Alys Williams (born. London 1979) graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2002 with a BA in Visual Arts: Sculpture, where she had begun working with video and performance as elements creating Sculpture and Installation.  She went on to study a Masters in Scenography at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, graduating in 2004.  She has since continued to involve Scenographic concerns and principles in her evolving practise and works across the fields of Art and Design.

Alys uses the disciplines of installation and video to explore the convergence of performance, the object, text and image.  Her work draws from autobiographical references with particular concern for the relationship of architecture on the narratives that arise from this; She explores the poetic qualities of the places we inhabit and constructs dialogues from her past and present encounters with these surroundings.

Between July 2005 and September 2007, she lived and worked in Rome, where she collaborated with Architect Sarah Stead for Portico (2006); an installation with performance commissioned by The British School at Rome for the Romadesign+ International Expo. Alys has presented independent and collaborative installations and performance across Europe and her work has been included in various festivals and group exhibitions.  

Her installation My Place in Between, a collaboration with Lebanese artist Nathalie Harb, was commissioned by and exhibited at The Institute of Contemporary Arts (London) in July 2008 and then re-located to Beirut in November 2008 for an exhibition at The Hangar of UMAM D&R, funded by The British Council.

In January 2008, she became a contributing video artist on the Artscape Project represented by the Open Gallery and was invited to become Artist in Residence in February 2009.  Alys is now based in London, but continues to travel extensively.

Installations

On-Site|Un-Scripted (Multimedia Installation). Shunt Lounge at SHUNT. (Curators: Louise Mari & Nigel Barrett). London. 2009.

My Place in Between (Multimedia Installation). The Hangar of UMAM D&R (Curator: Monika Borgmann) Haret Hreik, Beirut, Lebanon 2008.

My Place in Between (Multimedia Installation). The Institute of Contemporary Arts (Curator: Emma Quinn) The Mall, London, UK. 2008.

Portico (Installation | Performance). The British School at Rome, Rome, Italy 2006.

Cambia senza Cambiare (Video Installation). Via Sepotta 71, Palermo, Sicily, Italy. 2005.

Obsessing over the middle of the Word Dialogue (Installation | Performance). Coster Upholstery, Hackney Road, London, UK. 2004.

Rinconete y Cortadillo (Installation | Performance | Video). Lumineon, Alameda, Seville, Spain. 2004.

Group Exhibitions

Un:Place A Passage in an Urban Jigsaw (Collage | Installation). The Jerwood Space (Curator: Beatrice Jarvis) Union Street, London.

My Site|in Space 4 (De)Construction (Performed Installation). The Resistance Gallery (Curator: Switch Performance) Poyser Street, London. 2008.

Creatives in Residence From, To and Back Again (Multimedia Installation) and Following Borromini (Short Film).  The Hospital Club (Curators: Laurelene Chambovet & Sam Gassmann) Endell Street, London. 2008

Artscape Project Stand Inside Out and 8 Moments (Video Collections). TENT Design Fair, (Curator: Open Gallery) The Truman Brewery, London.

Shibboleth Catalogue Launch Various Dircetions in 2 Lingue (Video Installation). Area10 Project Space (Curator: Charlie Fox) Peckham, London. 2007.

Shibboleth Direzioni Varie in 2 Languages (Performed Sculpture). Dilston Grove (Curators: Charlie Fox and Neil Drabble) Southwark Park, London. 2006.

Directions The Beginning of the Word Hope and becuase it's only the Beginning (Dance Film)Selected work by young Directors. University of the Arts London, The Arts Gallery, Davies Street, London. 2004.

En Danza Speaking Every Thought (Video Installation). Endanza Dance Company and Theatre, Seville, Spain. 2004.

Dance Presentation The Beginning of the Word Hope (Video and Dance Performance). Cochrane Theatre, Southampton Row, London, UK. 2003.

Area10 Live Event Baal (Performed Light installation). Area10, London, UK. 2003.

