In Every Piece Of Land, The Soil Has A Memory
Public Art Commission for Fanshawe Road, Cambridge
Part of Resonance–Cambridge: connecting people to place, developed alongside the new homes being built by Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP).
We have been commissioned to create a new public artwork at Fanshawe Road, located to the southeast of Cambridge city centre. The site was originally part of the post-war housing developments built around the 1950s.
The layout of the new homes will introduce a central green space at the heart of the site. This rich, biodiverse area will enhance pedestrian and cycle connections to Coleridge Recreation Ground and the wider city.
Using artistic techniques such as drawing, ink making, and three-dimensional sculpture, we are exploring the chalk soil its geological history and the flora and fauna that thrive above it.
Through this work, we ask: How do these elements make a place unique? And does soil hold a memory?
To find out how you can get involved in the creative programme and help shape the public art, visit the News and Events pages for details of upcoming workshops and meetings.
Get in touch
We’re always interested to hear of new projects and collaborations, so feel free to contact us.
Theme: Drawing Walks as part of Open Cambridge
We began our engagement programme with a drawing walk through the streets and gardens of Cherry Hinton, uncovering the hidden patterns of its ecology and natural history. Along the way, we explored familiar landscapes through fresh eyes, using a range of experimental techniques and creating drawings that capture both observation and imagination. These works feed into a record of the land and will help shape the public artworks planned for the new homes on Fanshawe Road.
Inspired by the work of Alberto and AnnaRita Ponis and the Land Lines workshop with Kirsty Badenoch at Drawing Matter, our sessions traced alternative ways of seeing, mapping, and connecting with place. This programme is a collaboration between Denman + Gould and Abi Wheeler, a producer and creative engagement practitioner specializing in community and placemaking..
Theme: Chalk Landscapes
Join us for a playful, hands-on exploration of the chalk landscapes of Cherry Hinton.
Together we’ll delve into the geological story of chalk - how it formed, its unique properties, and what it looks like under a microscope. We’ll explore deep time, the composition of chalk, and the hidden layers beneath our feet in this remarkable local landscape.
Using chalk sourced from the area, we’ll experiment with making paints, forms, and small sculptures as we uncover the world beneath us.Link to the Booking Page
