Bethan Hughes audio-visual installations, sculptures and texts interweave archival research and speculative narratives to explore the unnatural ecologies generated through industry, architecture, commerce and technology. Her work has been exhibited at venues including LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial, Gijón (SP), gnration, Braga (PT), Kunstpavillion, Innsbruck (AT), nGbK, Berlin (DE), Ars Electronica, Linz (AT), Haubrok Foundation, Berlin (DE), and HAUNT/frontviews, Berlin (DE). In 2023, she was a European Media Art Platform fellow and in 2024, she completed an Art & Ecology residency at the Museums Quartier in Vienna. In 2025, she published her first monograph with K. Verlag, Berlin. Titled Elastic Continuum, it traces the material and symbolic transformations of a rubber-containing plant better known the Kazakh dandelion.
Portrait by Lukas Städler, Templehofer Feld, April 2021.
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Portrait by Lukas Städler, Templehofer Feld, April 2021.
Selected Exhibitions / Projects:
2025
Group, Plant Stories: Transformation Dinner, Z/KU, Berlin (DE)
Group, Forecast Forum, Radialsystem, Berlin (DE)
Group, Feminist Art Prize, IKOB, Eupen, Belgium (BE)
Group, Unnatural Encounters, Silent Green, Berlin (DE)
2024
Solo, Hevea Act 6: An Elastic Continuum, Kunstpavillion Innsbruck (AT)
Group, Index 2024, gneration, Braga (PT)
Group, Theme Exhibition, Ars Electronica, Linz (AT)
Duo (with Dominique Hurth), To want the world in a glass hat. Neun Kelche, Berlin (DE)
2023
Research presentation, Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, Almaty (KZ)
Residency, European Media Art Platform, LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial (ES)
Solo, Hevea Act 6, European Media Art Platform, LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial (ES)
Group, Kunzten, Kunstraum Flutgraben, Berlin (DE)
Group, Natur Morte, Galerie Burster, Berlin (DE)
2022
Group, The Harvest, Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen
Group, A Fluid Defence, Künstlerhaus Sootbörn, Hamburg (DE)
Residency fellowship, Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen (DE)
Solo, Hevea Act 4: Unnatural Ecologies, feldfünf, Berlin (DE)
2021
Solo, Hevea Act 2: Devil's Milk, Centrum, Berlin (DE)
Solo, Hevea, HAUNT/frontviews, Berlin (DE)
Group, Mutual Matters: Goldrausch 2021, Haubrok Foundation, Berlin (DE)
Group, Staycation, Catinca Tabacaru Gallery, Sandwich Gallery, CTG Collective, Bucharest (RO)
2020
Duo w/ Laura Schawelka, TAPPING DRESSING, Diskurs Berlin (DE)
Group, If Everything is Connected, Everything is Vulnerable, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (DE)
Online, Re-shift, Re-calibrate, Pavilion / Hyde Park Picture, Leeds (UK)
2019
Group, Not Photography, Bankley Gallery, Manchester (UK)
Screening Programme, An Eye To Notice Them (w/ Rhian Cooke, Jasleen Kaur, Rehana Zaman, Charlotte Prodger), Hyde Park Picture House for Yorkshire Sculpture International, Leeds (UK)
Group, Studio 100, Bauhaus 100, Gaswerk, Weimar (DE)
Engagement Artist, Sensory Sculpture, YSP / Yorkshire Sculpture International / John Jamieson School, Leeds / Wakefield (UK)
2018
Group, EBC_019, East Bristol Contemporary, Bristol (UK)
Group, A Connection is Made, Gallery 46, Whitechapel, London (UK)
Artists’ book presentation, Oberfläche, AMBruno selection 2018, The Tetley, Leeds (UK)
