ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Katrina Palmer's Artangel Commission Explores Portland's Hollowed Landscape Through Audio Walk and Book

publication · 2026-04-20

Katrina Palmer's initiative, backed by Artangel and BBC Radio 4, delves into the haunting scenery of the Isle of Portland. This island, a segment of the Jurassic Coast, has been heavily mined for its distinctive white stone, utilized in various landmarks across London, contributing to an atmosphere of abandonment. Palmer's project features an audio walk titled The Loss Adjusters, accessible until 30 August 2015, alongside a book named End Matter, which is co-published by Artangel and Bookworks. Additionally, a radio program called The Quarrymen's Daughters was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 5 May 2015. The book uniquely comprises end matter, intertwining historical and mythical tales. The audio experience leads participants through quarries and a cemetery, incorporating fictional loss adjusters and narratives, including an explicit scene. An online review of the project was published on 9 July 2015.

Key facts

  • Katrina Palmer created a project commissioned by Artangel and BBC Radio 4
  • The project includes an audio walk titled The Loss Adjusters available on Portland through 30 August 2015
  • A book called End Matter was co-published by Artangel and Bookworks
  • A radio broadcast, The Quarrymen's Daughters, aired on BBC Radio 4 on 5 May 2015
  • The Isle of Portland in South Dorset is part of the Jurassic Coast and has been extensively quarried for white stone used in London landmarks
  • Portland historically had two prisons, with inmates providing quarry labor, contributing to a sense of desertion
  • The book End Matter consists only of end matter like acknowledgements and appendices, blending history and legend
  • The audio walk features fictional loss adjusters investigating stories including a missing writer-in-residence and quarryman's daughters

Entities

Artists

  • Katrina Palmer

Institutions

  • Artangel
  • BBC Radio 4
  • Bookworks

Locations

  • Isle of Portland
  • South Dorset
  • Jurassic Coast
  • London
  • United Kingdom

Sources