Deep Collaborations: Fiona Crisp, Chamkaur Ghag & Emma Meehan

Artist Fiona Crisp, astro-physicist Professor Chamkaur Ghag and Facility Manager Emma Meehan discuss their long-term collaboration through Boulby Underground Laboratory at Boulby Mine, North Yorkshire. Chaired by Ned McConnell, Curator at The Roberts Institute of Art and introduced by Elinor Morgan, Artistic Director at MIMA.

Boulby Mine is the UK’s deepest and the world’s only polyhalite mine. The Laboratory conducts scientific experiments in astrobiology, dark matter and space exploration technology.

Fiona Crisp is Professor of Contemporary Art at Northumbria University, Newcastle where she co-leads The Cultural Negotiation of Science research group. Her recent Leverhulme-funded Fellowship, Material Sight used non-documentary photography and moving image to interrogate extremes of visual and imaginative representation in fundamental science and technology. Fiona’s work is held in several national collections.

Professor Chamkaur Ghag is an astro-particle physicist leading the research at University College London (UCL) to experimentally detect dark matter in our galaxy. Prior to joining UCL, in 2012 he held positions at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Edinburgh, where he completed his PhD in 2006. Chamkaur serves on several scientific advisory panels, including the Boulby Underground Science Facility, UK. Chamkaur collaborates widely outside fundamental physics within the arts, neuroscience and Earth sciences.

Part of a programme of events around our Deep Horizons exhibition (10 March - 18 June 2023), held at MIMA and in partnership with The Roberts Institute of Art. Fiona Crisp and Chamkour Ghag were among seven curatorial collaborators who worked with MIMA and Robert's Institute curators to shape the exhibition’s themes. Each coming from a different field of knowledge, their perspectives and interests opened viewpoints on excavation and new readings of artworks. Curatorial collaborators included broadcaster and actor Sir Tony Robinson, artist Liliane Lijn, botanist Dr Greg Kenicer, writer and academic Dr Julietta Singh and former Tees Bay Pilot Geoff Taylor.