Castlefield Gallery Associates Spotlight: Naomi Harwin

This month we have asked Naomi Harwin to contribute to our Castlefield Gallery Associates Spotlight series, in which current Castlefield Gallery Associates share their thoughts on what the programme offers and how it has been useful for them.

Can you tell us a little bit about your practice?

My work to date has used sculpture and installation as mediums to explore sensory and perceptual experiences and the interplay between our bodies and the environments we navigate. I am particularly interested in how perception and movement can foster resilience in moments of disorientation or instability, when we instinctively seek connection. My work investigates how we connect, with our bodies, each other, and our surroundings, through the senses available to us. By challenging our understanding of space, movement, and interaction, I aim to uncover how disorientation can lead to new insights.

In recent projects, I’ve explored themes of balance, breath, and movement, drawing inspiration from walks around Manchester. While the city’s dynamic landscape informs my practice, I also examine how thoughtful design can transform public spaces into inclusive environments that encourage community.

My work has evolved over the years, from tactile, site-specific installations featured in solo exhibitions at Airspace Gallery (2015), Wysing Arts Centre (2020), and HOME (2024), to group shows at Bankley Gallery (2023) and East Gallery (2021). In 2023, I participated in the Making Your Art Accessible residency with In Transit, where I explored creative access and universal design. This experience reshaped my approach and emphasised a desire to integrate sound, touch, and movement, expanding my work’s potential for new engagement. These ideas were initially developed in my solo show Middle Moments at HOME (2024), where tactile sculptures with audio descriptions and walking prompts transformed passive viewers into active participants.

Currently, I am experimenting with sound and field recording to create soundscapes tied to the walks and sites from which they were gathered. With funding from the GMCA Inspire Fund, I’ve invested in recording and interactive equipment, which I plan to integrate into sculptural works. In the coming year, I’ll experiment with devices that activate these soundscapes through touch or proximity, linking the physical experience to the original locations.