Bio

Sophie Fulton is a curator and researcher based in Ayrshire and Glasgow, Scotland. Her practice straddles the line between traditional and contemporary, exploring themes such as the human and non-human, the sublime, escapism, the unseen, fantasy vs reality and the relationship between science and art. As a curator, she is interested in displaying in alternative spaces, experimenting with their connection to audience reception, artistic context and research progression. She is currently working on her Masters in Curatorial Practice, a course run by Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow.

As a researcher, Sophie is interested in art historical influences on modern culture; her love of the Victorian period often influences her study choice. Sophie has written papers covering a range of topics, including Industrialisation and Imagination: A study of the relationship between Fairy Art, and Modernity, Societal roles and Lunacy in the Victorian Period (2019), Taxidermy: Subject and Specimen (2020), Bio Art: Curating the Living, Non-Living and Everything In Between (2021) and Ruysch, Body Worlds and Bio Art: A Comparative Discussion (2021).

Sophie also holds a First Class Joint Honours MA in Film and Visual Culture and History of Art from the University of Aberdeen. As well as a strong theoretical background, Sophie has previous qualifications and experience working as an independent artist, specialising in portrait realism and photography. Previous and current curatorial projects include Restriction. Intervention. Connection. (2020), and a collaboration with the Hunterian Gallery as part of Dislocations (2021). The latter consists of a performance artwork by Rae Yen Song and a speculative fiction writing workshop by Arianne Maki, and is co-curated with Siobhan Healey, Holly O’Brien and Sam M Harley and is expected to be presented later in 2021.

Curatorial Statement

My curatorial research stems from a background in art theory, contemporary practice and gallery fieldwork. This has resulted in my practice mirroring various facets of interest, often straddling multiple research pools and genres. I strive to balance theoretical and practical research, one often feeding the other to reach a versatile curatorial approach. Fantasy vs reality, historical influences on contemporary culture and the human need for escapism are recent influential themes, with the hope of their development into deeper focuses in the future.

My multi-faceted practice includes the development of a trustful space for discussion between artist and curator. This is essential as my thematic interests often associate themselves with intimate, sensitive and reality-questioning material, requiring close working relationships with artists and their practice. My film and art history background is evident in my determination to engage with artists in historical and contemporary conversations, situating both their work and my practice in contemporary art discourse. I also enjoy exploring potential audience reactions and associations to art, its relationship to medium and display space. I hope to develop this research interest in the future by exhibiting in a lab environment. Ultimately, I strive for an adaptable practice that can acclimate itself, adjusting from a need to contribute to social change to the visual presentation of sentimentality, depending on the artist’s needs.

My current curatorial interests focus on the conversation between Science and Art and its representations in a pandemic-driven society. This is fuelled by my interest in bioart, its ethical debates and dualism of research and creativity. These explorations have resulted in my most recent project, The New Normal?; a bio and body art collective.