ISOBEL ATACUS (b. London)
isobel.atacus@gmail.com Lives and works in London, UK
My practice incorporates sculpture, text and performance, through which I question the fleeting and ambiguous nature of interactions that take place in the physical realm. Playfully re-directing and re-describing the streams of information that come at us from all sides, I create scenarios and encounters where rules are wilfully misapplied.
My curatorial work, teaching and pedagogy frequently take collaborative form, and I have just completed a practice-based PhD between King’s College London and the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL.
Alongside my individual practice I direct the icing room artist run space.
SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2025 there but for the • Zaratan-Arte Contemporânea • Lisbon, PT Undercover Reach • the argo annex • Athens, GR
Sometimes when • St Margaret’s House Chapel, Bethnal Green • London, UK (curated by Anna Choutova)
2021 No wonder, you sense mysteriousness • Goldmali Gallery • Amsterdam, NL
2020 7321974 • Two-person exhibition with Flora Bradwell • Casa do Capitão • Lisbon, PT
2019 only if • Zaratan-Arte Contemporânea • Lisbon, PT
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Cheapside • Gallery 1 Poultry • London, UK
CARPOOL • Sainsbury’s Car Park, New Cross Gate • London, UK (organised by the icing room)
Fandom • Bad Art Presents • London Art Services • London, UK
The Wicker Arms • Staffordshire St. • London, UK (organised by the icing room and ha.lf)
Nose Blind and Humming: A Dire Tribe • San Mei Gallery • London, UK
All Mouth No Trousers • Three Rooms • London, UK (organised by the icing room)
Clinging On • twoplustwo at ACME Studios • London, UK
The Floor is Lava • Bow Arts • London, UK
2024 Take a seat • Bow Arts x ha.lf • London UK Wind Drift • Performance • Filet Space • London UK A Personal Treasure • Selected by Bow Open x Lindsey Mendick • Nunnery Gallery • London UK
2023 Let Them Eat Fake • Bad Art Presents • BWG Gallery • London UK Artworks Open • Selected by Louise Ashcroft and Jasleen Kaur • Barbican Arts Group Trust • London UK
2022 Amethyst Deceiver • Group Exhibition • Atelier Concorde • Lisbon PT Snakes on a Picture Plane • Group Exhibition • Somers Gallery • London UK
2021
5th wall • Screening • Styroxfabriken • Jakobstad, FI
When was the last time you saw the sea? • Youkobo Art Space • Tokyo, JP
Moths drink the tears of sleeping birds • Screening • Zaratan-Arte Contemporãnea • Lisbon, PT
2020
ant. • Billboard Installation • Muddy Yard • London UK
Days you were happy to see me • PhD review exhibition • APOSENTADORIA • Lisbon PT
EDUCATION
PhD, King’s College London & Slade School of Fine Art, UCL • 2016–2024
Expanded expansive: Investigating the limits of the sculptural object (practice-based)
MA, Modern French Theory and Visual Culture • King’s College London • 2014–2015
SELECTED RESIDENCIES & AWARDS
Argo Annex • Athens, GR • Residency • 2025
Pó de Vir a Ser • Évora, PT • Residency • 2025
Bow Arts × ha.lf • London, UK • Residency • 2024
AZAN • Mira-Sintra de Meleças, PT • Residency • 2022
Artworks Open • Barbican Arts Group Trust • London, UK • 2022
Gulbenkian Award • Lisbon, PT • 2020
AHRI Research Grant • King’s College London • 2019–2023
Can Serrat • Barcelona, ES • Residency (full bursary, postponed due to Covid)
Longlisted • Ivan Juritz Award • London, UK • 2017
PEDAGOGY / TALKS
2025 Hi Vis • Artist Talk • Finch Gallery • London, UK
Clinging On • Artist Talk • ACME Studios • London, UK
2024
Eva Hesse: Imagining the Unruly • Lecture • Feminist Lecture Programme, Vagina Museum • London, UK
2023
Folding and Layering and Stacking then starting again • Performance Lecture • DLLRC World-Making Conference • King’s College London
Creative Workshops • Hypha Studios • London, UK
2022
Mentor • AIR Programme • Zaratan-Arte Contemporânea • Lisbon, PT (2020–2022)
Concatenation • Performance Lecture • King’s College London • London, UK
2021 Mentor • Laboratorio Em Obras • Zaratan-Arte Contemporãnea • Lisbon, PT MOONGAZING • Residency Programme organised and run by the icing room in collaboration with Muddy Yard • London, UK
WRITING & PUBLISHING
‘Stuffness and Nothings: Reading Eva Hesse through Julia Kristeva’ in After Work: French Studies Bulletin, Vol. 45, Issue 169–170, Oxford University Press, 2024
Figs and Figments • Publication • Good Press, Glasgow • 2024
Smoked Paprika • COPY II • Berlin • 2023
The Summer I Refused to Shower • Vol.1 Brooklyn • New York • 2020
Sunburn on the Moon • Wrong Wrong #17: Vertigo • Lisbon • 2020
Further writing has appeared in The Beano, Good Press, INLAND, MadSwirl, Revista Decadente, The Big Other, Water-Sound-City, and FOLD.
COLLECTIONS
Zaratan-Arte Contemporânea • Lisbon, PT
Private Collections • Almada, PT • Margate, UK • London, UK