°1984, London
Lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium
Contact
Studio: mail(at)eleanorwright.net
Instagram
Education
2016 Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, guest studentship, class of prof. Rita Mcbride
2013 Warwick Stafford Research Fellowship in the Arts, with BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art + Northumbria University
2010 Slade School of Art (MFA Sculpture), London
2007 Chelsea College of Art (BA Sculpture), London
Selected Solo Exhibitions + Projects
2024 Lineaments, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf
2021/22 Research Project: Perspectives on Weaving and Motherhood
2019 New Positions, Art Cologne with Petra Rinck Galerie
2018 Pre-public Scenery, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf
2017 A Pattern Language, workshop series, South London Gallery, London
ARCO Madrid, with Drop City, PREMIO Award for best booth, Madrid
2016 Arena, British School of Archeology at Athens, Athens
Roßstrasse 68 (learning from Ella Steigelman), Drop City, Düsseldorf at Hotel Ufer
A Pattern Language, workshop series, Montessori Gesamtschule, Düsseldorf
2015 Continuous Material, Drop City, Newcastle
Continuous Material, Durham Castle Museum, Durham
2014 Soft Start, The Northern Charter, Newcastle
2013 Tuned Cities, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle
Thin Cities, Gallery North, Newcastle
2011 The Harrow, Hastings Art Space, Hastings
Selected Group Exhibitions + Projects
2021 British School at Athens Arts Bursary 20 Year Anniversary, Europe House, London
2020 In Vitro, M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp
2019 Dark Lantern, (curated by Paul Morrison), Galerie Sabine Knust, Munich
2018 A Gradual Stiffening (Rea), HIAP, Helsinki
To Be Kept For Some Future Time, South London Gallery, London
2017 A Gradual Stiffening, Drop City at M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp
Choreography, Drop City at Arcade, London
Warming Up, Drop City at Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf
2016 World Is Sudden, Giles Bailey & CIRCA Projects/Berwick Film & Arts Festival
Drop City Centre, Drop City at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
On Some Motifs (hanging), Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
2015 SO, Mauve, Vienna
Art Lending Library, NGCA, Sunderland
Graphics Interchange Format, Focal Point Gallery, Southend on Sea
Foam, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland
2012 Switch, (curated by Phyllida Barlow), BALTIC 39, Newcastle
American Mountains, Grand Union, Birmingham
Kodachrome, LimaZulu, London
2011 Mister Mercer, Oriel Sycharth Gallery, Wrexham
Public Commissions + Collections
UK: Wellcome Library; South London Gallery; Pioneer Health Centre; Southbank Centre; Durham Castle Museum, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Belgium: M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp
Work in private collections in the UK and Germany
Biography
Through her sculptural practice, Eleanor Wright explores a multifaceted exchange between materials, whereby each part is contingent upon another. The exhibition format is as important as individual works, and as such this contingency is emphasised within her spatial as well as material language. Wright likes to make things, as much as she likes to work with readymade things. The relationships found within the social histories of craft and architecture are set in concert with the genealogy of familiar, everyday items and iconographies. Through tender acts of modification and divergence, Wright is most adept at making things unique and tangible in their own logic, yet with a curious guise of seeming like they’ve always been there. She tampers with the functionality of things and modes of recognition, creating objects and installations that shift attention between established and obscure references and cultural narratives. Structures and support systems play a significant role in her work. Utilising the material language of the backstage or unseen work of caregiving, facilitation and storage, she brings attention to the systems that enable our everyday world to operate. Doorhandles, shelves and spools often feature, as well as dividing screens, samples and nets. There is always a reserved poise to her work, as if it has just been set to task, or is about to be. It is not so much about the functionality of what she makes, but the Utopian promise of re-imagining. The work is an idea more than anything else.
Awards + Grants
2021/22 Vlaanderen Departement Cultuur, Jeugd & Media Artist Scholarship - Perspectives on Weaving and Motherhood
2019 Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2018 Kunststiftung NRW, Individual Funding for Young Artists
The Elephant Trust, Production Award
Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
Arts Council England, Artists’ International Development Fund
2017 ARCO Madrid, PREMIO Award
Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2016 The Elephant Trust, Production Award
Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2015 CVAC (Centre for Visual Arts and Cultures), Durham University, Research Award
Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2010 Kenneth Armitage Foundation, Young Sculptors Award, First Prize
Residencies + Travel Scholarships
2018 Helsinki International Artist Programme, Helsinki
2017 Lodgers, Drop City invited by M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art + Air Antwerpen, Antwerp
2016 Fondation Mercier, Villa Ruffieux, Switzerland
Prince of Wales Artist Fellowship, British School of Archeology at Athens
2015 Cove Park, Scotland
2014 Helsinki International Artist Programme, Helsinki
Metal, Southend on Sea
2013 BxNU Institute of Contemporary Art (BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art), Travel Scholarship
2010 Duveen Travel Scholarship
Publications/Catalogues
2019 Sustainability is not Enough: Non-conventional Organisations and Initiatives published by Onomatopee & M HKA
2017 An Athens City Reader artist book published by M HKA, Antwerp & Drop City
2015 Continuous Material artist book published by Drop City
2014 Soft Start catalogue published by AND London
Press + Texts
Parnass Magazine, Paula Watzl
Art Viewer, Moritz Scheper
Monopol Magazine, Alexandra Wach
Sleek Magazine, Stefanie Hessler
Mousse Magazine, Thomas Hopkin
ATP Diary, Matteo Mottin
This is tomorrow, Josh Wilson
Images and text copyright Eleanor Wright
Website Open Air
°1984, London
Lives and works between BE and UK
Education
2016 Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, guest studentship, class of prof. Rita Mcbride
2013 Warwick Stafford Research Fellowship in the Arts, with BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art + Northumbria University
2010 Slade School of Art (MFA Sculpture), London
2007 Chelsea College of Art (BA Sculpture) , London
Biography
Through her sculptural practice, Eleanor Wright explores a multifaceted exchange between materials, whereby each part is contingent upon another. The exhibition format is as important as individual works, and as such this contingency is emphasised within her spatial as well as material language. Wright likes to make things, as much as she likes to work with readymade things. The relationships found within the social histories of craft and architecture are set in concert with the genealogy of familiar, everyday items and iconographies. Through tender acts of modification and divergence, Wright is most adept at making things unique and tangible in their own logic, yet with a curious guise of seeming like they’ve always been there. She tampers with the functionality of things and modes of recognition, creating objects and installations that shift attention between established and obscure references and cultural narratives. Structures and support systems play a significant role in her work. Utilising the material language of the backstage or unseen work of caregiving, facilitation and storage, she brings attention to the systems that enable our everyday world to operate. Doorhandles, shelves and spools often feature, as well as dividing screens, samples and nets. There is always a reserved poise to her work, as if it has just been set to task, or is about to be. It is not so much about the functionality of what she makes, but the Utopian promise of re-imagining. The work is an idea more than anything else.
