Alistair Debling 

 

Real Barrow Artist in Residence, 2025 

Alistair Debling is an interdisciplinary artist based in Cumbria, UK. He makes films, photographs, performances, meals and installations. His work investigates diverse fields, from queer nightlife and ecology to militarism, agriculture and architecture. Through sustained engagement with a particular community, he likes to discover unlikely connections between things: what does a nuclear power station have in common with a disco ball? A dairy cow with a canonised saint? A gay bar with a wild elephant?

Recent projects have been commissioned and presented by Art Gene, Barrow-in-Furness; Jwllrs, Morecambe; the Grundy Gallery, Blackpool; Grizedale Arts, Cumbria. Recent screenings include HOME, Manchester; Providenza, Corsica; Copenhagen Architecture Festival, Denmark; Atelier WG, Netherlands.

 

 

 

 

In February 2025, we welcomed Alistair as our Real Barrow Artist in Residence and the start of his project, What can you bring to the table? In a series of creative workshops, Alistair has been working with Barrow’s refugee and asylum-seeking community to explore themes of food, culture, and heritage.

Alistair is specifically interested in challenging ‘Nature’ as a fixed, capitalised concept. His project aims to examine and critique the historical role this concept played in colonial divisions between ‘Nature’ and ‘Society’ – divisions that have enabled exclusion, dispossession, and ecological breakdown – in order to instead, recognise the interconnectedness of all life.

Alistair’s residency began with a visit to Abbot Hall where participants had a guided tour of their permanent collections and Charmaine Watkiss’ solo show Legacy. The group also took part in a self-portrait drawing workshop with artist Lela Harris.  Since then, the project has continued to grow – participants have created pottery vessels using clay imprinted with the intricate patterns from cabbage leaves (inspired by Bordallo Pinheiro), designed and embroidered a tablecloth, and reimagined and enacted historical paintings in contemporary settings across Barrow.

Alistair’s residency is still ongoing. The outcomes of the residency will be on display in our Remember Nature exhibition, opening in November 2025. Alistair has been selected as a contributing artist for this exhibition and will participate in the nationwide day of artist-led action to stand up for nature on November 4, 2025.

Alistair’s residency is made possible by Westmorland and Furness Council Refugee Fund, Cumbria Action for Sustainability and Arts Council England.