From 1994-2019, Nicola was the founding Director of Arts Catalyst, a leading UK art organisation, distinguished by its specialism in critical and experimental engagement with science.
During these 25 years, Arts Catalyst commissioned over 170 artists’ projects, including major new works by Tomas Saraceno, Aleksandra Mir, Otolith Group, Critical Art Ensemble, Ashok Sukumaran, Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Jan Fabre, Kira O’Reilly, Carey Young and Marko Peljhan. It curated 70+ exhibitions, shown in London (where the company was based), in venues and public realm spaces across the UK and several countries internationally. Arts Catalyst’s commissions and exhibitions programme was underpinned by its research strand, which extended the traditional boundaries of art, intersecting with science, technology, politics, sociology, law, and publishing. It organised residencies, labs and workshops, participatory projects, experiments, talks and conferences, collaborating with major arts, science and academic organisations in the UK and internationally, and published books and catalogues exploring its projects in depth.
Arts Catalyst’s many partners included TATE, John Hansard Gallery Southampton, BALTIC Gateshead, Tramway Glasgow, the ICA, Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Roundhouse London, AV Festival Newcastle, FACT Liverpool, Stills Gallery Edinburgh, Imperial College, University College London, Newcastle University, Scott Polar Research Institute Cambridge, HMKV Dortmund, V2_Institute for the Unstable Media Rotterdam, transmediale Berlin, Projekt Atol Ljubljana, Srishti School of Art, Media & Design Bangalore, SymbioticA Australia, Leonardo-OLATS, the Natural History Museum London, Royal Institution of Great Britain, CERN, Wellcome Trust, London Zoo, Edinburgh Zoo, the Centre for Mountain Studies Perth, and the European Space Agency.
Nicola Triscott 