Selected Solo Exhibitions + Projects
2024 Lineaments, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf
2021/22 Research Project: Perspectives on Weaving and Motherhood
2019 New Positions, Art Cologne with Petra Rinck Galerie
2018 Pre-public Scenery, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf
2017 A Pattern Language, workshop series, South London Gallery, London
ARCO Madrid, with Drop City, PREMIO Award for best booth, Madrid
2016 Arena, British School of Archeology at Athens, Athens
2016 Roßstrasse 68 (learning from Ella Steigelman), Drop City, Düsseldorf at Hotel Ufer
2016 A Pattern Language, workshop series, Montessori Gesamtschule, Düsseldorf
2015 Continuous Material, Drop City, Newcastle
2015 Continuous Material, Durham Castle Museum, Durham
2014 Soft Start, The Northern Charter, Newcastle
2013 Tuned Cities, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle
2013 Thin Cities, Gallery North, Newcastle
2011 The Harrow, Hastings Art Space, Hastings
Selected Group Exhibitions + Projects
2021 British School at Athens Arts Bursary 20 Year Anniversary, Europe House, London
2020 In Vitro, M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp
2019 Dark Lantern, (curated by Paul Morrison), Galerie Sabine Knust, Munich
2018 A Gradual Stiffening (Rea), HIAP, Helsinki
2018 To Be Kept For Some Future Time, South London Gallery, London
2017 A Gradual Stiffening, Drop City at M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp
2017 Choreography, Drop City at Arcade, London
2017 Warming Up, Drop City at Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf
2016 World Is Sudden, Giles Bailey & CIRCA Projects/Berwick Film & Arts Festival
2016 Drop City Centre, Drop City at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
2016 On Some Motifs (hanging), Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
2015 SO, Mauve, Vienna
2015 Art Lending Library, NGCA, Sunderland
2015 Graphics Interchange Format, Focal Point Gallery, Southend on Sea
2015 Foam, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland
2012 Switch, (curated by Phyllida Barlow), BALTIC 39, Newcastle
2012 American Mountains, Grand Union, Birmingham
2012 Kodachrome, LimaZulu, London
2011 Mister Mercer, Oriel Sycharth Gallery, Wrexham
Awards + Grants
2019 Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2018 Kunststiftung NRW, Individual Funding for Young Artists
2018 The Elephant Trust, Production Award
2018 Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2018 Arts Council England, Artists’ International Development Fund
2017 ARCO Madrid, PREMIO Award
2017 Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2016 The Elephant Trust, Production Award
2016 Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2015 Centre for Visual Arts and Cultures Research Award, Durham University
2015 Arts Council England, Individual Grants for the Arts Award
2010 Kenneth Armitage Foundation, Young Sculptors Award, First Prize
Residencies + Travel Scholarships
2018 Helsinki International Artist Programme, Helsinki
2017 Lodgers, Drop City invited by M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art + Air Antwerpen, Antwerp
2016 Fondation Mercier, Villa Ruffieux, Switzerland
2016 Prince of Wales Artist Fellowship, British School of Archeology at Athens
2015 Cove Park, Scotland
2014 Helsinki International Artist Programme, Helsinki
2014 Metal, Southend on Sea
2013 BxNU Institute of Contemporary Art, Travel Scholarship
2010 Duveen Travel Scholarship
Publications/Catalogues
2019 Sustainability is not Enough: Non-conventional Organisations and Initiatives published by Onomatopee & M HKA
2017 An Athens City Reader artist book published by M HKA, Antwerp & Drop City
2015 Continuous Material artist book published by Drop City
2014 Soft Start catalogue published by AND London
Press + Texts
Parnass Magazine, Paula Watzl
Art Viewer, Moritz Scheper
Monopol Magazine, Alexandra Wach
Sleek Magazine, Stefanie Hessler
Mousse Magazine, Thomas Hopkin
ATP Diary, Matteo Mottin
This is tomorrow, Josh Wilson
Public Commissions + Collections
UK: Wellcome Library; South London Gallery; Pioneer Health Centre; Southbank Centre; Durham Castle Museum, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Belgium: M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp
Work in private collections in the UK and Germany
Images and text copyright Eleanor Wright