Matthew Cosslett Announced as Recipient of the 2022 Margaret Tait Residency

We are pleased to announce Matthew Cosslett as the 2022 recipient of the Margaret Tait Residency, an opportunity for artists working with film and moving image to develop their practice, in partnership with the Pier Arts Centre, Orkney. Matthew will spend up to six weeks at the Pier Arts Centre’s newly renovated facilities Linkshouse – Orkney Arts Residency, exploring Orkney’s heterogeneous versions of time in relation to cruise ships and mass tourism, zoom lenses and the camera, Orkney’s oral tradition, and the presence of the world’s first underwater data centre, Project Natick.

Matthew Cosslett said:

“The Margaret Tait Residency provides an exciting opportunity to expand my moving image practice. The space offered by Pier Arts Centre and the support of LUX Scotland presents a distinct platform to explore Orkney specifically. In particular, I plan to examine Orkney’s heterogeneous versions of time in relation to cruise ships and mass tourism, zoom lenses and the camera, Orkney’s oral tradition, and the presence of the world’s first underwater data centre, Project Natick. My work on this residency will centre Orkney, using its own logic, and internal relationship to place, to locate and dismantle networked image culture. With the support of this residency, I look forward to developing my practice between the extremes of ship, server, and Orkney.”

The Margaret Tait Residency delivered in partnership with Pier Arts Centre, Orkney, with support from Screen Scotland, builds upon the legacy of the residency delivered by Glasgow Film in 2012 – 2014. Aimed at emerging artists working in film and moving image with up to 5 years professional experience, the residency provides time and support for developing work and practice without the demands of deadlines or public presentation. Matthew will spend up to 6 weeks at the Pier Arts Centre’s newly renovated facilities Linkshouse – Orkney Arts Residency.

The selection panel for the Margaret Tait Residency comprised of Florrie James, Glasgow based artist and recipient of the Margaret Tait Residency 2014; Andrew Parkinson, Curator of the Pier Arts Centre, Orkney; Rachel Thibbotumunuwe, Learning Manager for Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum; David Upton, LUX Scotland Programme Manager; and Katharine Simpson, Screen Scotland.

Andrew Parkinson, Curator, The Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, Orkney said:

“It is extremely encouraging to have received such a high calibre of applications for the Margaret Tait Residency this year. Matthew Cosslett’s proposal, which combines the worlds of archaeology, digital technology and tourism, will provide a great starting point for the residency and we look forward to working with him during his stay in Orkney. The Margaret Tait Award has had a huge impact on artist’s working with film in Scotland and this residency will expand on that legacy and support new work created here in Orkney.”

Rachel Thibbotumunuwe, Learning Manager, Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums said:

“I was absolutely delighted to be on the panel for the Margaret Tait Residency. It’s a unique opportunity to see the breadth of practice taking place across Scotland today. I am really looking forward to seeing the results of Matthew Cosslett’s residency with the Pier Arts Centre – his proposal presents an entirely different way to look at rural culture, taking us on a journey to explore the camera, time and data through the lens of tourism, network and place.”

Kitty Anderson, Director of LUX Scotland said:

“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to oversee the selection of the 13^th Margaret Tait Award and the new Margaret Tait Residency, in collaboration with the Pier Arts Centre, Orkney. We received a fantastic range of nominations for the award, and a huge number of applications for the residency, clearly demonstrating the demand for opportunities such as these. We were delighted to see the breadth of practice from across Scotland, and my thanks go to all the applicants and nominated artists (and nominees) for taking the time to submit their work for consideration. I also want to thank Creative Scotland for supporting both the award and the residency, and for their input into both the development of the opportunity and the selection of both artists.

The standard of both shortlists was incredibly high and I’m grateful to all the artists for such thoughtful and considered proposals. My thanks also go to this year’s selection panels for their time and rigorous discussion – it’s wonderful to have an in-depth debate about artistic practice, and even more rewarding when it leads to opportunities such as these. We look forward to working closely with Sulaïman and Matthew over the coming months.”