The Glass House I’m in my Eye and my Brain’s at your House (Performed Sculpture with video). Old Car Showroom (Curator: Sue Finley) Camberwell, London, UK. 2002.

Festivals

How the Light Gets In (22 - 30th May 2009) The Globe at Hay, Hay on Wye, Wales UK. Exhibition of Artscape Project (Video Collections).

The 5th International Berlin Directors Lounge 2009 (5-15 Feb 09) Berlin, Germany 2009. Following Borromini (Short Film).

Romadesign+ International ExpoDesign Rome, Italy 2006. Portico (Performed Installation).

ACT Festival 2004 Bilboa, Spain. 2004. The Veiled Conspiracy (Theatre).

Commissions and Funding

Artscape Commission.  Ongoing commission by the Open Gallery for Video work for the Artscape Project. Since Jan 2008.

The British Council.  Funding for My Place in Between (Installation) to exhibit at UMAM D&R, Beirut, Lebanon. 2008.

ICA Commission. My Place in Between (Installation). 2008.

Residencies

Artist in Residence at the Open Gallery, 375 City Road, London EC1V. Since February 2009.

Publications

Shibboleth Catalogue presentation from the 2006 exhibition ‘Shibboleth’ at Dilston Grove. (Editor: Neil Drabble). Printed by mtadigital, London, UK. 2007.

Talks and Presentations

Journeys in an Urban Landscape: Artist Presentation. Un:Place Seminar, Jerwood Space, London, UK. 2009.

My Place in Between: Artists' Gallery Talk. The ICA, The Mall, London, UK. 2008.

Curation and Production

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer Retrospective. (Assistant Curator) Live and Media Arts, The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), The Mall, London, UK. 2008.

Luke Jerman’s Dream Director. (Production Assistant) Live and Media Arts, The ICA, The Mall, London, UK. 2008.

Minimaform Memory Cloud. (Production Assistant) ICA Live and Media Arts. Trafalgar Square, London, UK. 2008.

Waiting in the Wings. (Production Assistant) Live & Media Arts, The ICA, The Mall, London, UK. 2008.

Bill Burns Fauna 0 Flora.  (Exhibition Assistant) Live and Media Arts, The ICA, The Mall, London, UK. 2008.

Set Design

Assistant Set Designer on Photo Shoots including:

• French Connection Campaign. Photographer BLINKK. Set Designer Hana Al-Sayed. On location.
• Vogue Gioiello. Photographer Miles Aldridge. Set Designer Andy Hillman. On location, London.
• Muse Magazine Editorial. Photographer Jacob Sutton. Set Designer Hana Al Sayed. Spring Studios, London. 
• POP Editorial. Set Designer Trish Stephenson. Big Sky Studio London.

Freelance since 2007. Click here for full list.

Art Department Assistant on NATTY Music Video. Between the Eyes Productions. Art Director Erik Rehl.   Victoria Park, London. 2008

Director, Producer and Production Designer. Following Borromini. (Short Film). Rome, Italy. 2006-2007.

Production Designer & Art Director. Go Ask Alice (Short Film). Camden Studio, London, UK. 2005.

Art Director. The Event (Short Film). Directed by Janis Pugh. Filmed at The Cochrane Theatre, London. 2004.

Scenographer and Co-Director. The Veiled Conspiracy (Performance). First performed at La Herreria, Seville, Spain. 2003.

Workshops

Journeys in an Urban Landscape: Workshop. Led by Alys Williams. Un:Place Seminar, Jerwood Space, London, UK. 2009.

Drawing the City. Creative Workshop led by Architect/Scenographer Adriana Cobo, working with young people (aged 9-16) in East London. Workshop Assistant. 2008.

DIY 5: Please keep your luggage with you at all times. Live Art Development Agency, London. Participant. Led by Geraldine Pilgrim. 2008.

Performing

Dora Garcia’s Instant Narrative. Writer/performer. Exhibition: Double Agent at The ICA, London. 2008.

Hermann Nitsch das Orgien Mysterien Theatre. 2-day performance. Prinzendorf Castle, Vienna, Austria. 2005.