Solo, Do Nothing, Open Field residency presentation, CASS School of Art, Architecture & Design, London Met (UK)
2017
Group, Post-digital printmaking, Neon Gallery/ Concrete Gallery, Wroclaw (PL)
Performance (with MXZEHN/Sauter), Spektrum: art science tech., Scope Sessions, Berlin (DE)
Group, Open Call, Bankley Gallery, Manchester (UK)
Group, In The Open, Sheffield Institute for the Arts, Sheffield (UK)
Solo, Bodies of Water, serf studios and project space, Leeds (UK)
Group, Cut Cloth, The Portico Library & Gallery, Manchester (UK)
Solo, Softbodies, Project Space, Leeds (UK)
2016
Duo (with Duygu Atceken), Berlin Camouflage, Plattenvereinigung, Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin (DE)
Publications / Published Writing:
2025
Elastic Continuum, K Verlag, Berlin (DE)
2022
Hevea Act 4: Unnatural Ecologies, with Sajan Mani, Antony George Koothanady and Delfina Cabrera, Berlin (DE)
2021
Corpsing: CGI as Grotesque Realism in the Work of Ed Atkins, article in Un/Masking: Reflections on a Transformative Process, Neofelis Verlag, Berlin (DE)
Hevea Act 3: Before the Blight Hit, Berlin (DE)
Hevea Act 2: Devil’s Milk, Berlin (DE)
2020
Hevea Act 1: Hevea & Other Nutzpflanzen, BS Projects, Braunschweig (DE)
2018
Oberfläche, AMBruno Artists’ Book Series London (UK)
2017
Pure Beauty in Non-Spaces, collaboration with Louis de Belle, San Rocco Magazine, Milan (IT)
2016
Fundamental Acts - Ceremony, collaboration with Louis de Belle, a+m bookstore, Milan (IT)
Facets of Kotti, Forms of Formalism N.3, LUCIA Verlag, Weimar / Berlin (DE)
Curatorial:
Poor Image Projects (PIP), a nomadic event platform which supports and showcases audio-visual and moving image art, established in 2018 in collaboration with artist Anya Stewart-Maggs. PIP has worked with artists from across the UK and has held events at The Tetley, East Street Arts temporary spaces, Henry Moore Institute, Assembly House, Pavilion, MAP Charity at Hope House, University of Leeds, Blank Gallery and more. It has received funding from Arts Council England, Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds. In 2019, PIP took part in Index Festival.
2025
Group, Plant Stories: Transformation Dinner, Z/KU, Berlin (DE)
Group, Forecast Forum, Radialsystem, Berlin (DE)
Group, Feminist Art Prize, IKOB, Eupen, Belgium (BE)
Group, Unnatural Encounters, Silent Green, Berlin (DE)
Group, Fragmenting Obsolescence. The Paths of Gathering, BIENALSUR at Les Abattoirs, Musée - Frac Occitanie Toulouse, (FR)
Group, Fragmenting Obsolescence. The Gathering Roads, BIENALSUR at Museo Nahim Isaías, Guayaquil (EC)
Group, Spätschicht, Gropius Bau, Berlin (DE)2024
Solo, Hevea Act 6: An Elastic Continuum, Kunstpavillion Innsbruck (AT)
Group, Index 2024, gneration, Braga (PT)
Group, Theme Exhibition, Ars Electronica, Linz (AT)
Duo (with Dominique Hurth), To want the world in a glass hat. Neun Kelche, Berlin (DE)
2023
Research presentation, Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, Almaty (KZ)
Residency, European Media Art Platform, LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial (ES)
Solo, Hevea Act 6, European Media Art Platform, LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial (ES)
Group, Kunzten, Kunstraum Flutgraben, Berlin (DE)
Group, Natur Morte, Galerie Burster, Berlin (DE)
2022
Group, The Harvest, Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen
Group, A Fluid Defence, Künstlerhaus Sootbörn, Hamburg (DE)
