of gunpowder and gold (limited edition)

firstsite commissioned artist Sarah Sabin to respond to the process of the construction of their new building in Colchester. Of Gunpowder and Gold, which comprises a limited-edition series of objects and an artist’s book, is the result. Sabin was also working as an artist in residence at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Using laboratory facilities at UCL, she investigated the site of the new building, collecting samples of the infill material – sourced from the demolition of the nearby Colchester Garrison – used to build up firstsite’s construction site. Sabin is interested in ideas of truth and authenticity, and to this end, each unique pellet was analysed in an x-ray fluorescence machine to reveal the substances it contains. Data that could not be captured by the machine was subjected by Sabin to a more playful, speculative analysis. limited edition of 50.