Annette Foster

Annette Foster’s project for Hinterland examined the history of the Nottingham Lace Market. Using the River Trent itself during an evocative boat trip performance, the artist looked at how river and canal interconnect geographically like the threads of a piece of Nottingham lace intertwining.

Her one-on-one performance at the Hinterland boat launch examined correlations between time, geography, industry and artistry. During each personal and intimate performance, Foster created a passageway or liminal space which artist and audience member shared together. In researching the history of the Lace Market, the artist posed the questions: What kind of women/girls worked there? What were their lives like? How did the lace get to the river? Where did it go from there? How does this relate to Nottingham now?

Foster originally hails from the US, gaining degrees from Montana State and Arizona State Universities.  In July 2002 She was awarded a Forward Thinking Artistic Fellowship, which has allowed her to move to Nottingham from Seattle. She regularly collaborates with other live artists on curatorial and perfomance projects; in recent years appearing at the National Review for Live Art in Glasgow, Arnolfini in Bristol and as part of Nottingham Contemporary’s preopening educational programme.