Harriet Fraser and Rob Fraser
Somewhere, Nowhere Collaborative | U.K.
2025-2026 International Artists In Residence
Artists Statement
Art, for us, is a verb. While a sculpture, poem or photograph, or an exhibition, book or film, might be a thing of beauty and provocation, the process behind any of these, and the dynamic interaction between people involved in both artwork and the surrounding natural environment, often has the greatest energy and impact. What does the art do? What might happen that wouldn’t otherwise happen if the art process wasn’t present? Asking these questions keeps us on our
toes.
We learn afresh every day, in response to the processes that allow the creative outputs to flourish, like fruiting bodies of a vibrant network of life. Art – as a verb – is our way of following threads of curiosity, learning, expressing, opening new conversations, and finding new questions. Our practice is our way of enacting creativity, growing our network, and seeding connections for and between others, including across species and between the perceived human-nature divide.
We are committed to making work that is grounded in place and/or in relevant practices that impact people and land; and we aim not to romanticise or over-intellectualise, but to work in the fertile spaces between these. We think it’s more than OK for art to raise or leave questions, or to simply kindle curiosity and stimulate people to see something in a new way.
Our work with the Pando Tree
We are fascinated by Pando, as so many people are. Just thinking about the size and longevity of this organism shifts us into a state of enchantment, wonder, and curiosity. The residency will give us a precious opportunity to spend time with Pando, not rushed, but slow: time where we can simply be ourselves, to get some sense of the tree – emotional, physical, spiritual – and the relationship there might be between us, using our creative practice to deepen this experience. We’ll also take in information about the tree’s history and its growth, and the relationships local residents and specialists have with the tree: so that we’ll be
layering data, including Data of the Heart, to inform the work we produce.
It seems almost too obvious to say that Pando is unique in its size and age, and this draws us in. This is certainly a factor in our own fascination, but so too are the aesthetics of the tree and the wider Fishlake National Forest, and the entanglement between so many elements here: trees, soil, animals, people, climate, cultures, stories. We want to make the most of our
time with Pando to gently engage with, feel, and enquire into this; and let Pando, and the people we meet, influence the way we photograph, write and present work so that the residency is a chance for us to develop our practice. We hope as well that the work we make, and any events we take part in during our residency, will become part of a wider energy of advocacy for Pando – celebrating the tree and the many things it may teach us.
During our time in Pando, we will respond to what we see, feel and hear. Some outputs will include photographic images paired with poetry. We may introduce temporary interventions, working with the tree in ways that do not leave any trace, perhaps by using cloth, which may become a canvas for hand-written text, to present the scene anew, and we may work with light.
Our composition of poetry and the framing of images may be influenced by conversations we have with people whose lives are entwined with the area, and by research that we’ll carry out in advance of our visit.
We are currently developing work around the impulse of circles, the number seven, and meditation on energetic and entangled systems. One expression of these is through the Resonance project (ongoing), where the installation of circles of birch trees has become an evolving 100+year sculpture and a convener of communities and ideas.
During our time with Pando, we anticipate collecting images, words, fragments of poetry, sound and light, and ideas, and we would love to meet and carry out some informal interviews with people who have a connection with Pando. Once we have left Utah, we will develop these into new work that can be shared in several locations.
Watch Rob & Harriet's talk about their first visit to Pando during the 2022 Friends of Pando "Our Tree" Exhibit
Bio
UK artists Harriet Fraser and Rob Fraser live in Cumbria, in the northwest of England. Their collaborative art practice, somewhere-nowhere, explores the nature and culture of place, with a particular concern about rural areas, complexity in ecosystems, and practices and
policies affecting land use and landscapes. Their practice includes poetry, photography, temporary and permanent land art, film and audio, as well as participatory events, and they work as documenters and consultants on research projects. Walking is a core element –
always slow, sometimes over a series of days, and often including meetings with local residents who are experts of their own places. Over the years, they’ve worked with many farmers and land managers; spending time with them, involved in their daily tasks, is a key part of the Frasers’ listening practice, as well as relationship-building and research.
In 2021, Harriet and Rob founded the PLACE Collective (People Land Art Culture Ecology) in association with the Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas at the University of Cumbria. This connects environmental artists with researchers, land users, NGOs and local
communities, and has more than 40 artist members. In 2023, the Frasers received the Royal Geographical Society’s Cherry Kearton Medal, for their discipline-crossing work in rural contexts. Harriet is currently engaged in PhD research, enquiring into Art, agency and action.
Friends of Pando is dedicated and working to educate the public, support research and preservation efforts and inspire stewardship of Pando, the world’s largest tree.
Friends of Pando is a proud partner of Pando’s public land stewards, Fishlake National Forest of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. Learn more about our partnership.
Friends of Pando and its partners are equal opportunity employers.
Just $14 a month supports work to ensure Pando can be enjoyed for generations to come. Make a one-time or, recurring tax deductible donation today.
Friends of Pando
PO Box 12
Richfield, UT, 84701
Phone: 435-633-1893
IRS EIN: 87-3958681
