Artist Livia Spinolo - Portland Residency

The six-month residency with the Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust (PSQT) provided an opportunity to undertake a practice-based investigation into the ecological, historical, and cultural dimensions of Tout Quarry Sculpture Park and Nature reserve and gain insight on the PSQT multidisciplinary approach to landscape regeneration. The resulting work, Ab Initio (70 × 800 × 45 cm), was conceived as both a sculptural intervention and a functioning habitat, permanently sited at Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve as part of the One Island Many Visions exhibition and Symposium.  The show is a collaboration between PSQT and 27 artist form the Royal Society of Sculptors.

The research undertaken during the residency was structured around three primary strands:

1. Material and Technical Investigation
   A core aspect of the residency involved examining the technical and historical properties of dry-stone walling. Research encompassed traditional construction techniques, the cultural significance of the wall as a rural infrastructure, and its ecological function as a microhabitat. The collaboration with Peter Curtis and Phyllis Warren of the Dorset Branch of the Dry-Stone Walling Association was central to this inquiry, enabling the transmission of traditional knowledge while adapting methods for sculptural application.

2. Ecological and Environmental Research
   Particular emphasis was placed on understanding how dry-stone walls operate as ecological systems. Drawing on consultation with naturalist Bob Ford, the research identified the ways in which cavities and thermal properties of stone structures support biodiversity. Fieldwork included analysis of site conditions—sunlight exposure, wind direction, and soil characteristics—to determine an optimal location for habitat regeneration. The curved like forms of Ab Initio were developed in response to these findings, with the intention of enhancing solar gain, reducing wind speed, and encouraging seed dispersal and plant colonisation.

3. Community and Interdisciplinary Engagement
   The residency was supported by PSQT’s interdisciplinary ethos, positioning artistic practice in dialogue with ecological science and local community knowledge. Interviews, meetings and discussions with the community informed the development of the project, particularly in relation to the Trusts creative and educational resource and its integration into wider programmes of cultural and ecological regeneration on Portland. The involvement of the Dorset Branch of the Dry Stone Walling Association, fellow artist Ros Burgin MRSS, PSQT’s Creative Director, Hannah Sofaer MA (RCA) and local Naturalist Bob Ford further embedded the project within the collaborative and interdisciplinary framework.

AB INITIO 

By Livia Spinolo

Ab Initio (70 × 800 × 45 cm) is a new permanent installation at Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve in Portland, Dorset. The Project, sponsored by Dorset DSWA, was developed in collaboration with Peter Curtis and Phyllis Warren of the Dorset Branch of the Dry-Stone Walling Association, Hannah Sofaer, Creative Director of Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust, and with valued contributions of fellow artist Ros Burgin MRSS and local naturalist Bob Ford. Ab Initio—Latin for “from the beginning”—signifies a return to origins, reconnecting with principles of place, ecology, and the craft of dry-stone walling. The artwork highlights how traditional walling skills can be integrated into contemporary art practice to address environmental change and support habitat regeneration.

Ab Initio aligns with the interdisciplinary project led by Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust for the regeneration of the landscape. It is a sculptural habitat designed with curved lines that capture sunlight from varying angles. Its amphitheatre-like forms reflect and retain heat within the concave structures, generating a microclimate with slightly elevated temperatures that creates shelter and encourages plant growth. The elevation of the walls above the ground reduces wind speed, aiding the dispersal and settling of wind-borne seeds. Cracks and cavities within the dry-stone walls have proved to be ideal niches for flora, insects, invertebrates, and small mammals. The thermal properties of the stones are particularly beneficial for small reptiles, offering warmth and shelter. The developments of the sculptural habitat will remain under observation and will be documented in the years to come.

Location: What3Words: ///anchorman.spent.arranges
Instagram: @liviaspinolo.art
Website: www.liviaspinolo.com