Residency fellowship, Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen (DE)
Solo, Hevea Act 4: Unnatural Ecologies, feldfünf, Berlin (DE)
2021
Solo, Hevea Act 2: Devil's Milk, Centrum, Berlin (DE)
Solo, Hevea, HAUNT/frontviews, Berlin (DE)
Group, Mutual Matters: Goldrausch 2021, Haubrok Foundation, Berlin (DE)
Group, Staycation, Catinca Tabacaru Gallery, Sandwich Gallery, CTG Collective, Bucharest (RO)
2020
Duo w/ Laura Schawelka, TAPPING DRESSING, Diskurs Berlin (DE)
Group, If Everything is Connected, Everything is Vulnerable, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (DE)
Online, Re-shift, Re-calibrate, Pavilion / Hyde Park Picture, Leeds (UK)
2019
Group, Not Photography, Bankley Gallery, Manchester (UK)
Screening Programme, An Eye To Notice Them (w/ Rhian Cooke, Jasleen Kaur, Rehana Zaman, Charlotte Prodger), Hyde Park Picture House for Yorkshire Sculpture International, Leeds (UK)
Group, Studio 100, Bauhaus 100, Gaswerk, Weimar (DE)
Engagement Artist, Sensory Sculpture, YSP / Yorkshire Sculpture International / John Jamieson School, Leeds / Wakefield (UK)
2018
Group, EBC_019, East Bristol Contemporary, Bristol (UK)
Group, A Connection is Made, Gallery 46, Whitechapel, London (UK)
Artists’ book presentation, Oberfläche, AMBruno selection 2018, The Tetley, Leeds (UK)
Solo, Do Nothing, Open Field residency presentation, CASS School of Art, Architecture & Design, London Met (UK)
2017
Group, Post-digital printmaking, Neon Gallery/ Concrete Gallery, Wroclaw (PL)
Performance (with MXZEHN/Sauter), Spektrum: art science tech., Scope Sessions, Berlin (DE)
Group, Open Call, Bankley Gallery, Manchester (UK)
Group, In The Open, Sheffield Institute for the Arts, Sheffield (UK)
Solo, Bodies of Water, serf studios and project space, Leeds (UK)
Group, Cut Cloth, The Portico Library & Gallery, Manchester (UK)
Solo, Softbodies, Project Space, Leeds (UK)
2016
Duo (with Duygu Atceken), Berlin Camouflage, Plattenvereinigung, Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin (DE)
Publications / Published Writing:
2025
Elastic Continuum, K Verlag, Berlin (DE)
2022
Hevea Act 4: Unnatural Ecologies, with Sajan Mani, Antony George Koothanady and Delfina Cabrera, Berlin (DE)
2021
Corpsing: CGI as Grotesque Realism in the Work of Ed Atkins, article in Un/Masking: Reflections on a Transformative Process, Neofelis Verlag, Berlin (DE)
Hevea Act 3: Before the Blight Hit, Berlin (DE)
Hevea Act 2: Devil’s Milk, Berlin (DE)
2020
Hevea Act 1: Hevea & Other Nutzpflanzen, BS Projects, Braunschweig (DE)
2018
Oberfläche, AMBruno Artists’ Book Series London (UK)
2017
Pure Beauty in Non-Spaces, collaboration with Louis de Belle, San Rocco Magazine, Milan (IT)
2016
Fundamental Acts - Ceremony, collaboration with Louis de Belle, a+m bookstore, Milan (IT)
Facets of Kotti, Forms of Formalism N.3, LUCIA Verlag, Weimar / Berlin (DE)
Curatorial:
Poor Image Projects (PIP), a nomadic event platform which supports and showcases audio-visual and moving image art, established in 2018 in collaboration with artist Anya Stewart-Maggs. PIP has worked with artists from across the UK and has held events at The Tetley, East Street Arts temporary spaces, Henry Moore Institute, Assembly House, Pavilion, MAP Charity at Hope House, University of Leeds, Blank Gallery and more. It has received funding from Arts Council England, Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds. In 2019, PIP took part in Index Festival.