Adam is an artist and researcher. He works across institutions, archives, architecture and writing.
Adam Knight works on the Graduate Diploma in Art & Design where he teaches across art and design specialisms with a focus on fine art practice. He contributes to PGR activities in the School of Arts and Humanities. Adam is a member of the Sites and Situations research cluster at the college and the Design Futures research group at the University of Portsmouth.
Adam has worked at Central Saint Martins, London College of Communication, Leeds Beckett and University for the Creative Arts. In 2023 he was Practitioner in Residence at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London.
He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Key details
School, Centre or Area
Gallery
More information
Research Interests
Adam’s research looks into the relationships between the built environment and archival practices. Using research and art practice he explores latent aspects of archives to reveal new insights and perspectives. Works derive from research methodologies incorporating field recordings, writing and institutional structures.
Scopic and haptic methods are used to mediate and interface with objects of inquiry. He is interested in the specificity of material to reflexively draw attention to concepts and methods embedded in the work.
Practice
Adam is a UKRI fully-funded Doctoral Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, the project is titled ‘A Digital Living Archive for Aspex Portsmouth: From Preservation to Cultural Value’. This project aims to investigate the transformation of Aspex’s arts archives into participatory digital spaces through creative technologies.
Research funding
PhD Scholarship, University of Portsmouth/
Aspex Portsmouth (UKRI) (2025-28)
Scholarship recipient, Künstlerhaus Ahrenshoop. (2023)
Fellowship Grant, University of London (2023)
Research Costs Fund, Royal College of Art (2020/1/4)
a-n Artist Bursary, (2019)
Research award, University for the Creative Arts, (2019)
Research award, University for the Creative Arts, (2018)
Knowledge Exchange Fund, Central Saint Martins, (2018)
PGR Conference Fund, Royal College of Art, (2018)
Research award, University for the Creative Arts, (2017)
Grant for the Arts Award, Arts Council England, (2016)
PGR Conference Fund, Royal College of Art, (2016)
Research award, University for the Creative Arts, (2016)
Research award, University for the Creative Arts, (2015)
Artists’ Stipend, City of Linz, (2015)
Research award, Royal College of Art, (2015)
New Creative Market, European Regional Development Fund (2014)
British Council travel grant, (2012)
Fellowship Stipend, City of Weimar, (2011)
Publications, exhibitions, other outcomes
Exhibitions/ Screenings
(2026) OPEN SEOUL, Konnexcheon Pavillion, South Korea.
(2025) VHS/DTV, TACO! London
(2025) On Air – On Site The Hague, Netherlands
(2024) Open Sound: REWIND, Outpost Gallery, Norwich
(2023) Curated Shorts, Cornwall Film Festival, CMR Project Space, Redruth
(2023) About Place - Sound Signatures, Jill Craigie Cinema, University of Plymouth
(2023) Recognizing Plants as the Bodies of Gods, The One Minutes, Hortus, Nijmegen and Rozenstraat, Rotterdam. Netherlands & Reykjavík International Film Festival
(2022) Two Estates, The Brunswick Centre. London.
(2022) Radiophrenia, Glasgow CCA
(2020) Caretaking: 2020 to 1990, 30 Years of Artistic Use of the Former GDR Watchtower at Schlesischer Busch, Berlin
(2020) Begehungen, Entwürfnisse: Ring 8, Chemnitz
(2019) Inter-regnum-um-um, cheLA/Art Basel, Buenos Aires
(2019) The Watch: Transmissions, Cashmere Radio (88.4 FM Berlin)
(2019) SITE WORK, Experimental Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca US
(2018) Stadtbild HRO, Kunsthalle Rostock, Germany
(2017) Site of Memory, Pavlov’s Dog, Berlin
(2017) TRACKINGSHOT1. Desert Sessions, Big Screen Southend Focal Point Gallery
Publications
Horton, D & Gibbons, G. (2023) Instruction, Issue 14, Soanyway Magazine ISSN 2043-6408
Edwards, H. & Joseph-Lester, J. (2018) WRITING CITIES: London - Los Angeles, Intellect Journal, Volume 10, Number 2, 1 May 2018, pp. 267-299(33) ISBN 1753-5190
Höflich, R. & Waidner, I. (2017) The Arrow Maker, 8fold.org ISNN 2055 2211
Le Couteur, P. & Haslam, S. (2015) Why Would I Lie? 978-1-910642-05-4
Reardon, J. & Tarku, S. (2013) PROSPECTUS ISBN 978-1-78280-030-9
Talks
(2025) Career Options in Museums in the Digital Era, UCL
(2025) Speaking of History, IHR, University of London
(2023) Open House London, Kensal House.
(2023) Making of Kensal House, Seminar, MA History Place and Community, IHR. 2023
(2023) Secret London, IHR Summer School
(2023) Research Forum for German Visual Culture, University of Edinburgh.
(2020) Think Monument! Together, Symposium, Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, Ljubljana
(2018) From horror vacui to spaces of re-enchantment: art, ecology, and urban wastelands, University of the Arts, Berlin
(2023) Research Forum for German Visual Culture, University of Edinburgh.
(2020) Think Monument! Together, Symposium, Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture, Ljubljana
(2018) From horror vacui to spaces of re-enchantment: art, ecology, and urban wastelands, University of the Arts, Berlin
External collaborations
- (2022-5) External Examiner, Graduate Diploma in Art. Goldsmiths College
- (2023-8) External Examiner, BA (Hons)/ MA Illustration and Visual Media. London College of Communication, UAL
Current and recent research
Speaking Histories, Institute of Historical Research (2025)
- A curated exhibition to mark the digitisation and launch of ‘Interviews with Historians’: a project from the late-1980s/early-1990. The project– instigated by academic Pat Thane –invited early-career historians to interview more established colleagues. Interviewees included Margaret Gowing and Eric Hobsbawm. In collaboration with the IHR, the exhibition contained original material from the project and screenings of selected interviews. Funding and support from University of London.
Jencksianagram, The Cosmic House (2024-25)
- A year-long exhibition produced from research undertaken at ‘The Cosmic House’. Charles Jencks’ Architectural Library houses his extensive slide library, containing material used for his lectures and books. During the research Knight worked with a series of almost-duplicates to create a number of stereograms, experienced through slide viewers. A small publication was produced in the context of the research and exhibition. The exhibition was kindly funded by Royal College of Art and Jencks Foundation.
Our Views of Kensal House (2023)
- Our Views from Kensal House’ was a 4-month project working with young people, involving workshops, training and field trips leading to the production of a documentary. The project was developed by local Community Theatre group: Socially Progressive Interconnected Diverse (SPID) in North Kensington. Knight was brought on as a creative consultant on the project. There were guest speakers from Bartlett School of Architecture and Oxford Brookes. The project was funded by Historic England, Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Our Views of Kensal House was screened at the British Film Institute and the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2023/24
Awards
Fellowship, Practitioner in Residence, Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Studies, University of London. 2023
Scholarship, Künstlerhaus Ahrenshoop, 2023
Professional Development Award UCA, 2014-18