Sam Williams

[email protected]
@s_a_m_w

Vault 8
Somerset House Studios
Strand
London
WC2R 1LA

Sam Williams is an artist with a multidisciplinary practice, working across moving-image, collage, choreography and text. Sam is based in London where he is a resident at Somerset House Studios. He has exhibited and screened work at institutions including Arnolfini, Baltic39, Siobhan Davies Dance, Somerset House, Tate Britain, Studio Voltaire and South Kiosk (UK), She Will (Norway); Kino Arsenal, Akademie der Kunst, Tanzhalle Wisenberg and B3 Biennale (Germany).

His ongoing research focuses on multispecies entanglements, ecological systems, bodies-as-worlds and folk mythologies and how they can inspire ideas for present and future ways of non-human-centric living.

Featured Work

2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015

Education

2014–16
  • MA, Sculpture and Moving Image, Royal College of Art (distinction)

Solo presentations

2023
  • Deep in The Eye and The Belly (Part One), San Mei Gallery, London
2022
  • Salvage Rhythms, Arnolfini, Bristol
  • Stay, Studio Voltaire, London (with Oluwaseun Olayiwola)
2021
  • And In The Soil, There Be Mirrors, South Kiosk, London (with Hollie Miller)
2020
  • Salvage Rhythms, She Will Art Space, Norway
2019
  • the actual structure is the material, Siobhan Davies Dance, London

Selected shows, performances and screenings

2023
  • Salvage Rhythms, Humanography Festival, Gothenburg, SE
  • INSIDE, Two Temple Place, London
2022
  • WELTER, Visions in the Nunnery, Bow Arts, London
  • Wormshine, Troubling Time, SLICE, Berlin
  • See What I See, May Fair Art Weekend, London
  • Infection, Good Press, Glasgow
2021
  • ISLAND, Videograms Vilnius, Lithuania
  • See What I See, Darmstädter Sezession, Germany
  • See What I See, Oberhausen Film Festival, Germany
  • ISLAND, Somerset House Studios, London/online
2020
  • Biting and Chewing, The Room Projects, Paris/online
  • AGM, Somerset House Studios, London/online
  • Chapter One, Sankt Studio, Berlin
  • See What I See, Swedenborg Film Festival, London
  • SPERRA: an apartment exhibition, Blaker, Norway
  • Visions in the Nunnery, Bow Arts, London
  • I Should Be Doing Something Else Right Now, Somerset House Gallery 31, London
  • Recovery, Irruptive Chora, Chalton Gallery, London
2019
  • Salvage Rhythms, Somerset House AGM, Somerset House Studios, London
  • Ian White: Cinema as a Live Art / Becoming Object, Kino Arsenal, Berlin
2018
  • Sharing–Holding, PRAKSIS, Oslo
  • Queer Art(ists) Now, Rose Limpan Building, London
  • Looks Like God Left The Phone Off The Hook, Hackney Showrooms, London
  • Utopian Visions Art Fair, Portland, Oregon, USA
  • La Guarida Fiesta, MilesKM, London
  • Eyecatcher III, Big Screen, Focal Point Gallery, Essex
  • A Million Love Songs, Korai Project Space, Cyprus
2017
  • On The Habit of Being Oneself, Sadler's Wells, London
  • Failed States, Deptford X, London
  • Synthetic Ecology II Midnight Notes, ONCA, Brighton
  • Cemetery Dialogue, Fragment Gallery, Moscow
  • Aesthetica Art Prize, York Art Gallery, York
  • Synthetic Ecology, ONCA, Brighton
  • ‘there was an idea of equality’, Baltic39, Newcastle
  • Cairo Video Festival, Cairo, Egypt
  • The 14th Cinema, London
2016
  • OPEN16 Moving Image, Brighton Photo Fringe, Brighton
  • Points of Departure, Tilbury Cruise Terminal, Essex
  • Slow Curtain, Late at Tate Britain, London (w/ Theo Adams Company)
  • Members’ Show, Outpost Gallery, Norwich
  • RCA SHOW 2016, Royal College of Art, London
  • Paper.Publication.Performance, Lychee One, London
  • Notes.app, RCA Dyson Gallery, London
  • RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London
  • Borrowed Time, Jerwood Space, London
  • Panorama#1, Genesis Cinema, London
  • Jungle, Royal College of Art, London
2015
  • Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany (w/ Rosemary Butcher)
  • Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham (w/ Rosemary Butcher)
  • Members’ Exhibition, Temporary Arts Project, Southend
  • Three Rings (Queer Archive), Waldorf Hotel, London
  • MONO, Courtyard Theatre, London
  • Work in Progress Show, Royal College of Art, London
  • RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London
2014
  • Sound It Out, V&A Museum, London (w/ Emptyset)
  • SkinCells, Rose Lipman Building, London
2013
  • Performing Architecture, Tate Britain, London (w/ Emptyset)
  • Zwei Tage Strom, Kunsthalle Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
2012
  • The Place, London (w/ Rosemary Butcher)
  • Visionary Kingdom, Arnolfini, Bristol (w/ Emptyset)
2011
  • COMMA40, Bloomberg Space, London (w/ Rosemary Butcher)

Awards and Residencies

2022
  • Two Temple Place/ThorpStavri, London
  • Rupert Residency, Vilnius, Lithuania
2021
  • Axisweb Digital Residency
  • Hospitalfield Interdisciplinary Residency, Scotland
  • Darmstädter Sezession Prize for Young Artists
  • Somerset House/King's College London Research Grant
  • Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grant
2020
  • Wysing Arts Centre Syllabus VI
2019
  • Somerset House Studios resident artist
  • Arts Council England Project Grant
  • London Creative Network Development Program
  • Elephant Trust Grant
2018
  • Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grant
  • PRAKSIS, Oslo (residency)
  • ArtHouse Jersey (residency)
  • JOYA Arte + Ecología (residency)
  • Artist Network Professional Development Bursary
2017
  • Stuart Croft Foundation Award
  • Synthetic Ecology II Midnight Notes, ONCA, Brighton (residency)
  • Figure Four, Baltic39, Newcastle, UK (residency)
2016
  • Relax Digital Commission
2015
  • Cité Internationale des Art, Paris (residency)

Website by Nate van der Ende

deep in the eye and the belly