Artist Melanie Jackson carried out a residency with the University’s Stoke Bishop Public Art Programme in during the academic year 2012 to 2013.
This commission was curated and produced by Field Art Projects, who were appointed in spring 2012 to develop and deliver a public art strategy and programme for the University of Bristol’s residential site at Stoke Bishop in north Bristol.
Melanie Jackson’s residency explored two strands of enquiry. The first was the development of a series of works exploring the work and ideology of space, working alongside the School of Biological Sciences and using the Botanic Garden as a starting point.
The second strand was the development of a series of talks and events for students, staff and the general public which included Extraordinary Fauna co-hosted with Frances Cartwright, plant scientist and STEM ambassador from the School of Biological Sciences.
The Nexus comic
The artist’s residency culminated in the publication of The Nexus, a new comic which extended themes from her previous work against the background of myths and stories of Halloween, examining bioscience speculation and research and its link to the economy and ideas of plenty.
Melanie Jacskon, The Nexus
View full publication (PDF, 8MB)
Sci-fi screening
The Nexus publication was launched with a public screening of They Came from the Earth: science fiction films concerning vegetables curated by xero, kline & coma and featuring the work of Gelbart (with Felix Kubin), Pil and Galia Kollectiv, Charlie Tweed and others, and culminated with the suspension and drop of a giant pumpkin from the great height of a crane in an explosive performance.
Melanie Jackson
Melanie Jackson is an artist whose practice includes a mixture of sculpture, installation, drawing, moving image and printed matter.
Melanie’s interest focuses on the ways that objects influence how we experience the world, socialize and empower us, or render us insubstantial.
She has exhibited internationally and is a Lecturer at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL.
Field Art Projects
Field Art Projects was set up in 1997 by Theresa Bergne an independent curator, producer and art consultant based in the southwest of England.
They focus on commissioning artists to make work in the public realm responding to a wide range of sites and contexts to deliver works that inspire, challenge and entertain.