactive performance, which will be developed over 2012-13.

For more information about David, please click here.

To download David's report click here