New Residency brings together art and ocean science

Cornwall-based creative Jess Pemberton has been selected as Artist-in-Residence at Exeter Marine, where she will spend a month working alongside world-leading marine researchers this July.

Delivered through a new partnership between the University of Exeter’s Arts and Culture team and the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) alongside Creative Kernow Associates, the residency aims to supports emerging artists by providing dedicated time, space and access to researchers working at the forefront of marine science.

Through creative collaboration, the programme encourages new artistic responses to the environmental challenges facing our oceans, inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.

During the residency, Jess will work alongside Exeter Marine’s interdisciplinary research community, exploring themes including marine life, environmental futures and non-human perspectives through conversations, workshops, site visits and independent research.

Based in the ESI’s creative studio, Jess will use the residency as a space for experimentation and discovery, culminating in the creation of new artwork and a public exhibition or creative sharing event later this year. Open studio sessions will also offer opportunities for staff, students and visitors to engage with her creative process.

Jess’s practice explores the relationship between nature and emerging technologies, combining ecological research, Cornish folklore and Solarpunk philosophy to imagine more sustainable futures. Having previously focused on forests and algae, the residency marks her first major exploration of marine environments.

She said: “I am most looking forward to collaborating with marine experts at the forefront of their research fields. Having focused on forests, I am thrilled to turn my focus to our oceans, to better understand the rhythms and life of our waters.

“Over the last few years, I have become increasingly aware that our oceans are vital, and I know little of the challenges these habitats and their inhabitants face. I relish the opportunity to change this and contribute to the conversation.”

As part of the residency, Jess is hosting free Tea and Collage drop-in session from 1–2pm on Wednesday 15 July in the Environment and Sustainability Institute Café at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus. The sessions are open to University staff and students. All materials will be provided, and no booking is required.

To learn more about the residency, visit the Arts and Culture website.