Creating contexts: between the archaeological site and art gallery

“This paper reflects upon the Test Trenches Project, which involved arts practitioners in a range of media collaborating with archaeologists on the excavations at the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney. The team, including the archaeologists, subsequently undertook a short studio residency at the Pier Arts Centre, a contemporary art gallery in Stromness, and collaborated on creating installations in a range of media. Rather than aiming specifically to create finished works for display, visual experimentation was explored as a meaningful process in itself. Nevertheless, the project was able to provide subtle and unexpected contextual insights into the archaeological material”.