BRISTOL.- Sophy Rickett’s new work To the River takes its inspiration from the Severn Bore – an amazing phenomenon of nature whereby a large tidal wave runs along the River Severn during the moon’s equinox. Rickett’s installation incorporates video and surround-sound audio, creating an immersive environment that portrays the anticipation of the crowd on the banks of the river at night awaiting the tidal surge.

Premiered as a part of Artsway’s New Forest Pavilion at the Venice Biennale this year, To The River develops Rickett’s interest in the role of the camera as a mediator between people and the natural world, and explores how light and darkness define and articulate our relationship to space. Predominantly using lens-based media – photography and video – she considers the abstract possibilities and narrative tendencies of these media formats. Made mainly at night, her works are often minimal in character, playing on the latent narrative possibilities of place.

Sophy Rickett lives and works in London. She has had solo exhibitions at venues including De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill; Ffotogallery, Cardiff; Centre pour L’image Contemporain Saint-Gervais, Switzerland; and The British School at Rome, Italy. Her group exhibitions have taken place at venues including Centre Rhenan d’Art Contemporain, Alsace; Galleria Civica, Modena, Italy; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Il Museo di Trento, Italy. Her work is included in many collections including: Centre Pompidou, Paris; Government Art Collection, London; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nantes; Victoria and Albert Museum, London. She is currently a visiting Artist Fellow at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, as well as Senior Lecturer on the MA photography course at the London College of Communication (UAL).

To the River previewed at Artsway’s New Forest Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale.

A publication, also entitled To the River, and featuring texts by Sacha Craddock and Barry Schwabsky accompanies the exhibition. Copies will be available in the bookshop priced £12.99.

To the River is produced by Elena Hill in collaboration with Arnolfini and ArtSway.