Groundwork: A Season of Contemporary Art Engages Cornwall's Landscapes and Histories

Groundwork, a contemporary art season in west Cornwall, launched in September 2018 after three years of planning, featuring moving image, sound, and performance across multiple venues. The program aims to connect visual arts with other fields and strengthen local institutional ties. At Goonhilly Earth Station, BT radio telescopes adapted for space communication host films by Semiconductor and Simon Starling, whose 2012 work Black Drop, narrated by Peter Capaldi, intertwines astronomy, cinema, and fiction. Steve McQueen's 2007 film Gravesend, installed at the Cornubian Arts and Sciences Trust (CAST) in Helston, contrasts coltan mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo with laboratory robotics, critiquing tech industry narratives. Christina Mackie's 2015 installation The Judges II at Godolphin mansion, managed by the National Trust, uses videos and sculptures to explore mineral formation, referencing Cornwall's tin mining history. Manon de Boer's 2018 commission at Kestle Barton portrays local musicians, while Adam Chodzko's film at CAST features a kayak journey. Sean Lynch's 2006–15 film Latoon, shown in Helston Museum, recounts a folklorist's preservation of a fairy fort in Ireland, highlighting value conflicts. The season emphasizes dialogue across disciplines and communities.