WIND, HYDRO, SOLAR, REsolve exhibition for Fife Contemporary (Kirkcaldy Galleries, 2022)
Artworks
Immersive, participatory and environmental provocations form the basis of Sarah Calmus's practice which ranges from fixed large scale light installations to month-long nomadic social interventions. Interested in the study of ecosystems on a macro and micro level, her explorative practice is intentionally multidisciplinary; a series of experiments underpinned with explorations into interaction.
Highlights:
Resident Entrepreneur, Creative Informatics (2022- 2023)
Creative Development Bursary, City of Edinburgh Council (2022)
Hope Scott Trust (2022)
Connected Innovators, Creative Informatics and Creative Edinburgh (2020)
Festival Review by Susan Mansfield, The Scotsman (2019)
VACMA, Creative Scotland & City of Edinburgh Council (2018)
Shortlisted, STV Digital Spark Award (2015)
Recent Artwork
SS02
String Screen reworked through Resident Entrepreneur project funded by Creative Informatics 2022-2023
Projected moving image onto woven screens to create three dimensional installations.
Photo Credit: Artist’s Own
WIND, HYDRO, SOLAR
REsolve exhibition, Fife Contemporary, Kirkcaldy Galleries, Kirkcaldy (2022)
Commissioned film tryptic using renewable energy datasets that visually represents Scotland’s relationship with renewables. A translation of information to colour and sound. Watch here.
Photo credit: Artist’s own
HERE
Connected Innovators, Creative Informatics & Creative Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh (2021)
Site specific installation. Using fabric and lighting desks, Calmus worked with Sam Jones to create a programmed light work timecoded to a sound work.
Photo credit: Chris Scott
OUT, SURGE
Visual Arts Scotland Members Exhibition, Tatha Gallery, Dundee (2021) & A Hint of Salón, Members Show, Embassy Gallery, Dundee 2023
Audio reactive moving image film created with Max for Live via Ableton software reacting to a sound piece composed, recorded and performed by Calmus.
Photo credit: Artist’s own
Intersection
Hidden Door Festival, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh (2019)
Drawing influence from organic interaction, Echo Chambers considers the nature of action and reaction, of cause and effect. Questioning the social, political and atomical, physical reactions that occur in all realities, you are invited to partake in conversation, to participate in the multitude of realities and consider the power of incremental action. Created with support from Hidden Door Arts. Sponsored by Sam Jones LX.
Photo credit: Chris Scott
Echo Chambers
Hidden Door Festival, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh (2017)
Site specific installation. Calmus custom built a 5ft tall Infinity Mirror sculpture with Perspex mirror floor, intelligent LED’s and a sensor. Participants were invited to walk down the corridor of mirrored floor and interact with the infinity mirror. Upon approach, they would trigger sensors which would reconfigure the light rotation and increasing the brightness encouraging them to walk towards the light. Sponsored by Funktioncreep.
Photo credit: Artist’s own
Mandala Prism
Invited Artist, Hidden Door Festival, King’s Stables Lane, Edinburgh (2016)
Site specific installation by Calmus with a wooden pyramid sculpture with holes cut out, mirrors and Dynamic PAR lights. The sculpture was programmed through chased light movements in a hazed environment and accompanied by an original sound piece. Participants were invited to walk through the light beams, interacting with the sculpture in the dark space.
Photo credit: Artist’s own
String Screen ([])
Hidden Door Festival, King’s Stables Lane, Edinburgh (2015)
A 6ft x 6ft wooden frame with metal wire and string screens woven by Calmus, with projected moving image onto the sculpture to create optical illusion of holographic effects.
This work by Calmus was later developed into a concept digital work and overlain with a new sound piece by Dave House and shown at Paradigm Electronic Arts Festival (2017).
Image credit: Weronika Bachleda Baca
Pure Imagination
TRANSLATIONS, Group Exhibition, Generator Projects, Dundee (2014)
Installation of sculptural mirror prism with moving image film projected. Moving image work built using the layered lyrics of Pure Imagination from the 1977 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory film. Work part of a series of layering processes forming a book, film and installation.
Photo credit: Artist’s own