As part of her research for the East Gallery Fellowship, artist Marilou Chagnaud spent time at 4 Coast Guard Cottages, Weybourne, Norfolk, the former home of artist Roger Ackling. Immersing herself in the remote coastal environment, Chagnaud undertook a daily ritual of walking the coastline, absorbing its shifting light, elemental textures, and the visible, ongoing impact of erosion. This reflective, process-driven approach echoes that of Ackling himself, who decades earlier, walked the same terrain, finding driftwood on which he later used a magnifying glass to focus sunlight and burn surface patterns, transforming ephemeral experiences into enduring forms.
What is it about the coast that continues to captivate artists? How does the physical act of walking in these liminal spaces inform creative practice?
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Marilou Chagnaud, Amanda Geitner (curator and PhD candidate researching the life and work of Roger Ackling), and Claire Allerton (exhibition curator), as they delve into the powerful relationship between place, process, and artistic response.
About the exhibition
East Gallery Fellow, Marilou Chagnaud, presents The Sea, the Ghost and the Kite Maker, a compelling exhibition project that delves into the geological phenomenon of erosion along the Norfolk coastline. Through her unique, poetic approach, Chagnaud transcends traditional landscape documentation, crafting a minimalist and abstract visual language that captures both the physical transformation of these coastal landscapes, and the human stories embedded within them.
