SARA TRILLO

Statement

I explore lost landscape features and vanished settlements. Having identified unfamiliar locations or landmarks on old maps, I research these extensively, and then undertake walking expeditions searching for remaining traces of them. I create predominantly sculptural work inspired by what I uncover, with output ranging from small hand held tools to immersive installations. I often incorporate finds found on my trips, and utilise archaic making skills such as flint napping and plant dyeing in my making. I also lead public walks with performative elements, sharing narratives about the mythologies of the locations I am investigating. I have made a variety of cloaks to wear whilst walking, which function as either maps of routes, elements of my story making, or props for interaction with my audience. In the spirit of a pilgrimage, I create ceramic talismanic objects to give fellow walkers to mark their participation.

I am currently exploring dene holes, deep shafts dug into chalk, of unknown age and purpose. I have been on a quest to locate and enter some of the thousands of dene holes believed to be concealed in the Kent landscape. So far I have descended into five and encountered seven others. Some of my work inspired by this experience was shown at Chaleur Humaine, the 2023 Dunkerque Triennale Art and Industrie, and continues through an on-going commission from Kent Downs/Creative Folkestone. 

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Curriculum Vitae

Based in East Kent with a studio at Limbo, Margate

07708 957069

e-mail: saratrillostudio@gmail.com

website: saratrillo.co.uk

instagram: saratrillo 

 

Education

2017 Associate, Open School East, Margate 

1984-87 BA (Hons) Norwich School of Art

1983-84 Foundation Course, Canterbury School of Art

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Projects 2024

“Netherworld” for Wasteless 2, University of East London, April

“In Earth” for The Tipping Point, Bell House, Dulwich, May

“Brook”, commissioned walk for RCA/Kent Downs AONB “The Making of a Meadow” at Rebel Farm, Brook, June

Extraction Residency, GroundWork Gallery, King’s Lynn, July/August

“Swept Away” performative walk/event ,Whitstable Biennale Commission, Whitstable, September

Dene Holes collaboration with Fiona Parry as research commission from Kent Downs AONB with outcomes to be exhibited, SALT + EARTH, Folkestone, venue tbc, October

“Widdershins, Widders Dump” for Shadders, Electro Studios St Leonards-on-Sea, November

 

Projects 2023

Commissioned artist for Chaleur Humaine, Dunkerque Triennale Art et Industrie, curated by Anna Colin and Camille Richert,  Dunkerque, France: Exhibition of Holes in the Landscape at the L.A.A.C. Dunkerque, June - January 2024, and commissioned walk "Sel-sable-craie" around Dunkerque in September 2023

Commissioned artist for Still and Still Moving, The Od Festival, Somerset, curated by Cat Bagg and Simon Lee Dicker, May: Exhibition of Owler at OSR Projects, West Coker: and Holloways and Hideaways public walks in East Coker

“Precarious” for Re-enchanting the Commons at Celsius Projects , Malmö, August

“Going Underground”, at Brewery Tap, Folkestone with Josephine Javier, for SALT + EARTH Festival of Landscape, September

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2022 projects

Holes in the Landscape, research commission for SALT + EARTH Festival of Landscape, Folkestone. Public talk at the Quarterhouse and two public walks at Hucking and at Wye. 

Owling for On Gossip and the Glamour curated by Kate Knight, Touchbase Gallery, Folkestone 

Arborolatry for Compote, curated by Esme Bone and Anna Presilia, The Margate School Garden

A Gathering, curated by Peter Fillingham, Project 78, St Leonards on Sea

Walking the Deer Line, nine public walks across Thanet, June funded by KCC/1927 Theatre

 

