/‘In Touch In Ruin emerged from a six-month developmental residency in collaboration with the Mary Rose Museum, introducing young, queer, and disabled artists to new technologies. Led by Thomas Buckley and Play Office, the programme offered a space for experimentation at the intersection of heritage and innovation. The work culminated in a group exhibition featuring works by myself, James Wylie, and Hannah Buckingham.

Blending these new technological tools with my ceramic practice, I created a deeply personal installation rooted in my own childhood visit to the Mary Rose. The work began with a letter I wrote to the ship, recalling vivid sensory and contextual memories. These memories were transformed into tactile “memory artefacts” that respond to the viewer’s touch, bridging the gap between my personal past and the audience’s present experience. The installation unfolds as a multi-sensory landscape: a projection of the letter cast onto a rotating, shifting rock; the scent of tar and damp air; the sound of my voice reading the letter aloud; an acrylic sheet etched with condensation droplets glowing softly in blue; a digital display showing the Mary Rose admission price; a pair of works digitally distorting a scene from the film 'According to Greta'; and a ceramic grip inviting viewers to physically activate the piece.

Through this layering of object, scent, sound, image, and interaction, In Touch In Ruin becomes both a vessel for memory and an invitation for shared reflection-where personal history and collective engagement converge.