Emotional weather and the climates of change—the work of Aidan Moesby, by Dave Pritchard

Artists, curators and writers each move through the world differently, and working relationships between them can be tricky at times. So what’s it like when one man is all three? Welcome to the North-East centred world of Aidan Moesby.

Two consistent threads that bind together his multifaceted practice are research and conversation. How fortunate therefore to have the opportunity of a wide-ranging chat with him as part of the preparation for these few paragraphs.

Greetings often begin with observations on the weather. In Moesby’s case this could continue all day, as the subject and all its connotations (planetary to personal, material and conceptual) are an enduring core of his productivity. The weather theme, and its larger climate context, is invoked across a practice that embraces visual artforms, performance, installations, text-based works, technology, social engagement, debate and advocacy. Broader themes open out to civic planning, climate change, loneliness, mental health, equity and inclusion, and the global march of digitisation. Languages (in the broadest sense), and codes of communication and understanding, are a strong component.

He works in a responsive way – listening, waiting, researching and absorbing what places and situations may reveal. There is a deep humanity and compassion in this method, borne along by a persistent and quietly ferocious caring about things that matter. Collaboration is often key to Moesby’s practice, and includes partnerships with scientists, philosophers and local communities. The liminal threshold between the physical world and the emotional world is his special expert zone.

Art was not always going to be the vehicle for Moesby’s missions. Initial career steps included environmental science, conservation and child psychotherapy, until the traumas of the latter were overtaken by his own mental health journey.

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To read the full article on Corridor8, click here. 

This article was commissioned in Spring 2024 as part of a partnership with Corridor8, a not-for-profit platform for contemporary visual arts and writing in the North of England.