about

Instagram: @paulvivianstudio

Paul Vivian is a UK based artist who studied at Norwich School of Art and Design and Chelsea College of Art and Design.

Interested in object animism and forms of trace and resonance, Vivian’s current research centres around Neolithic Stone Circle structures.

Visiting sites across the UK and Europe Vivian makes unique field recordings directly from the stones themselves capturing their internal audio resonance. He specifically employs a form of Archaeoacoustics that has not previously been widely investigated.

This sonorous audio when collated, becomes the starting point for Vivian’s current work focusing upon specific Neolithic sites.

The motivation behind Vivian’s Object and Textile based works is the theme of intersection, i.e. two habitually incompatible frames of reference (a meteor and beach towel). Vivian aims for this to be thought of as an incitement, a means by which the viewer may imagine narratives beyond the works modest dimensions.

Vivian has recently presented papers at symposiums and conferences on his Neolithic sonorous recording process and findings at Tate Liverpool (2023) and University for the Creative Arts (2024).

Current and Recent solo and group Exhibitions/Projects

2023

Figurine
Group Show
M50v
Liverpool

2022

Group Show
Piccalilli Gallery
Sydenham, London

The Function Suite
Group Show
The Function Suite
Hackney, London

Bankley Open 2022
Bankley Studios and Gallery
Manchester

History Buffet Aftermath (solo exhibition)
Paradise Works,
Manchester

What a Joke
Air Gallery
Altrincham, Cheshire

Dappled Light
More than Ponies Woodgreen Village Hall
New Forest, Hampshire

2021

Open Fragment
Online International project
curated by Pragmata Collective

Those Who Look Out and Those Who Look Back
Laura Eldret and Paul Vivian
Gods House Tower
Curated by Aspace, Gods House Tower
Southampton

2020

Mettle
The Function Room
Stratford, London
Curated by Nathan Baumber
Paul Vivian, Luca Bosani, Gianna Dispenza, Roberto Ekholm, Emmely Elgersma
Evie O’Connor, Lulu Williams and Lana Locke

Touch Me
Online project
52 Artists Curated by Veronika Neukirch

Apropos of Aesthetics
Online VR project @exhibit_eye
10 international Artists curated by Arron Hansford

Select Dream
A group public art project at Portsmouth’s former Knight and Lee building
Curated by Kate Street, Patrick Galway
Portsmouth
Paul Vivian, Hermoine Allsop, Kate Street, Ruth Collins, Stephen Cooper, Patrick Galway
Jaye Ho, Naty Lopez-Holguin, Greg Palmer, Iain Rayner, Charlotte Brisland, Josephine Rock

2019

Perpetual Shift
The Koppel Project, London
Curated by Nicholas Deitrich

Allhallowtide
Artspace, Portsmouth
Curated by Rhys Trussler, Kate Street

Absinthe 3
Spit and Sawdust, Bermondsey London
Curated by Billy Fraser

This is not an oak tree
Jugg art foundation, Suffolk
Curated by Terry Bond, Karen Densham

2018

Stretched Group Painting Show and Auction
UCA Farnham, Surrey

Open Call 3
Subsidiary Projects, London

Malevolent Eldritch Shrieks
Attercliffe (tm), Sheffield

When our lips Speak together
James Hockey Gallery, Surrey

Housework/Artwork
Number 13, London

2016

The Tardi(nes)s (solo exhibition)
K6 Gallery, Southampton

Power Down (solo exhibition)
45 Park Lane, Mayfair London

BYOB British Art Show 8 Fringe 2016
Planet Sounds, Southampton

2015

Sartorious Islands (solo exhibition)
ARTGENE, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria

Wells Art Contemporary International Art Show 2015,`
Wells, Somerset (Winner)
Selected by Richard Wentworth,
Mariele Neudecker
Wells Museum, Somerset

Platform Open 2015 Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Morphets, Harrogate

Plymouth Contemporary Open 2015
Penisula Arts Gallery, Plymouth University, Devon

2014

The Grave, The City, The Wilderness (solo exhibition)
Phoenix Arts Centre, Gallery 333, Exeter

Tomorrow People
Elevator Gallery, Hackney London

Dead Famous
HA HA Gallery, Southampton

Doors in the Wall
Bearspace, Deptford London

Group Show
Gallery 3, Creekside London

Liminal
Lutz Project Space, Berlin

2013

Little and Often
242 Gallery, London

2012

Show 3
Paper Gallery, Manchester

Ground Control
Elements Art Space, Bath

The Metaflux Platform
Royal College of Art, London

2011

Sup-er-nat-u-ral (solo exhibition)
A Space Gallery, Southampton

Wirksworth Festival 2011
Wirksworth, Derbyshire

Exeter Contemporary Open 2011
Phoenix Arts Centre, Exeter

2010

Double Trouble
Blyth Gallery Imperial College London

Space Cadets
Blyth Gallery Imperial College London

The End for Eternity
K Project Space, Berlin

2009

Workshop of Hereafter - diagrams, models and prototypes
Blyth Gallery Imperial College London

Streetlight 09 Across the Street / Around the World festival
Portobello road, London

Jerwood Drawing Prize 2009
Jerwood Space, London

Text Driven
Stroud House Gallery, Stroud

2008

Secrets
The Foundry Gallery, London

Kunstwerk Bazaar

Outpost Gallery, Norwich

Light Trail Enlightenment 08 Festival
Across County Durham, UK

Collectible
A Space Gallery, Southampton

Conjunction 08 Fantastic, Found and Fake
Airspace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

Lost and Found
Gallery, PCAD Plymouth

Room
Kalos Project Space, Sweden

2007

Matchstick Prop (solo exhibition)
Town Hall Arts Centre, Charlestown, County Mayo Ireland

2006

Playing for time
Hot Gallery, Bath

The Gift
Museum Man, Liverpool

Within and Without
Tulca Visual Arts Festival 2006 Galway Arts Centre, Galway Ireland

Objects in Waiting
End Gallery, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield

Now and Neverland
Residence Gallery, London

Off.
Outpost Gallery, Norwich