Allemansrätten / Right to Roam
Sarah Calmus
18–25 October
Vernissage:
Friday 18 October, 17–21.00
Artist talk:
Saturday 19 October, 15.00
Opening hours:
Saturday–Sunday 19–20 October, 13–16.00
Monday–Thursday 21–24 October, 17–19.00
Friday 25 October, 18.30–20.00
Address:
Studio PANK
Sparbanksvägen 70
129 30 Hägersten
T-bana: Hägerstensåsen
Bus: 147 to Hypoteksvägen
The exhibition is curated by Flat Octopus.
Allemansrätten / Right to Roam is the debut solo exhibition of Scotland-based interdisciplinary artist Sarah Calmus. Created in response to her research in Edsbruk, Sweden, as a part of Flat Octopus artist-in-residency programme in the summer of 2024, this body of work explores the ecology of movement through the lens of water. In her installation, Calmus examines commonalities between the artist’s current homespace in south east of Scotland and the residency location in the south east of Sweden. Combining projected moving image work from footage foraged in Sweden, with water data anchored in Scotland; a glitching installation with found objects, recycled materials and hand-dyed screen and digitally printed sculptural fabric pieces, creates a site-specific rumination on the importance of freedom of movement.
Concerned with incremental effect, Calmus considers the waters perspective alongside notions of human activity and consequential effects of water level rising within the framework of the Umwelt; a German term that translates to “environment” or “surroundings” and refers to the perceptual world of an organism. Here, the waterways of Scotland and Sweden are directly featured within the audio-visual work, you can’t contain the clouds (yet), and speak to us using data from SEPA (Scotland Environment Protection Agency) regarding water level rising, set amongst the iron-rich landscape of Storsjön, Edsbruk.
Sarah Calmus (b. 1989, Essex, England) is an interdisciplinary artist, producer and founder of Studio Sumlacs, a socially-driven production studio. Interactive, multisensory sustainably produced experiences are central within Calmus’s practice, where works often draw focus on environmental concerns that build equity for participators, and critique and explore the ecologies of ecosystems of varying scales.
Calmus was shortlisted for the STV Digital Spark Award (2015), received VACMA funding from Creative Scotland & City of Edinburgh Council (2018), granted Connected Innovators, Resident Entrepreneur, and Participant and Alumni funding from Creative Informatics (2020-2023). In 2021, Calmus was shortlisted for the Creative Edinburgh Leadership Award and was nominated to be the President of Visual Arts Scotland (2020-2023). Calmus is the recipient of the Beldina Odenyo Bursary, 2024.
Calmus has also supported and worked for an extensive array of projects and organisations in Scotland, some of which include; Visual Arts Scotland, Edinburgh Council, Hidden Door Festival, Applied Arts Scotland, Fruitmarket, Sierra Metro, The Royal Scottish Academy, Custom Lane, National Galleries of Scotland, Cove Park, Artlink and The University of Edinburgh.
Studio PANK is a transdisciplinary design collective based in Hägerstensåsen. In addition to our own projects in architecture, interior design, product design, and landscape architecture, we also organise exhibitions where we showcase exciting creations in various mediums and serve as a meeting place for creative individuals.
Flat Octopus 