Selected recent commissioned projects include

2021 The Hortorium, for Sunken Ecologies curated by Anna Colin, for MargateNow 2021

2021 Garden to Garden walk commissioned by Margate Now, Sunken Garden to Dent de Lion 

2021 The Turner Open, Turner Contemporary, Margate

2021 Touche du Bois, exhibition and residency at Château du Sacy, France, selected by Clotilde Boitel

2021 Hortus Conclusus for Terra Nexus, curated by Gabriella Sonabend, Proposition Studios, London

2021 Lomea for Precarious Straits, an Estuary commission at TOMA, Southend-on-Sea

2021 The Mitre Owl, curated by David Orme and Joanna Whittle, Arcade Gallery, Sheffield

2021 Lunitidal for Lunar, curated by Jane Bravery for Folkestone Triennial Fringe, Brewery Tap, Folkestone

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2020 The Search for Shuart, research and public walk, commissioned by Crate, Margate

2020 Island: edition for SwapArt Editions curated by Robin Tarbet, Creekside, Deptford and on-line at Skelf (skelf.org.uk)

2020 Art Licks Tele:12 Catarina de Oliveira, Boris Steiner, Sara Trillo, edited by Holly Willats

2020 Lomea for Sum Tyms Bytin Sum Tyms Bit (Riddley Walker Sum Poasyum), Canterbury Christ Church University

 

2019 Fire_Sand_Stone, exhibition/publication launch, Well Projects, Margate.

2019 Talkie-Walkie Walkie-Talkie, Frûctose, Dunkerque, France (funded residency)

2019 Rule of Twelfths for Summer Camp, Eastside Projects, Birmingham (funded residency)

2019 After Bauhaus, Herbert Read Gallery, University for the Creative Arts, Canterbury

2019 The Rushbearing Procession commission for Art in Romney Marsh at Newchurch, Romney Marsh.

2019 Bring Up The Boat, commission for MargateNow 2019, Margate beach

 

2018 and the earth that is brought to thence (collaborative installation with Chloe Ashley) for At the Violet Hour, Nayland Rock Hotel, Margate , curated by Chiara Williams and Shaun Stamp

2018 Pass It On, Crate, Margate: Jo Murray, Dipesh Pandya, Jay Rechsteiner, Heather Tait and Sara Trillo

2018 The Current is Coming Towards Us, Diana Duta, Sophie Mackfall, SaraTrillo, Arnis, Germany, curated by Christian Luebbert and Cristina Ramos 

2018 The Ghost Tide, Thames-Side Studios Gallery, curated by Monika Bobinska and Sarah Sparkes.

2018 Hell, it's Us, Gavin Toye and Sara Trillo, Limbo, Margate

2018 Local Anywhere, Sluice HQ, Hackney, London

 

Selected as an Associate of Open School East 2017: projects included

Excavation Table for The Nightingale with Matthew Darbyshire, OSE, Margate 

The Cave and PS (collaboration with Chloe Ashley) for Incomers Tour curated by Sally O’ Reilly, Lido, Margate 

The Handling Collection for Spelunking with Benedict Drew: at Turner Contemporary, Margate (performance with Emma Gibson and Chloe Ashley) 

Quest for The Well, curated by Cédric Fauq, OSE/Pettmans Building, Margate

 

Recent funding

2023 Fluxus Art Projects  French Project Laureate, Frac Grand Large

2023 1927 Theatre Bursary

2022 Artists Newsletter Time Space Money Bursary

2022 KCC Build Back Better funding 

2021 1927 Theatre bursary

2020 Arts Council England Emergency funding

2019/2018/2017 PEATS funded residencies at Cyprus College of Art, Cyprus 

2018 Artists Newsletter research bursary

2017 PEATS funded residency in Sultanhisar, Turkey studying ebru (paper marbling)

 

Work in curated exhibitions/projects between 2017 and 1990 includes:

Dry Run, Heather Tait and Sara Trillo, Chiara Williams Contemporary Art, Margate 2017

Fill me up, Limbo, Margate 2017

BABE, Arnolfini, Bristol 2017

Localism and Legacy, ACE funded archive commission for the Fleur de Lys Museum, Faversham 2016

