FIELDWORK AS PRACTICE

‘Fieldwork’ can be seen as a gathering of material, a line of enquiry responding to a particular site, a direct physical engagement where unexpected discoveries continue to unfold.

Artist ’ practice is grounded in this approach. Following time in the Sea of Hebrides with ‘Sail Britain’, she presents within ‘Life Boat’, a moving image projection entitled ‘Sounding Line’ which incorporates captured audio and visual recordings gathered whilst afloat. It questions the impact of our sonic human interference beneath the fragile ocean, and composer and musician , who created the soundtrack, will perform this live in situ at the start of the event.

Caroline has more recently been responding to an archive within the Natural History Museum considering working ‘in the field’ from an alternative, more historical perspective and a focus on the Cetacean Collection..

This dynamic conversation offers a unique opportunity to bring together Oliver Beardon (Founder and Skipper of ‘Sail Britain’) Richard Sabin (Principal Curator of Mammals at the Natural History Museum, London) and Sophie Nicolov (AHRC Early Career Research Fellow, Natural History Museum, London) for a discussion around the potential overlaps between ‘field’ and research, artistic practice and ecological activism.

Richard Sabin is a Principal Curator of Mammals at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, where he has worked since 1992. His curatorial work primarily focuses on the study of cetaceans using the NHM’s world-class research collections. Richard collaborates with colleagues internationally, generating new data from old Museum specimens. He is currently exploring historical contaminants and stress levels in baleen whales using wax earplugs and sperm whale population structure using teeth.

He supports wildlife conservation, UK and international law enforcement through his endangered species identification work and is NHM advisor to the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme.

He has developed exhibitions, published scientific papers in a variety of key journals and written books and chapters in works for non-specialist audiences.

He works closely with the arts and humanities exploring ‘hidden’ histories of collections and is dedicated to diversifying museum audiences. He is committed to public engagement and has worked extensively with broadcast media organisations.

Dr Sophia Nicolov

AHRC Early Career Research Fellow, Natural History Museum, London

Sophia Nicolov is an environmental historian whose work explores the entangled histories of humans and whales. Her research focuses on whale strandings, the tangible and intangible legacies of whaling and colonialism, natural history collections and the history of cetacean science. This work takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the broader environmental humanities, museum studies, history of science and conservation sciences. She is currently an AHRC Early Career Research Fellow at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, where she is investigating the role of British Empire and whaling in contributing specimens to and shaping NHM’s Cetacea collection.

Oliver Beardon, Director, Founder and Skipper of ‘Sail Britain’

Sail Britain aims to inspire positive change for the oceans under sail, working towards cultural exchange and ocean literacy through exploration, research and education programmes afloat. Through collaboration and active engagement, it offers opportunities to broaden environmental awareness whilst highlighting the scientific and cultural importance of our relationship and understanding of the sea.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

APT Gallery, 6 Creekside, London, United Kingdom