Fog Machine presents a new body of work by artist and filmmaker Rob Lye, developed during his residency at Eltham College. The exhibition runs from 23 April -16 May 2026 in the Gerald Moore Gallery’s GF space.
The private view is on Thursday 23 April from 6 – 8pm.
At the centre of Fog Machine is a new moving-image work, AFON, filmed in the landscape surrounding the artist’s home in Wiltshire. The film focuses on the River Avon and the industrial terrain associated with the former Avon Rubber factory, a site where local geography, industrial history and personal memory intersect.
Through layered moving image and shifting atmospheres, AFON traces the residual presence of industry across the terrain. The river functions as both a physical and symbolic current, carrying traces of labour, extraction and transformation through the landscape.
The work is presented with a 7.1 spatial sound composition, allowing wind, water and distant industrial resonances to circulate through the gallery space. Sound operates as a sculptural element, extending the landscape beyond the screen and placing the viewer within a shifting field of environmental and acoustic presence.
Alongside these broader histories, the work also engages with personal grief. Landscape and weather become carriers of memory, suggesting a terrain where ecological, industrial and emotional time intersect.
Developed during Lye’s residency at Eltham College, Fog Machine continues the artist’s ongoing investigation into landscape as a site where material, memory and environment converge.
Rob Lye is a London-based artist, filmmaker and sound artist working across moving image, spatial sound, sculpture and installation. His practice explores the intersection of landscape, industry and material memory, often focusing on environments shaped by extraction and labour. Through field recording, spatial audio and film, Lye investigates how ecological, industrial and personal histories become embedded within place.
He studied Sculpture at the Royal College of Art and has exhibited, screened and performed internationally, including at Café Oto, Tate Britain, the ICA, Whitechapel Gallery and Modern Art Oxford. Lye is currently Artist-in-Residence at Eltham College and the Gerald Moore Gallery and recently received an Arts Council England DYCP grant to develop new ambisonic film work in the Arctic in spring 2026.
The exhibition is open to the public on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and by appointment.
To make an appointment, please email [email protected] or call 02088570448.
The Gerald Moore Gallery is a centre for modern and contemporary art with learning at its heart. Opened in April 2012, in Mottingham, the gallery is uniquely set within the grounds of Eltham College and is a valuable resource for the students and the local community. The gallery has gained momentum hosting some exciting exhibitions including works by Matisse, Louise Bourgeois, and Cornelia Parker, whilst supporting emerging local artists. In unison with the exhibitions, the gallery's outreach programme works with local community groups, teachers, and schools, creating lasting relationships with our locality. Gerald Moore Gallery was made possible with the foresight and generosity of Old Elthamian, Dr Gerald Moore, many of whose works are archived at the gallery and who has a permanent exhibition on display.
For more information, images, and interview requests, or to attend the Private View
please contact: Haf Anuar at [email protected]
Geraldmooregallery.org
Instagram: @thegeraldmooregallery
Facebook: @geraldmooregallery
X: @geraldmooregall
Tel: 02088570448
Fog Machine press release
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