On Margate Sands, Turner Contemporary/Tate Britain Digital Archives project 2016

Cardboard Canterbury, homelessness commission for The Beaney, Canterbury in conjunction with the Homeless Film Festival, Manchester 2016

The Tea Trolley Laboratory (joint project with Amanda Thesiger): initial research commission from Ideas Test, working with diverse venues since October 2015

Artists Book Fair, Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh 2016

Ko-ax , Mascalls Gallery, Paddock Wood 2016, curated by Alice Patullo

Artists Book Fair, Baltic, Gateshead 2016

The Beaney Broadsheet, library and museum collections commission/residency for The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury 2015

BABE, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol 2015

Myths, Maps and Monsters, Rose St Cottage of Curiosity, Sheerness 2015

Art Car Boot Fair Margate Edition at Turner Contemporary 2015

“Doesn’t Look like a Book”, Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead 2015

Curiovan: Explorium of Natural Wonderment: first prize winner (selected by artist Richard Wilson) for Matchbox Microcosms touring England 2014

F…Off Poster Factory, UCA, Canterbury 2014

“Curiosity Acquired”, Visual Arts Space, Scunthorpe, February 2013

 “Fabulous Books Fantastic Places”, The Baltic, Gateshead, June 2013

The Open West, site specific pieces for Newark Park, July 2013: then touring to The Wilson, Cheltenham, October 2013

London Art Book Fair (solo stand), Whitechapel Gallery, September 2013

Sheffield Artists Book Prize, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield, October 2013

 Manchester Artists Book Fair, Manchester School of Art, October 2013

Whitechapel Book Fair (UCA stand), Whitechapel Gallery, London 2011, 2010

“Kiss-me-quick”, Air Space Gallery, Stoke on Trent 2011

“Fludde”, Drill Hall, Faversham 2011

commissioned piece for St Mary in the Marsh, curated by Angela Kingston, Art in Romney Marsh, 2010

Generate, Turner Contemporary, Margate 2010/2009/2008/2007: four year research project by UCA lecturers exploring the impact of parenthood on creativity

Ko-ax, Mascalls Gallery, Paddock Wood 2007

“Arch”, Hoo Peninsula, Kent 2007, curated by Tim Meacham and Päivi Seppälä

LAB Fair 07, ICA, London 2007

Pines Calyx, Pines Garden, St. Margaret’s Bay: Elephant Trust funded installation 2006

Joint exhibition with Susan Cutts at County Hall, Maidstone 2004

“Mossycoat” commissioned for the Fleur de Lys Gallery, Faversham 2003

 “Pathways of Discovery” river installations commissioned for Canterbury Festival 2002 with David Parfitt

Galerie Claude Andre, Brussels 2000

“Synergy”, Municipal Gallery, Roeselare, Belgium, 2000

“Passing Tales”, Palazzo Pretoria, Certaldo, Italy/Royal Museum, Canterbury 2000

Galerij de Witte Beer, Bruges 1998

“Coasting” solo touring show to venues around rural Kent 1997

Contemporary Art Society Art Market at the Royal Festival Hall 1994, 95, 96, 97; at the Smiths Galleries 1990,91,92,93

Galerie Arth a See, Switzerland 1994

Royal Overseas League Open Exhibition 1990, 91, 94

“Books of Life” Galerie Arcana, Montpellier/ Canterbury 1993/94

The London Group, Barbican Centre 1992/93

RSA, London 1993

Gainsborough House, Sudbury 1993

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham touring exhibition to rural venues around Birmingham 1991/92

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Previous awards include Arts Council Research Grant/Elephant Trust/Prince's Trust/Hellenic Foundation 

Past residencies include Artist in Residence at Richborough Castle (ACE/English Heritage funded), Artist in Residence in the village of Bobbing (Swale Pride of Place/ACE funded), residencies in Barham; Minster-in -Thanet; St. Nicholas School Canterbury; Delce; and Balfour primary schools funded by ACE artist-in-residence schemes.

Work in numerous private collections and public collections in the UK and abroad.

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