CV — paula roush

01

SELECTED ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES SELECCIONADAS

2026

The Pencil of Nature

Invited artist. Curated by Elina Heikka. Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes (SNBA), Lisbon. November 2026.

ERRAR — Conferência sobre Pesquisa Artística em Fotografia

Keynote speaker. Universidade Lusófona. Organised by Fo:RCE and Procur.Arte, Lisbon. October 2026.

Anozero — Bienal de Coimbra / Programa Convergentes

EMARANHADOS: Humanos e plantas em presença (Exercícios de atenção com fotografias encontradas). Coimbra. July 2026.

Experimental Photo Festival

Solar Cyanotypes in Post-Industrial Ecologies / Hybrid Herbarium: Cyanotype & AI Cartographies. Barcelona. July 2026.

Ecologias de Cura e do Bem Viver: Plantas, Imagem e Processos Participativos de Pesquisa em Saúde

Laboratório Audiovisual do CRIA / ISCTE, Lisbon. June 2026.

Cadavre Exquis — Fotografar em Continuidade

Da Lenta Travessia das Raízes. Publication / artist’s book contribution. MUDE — Museu do Design, Lisbon. May 2026.

HERB FEST 2026 — O Solo é Mãe, as Plantas são Família

Herbário Metabólico / Poções (plantas, imagem e ecologias de cura). Montado Freixo do Meio, Montemor-o-Novo. May 2026.

2025

Wanderings in Space and Time / Andamentos no espaço e no tempo

MiraForum, Porto. September 2025.

Isto não é um herbário!

Alberg'art Gallery, Porto. September 2025.

One Green Eye, the Other Blue — Herbarium of the Anthropocene

Exhibition and publication. MiraForum, Porto. March 2025.

2024

Follow Y/Our River (Books of Water)

Totally Thames Festival and Copeland Gallery, London. 2024.

‘paula’ & Work: A Document on the Machinic Enslavement in Academic Capitalism 2023–24

Borough Road Gallery, London. 2024.

Publishing as Watery Strategy — The Work of paula roush and msdm publications

IMAGO Gallery, Lisbon. 2024.

Places of Unrest and Restoration

The Silver Record Festival, Platform Gallery, Vaasa. 2024.

The Library of Artistic Print on Demand

German National Library, Leipzig, and Museum VILLA STUCK, Munich. 2024.

2023

A Title That Brings Us Together

msdm House–Studio–Gallery, Woolwich, London. 2023.

Follow Y/Our River: Lea-minal Edges

Borough Road Gallery, London. May 2023.

Liquid Memory

Water Museum, Lisbon. 2023.

2022

Liquid Memories ~ to read with water

Borough Road Gallery, London. 2022.

Museums Without Walls

Isabel Bader Centre, Kingston, Canada. 2022.

BOX. UNBOX

Godsbanen Arts Centre, Aarhus, Denmark. 2022.

2021

Memória Líquida

Casa da Imagem, Vila Nova de Gaia. 2021.

Trabalhos Líquidos & Jerricans

Cozinha Gallery, Porto. 2021.

02

CURATORIAL PROJECTS / PROJECTOS CURATORIAIS

2017

The Book Dispersed: Publishing as a Relational Experience

Casa das Artes + Sput&Nik The Window, Porto. 2017.

2016–18

ə/uh/-books — Project Space for Material Publishing

London South Bank University, London. 2016–18.

2016

Faz Tu Mesmx — Arte por Instrução / DIY: Art by Instruction

Sput&Nik The Window Gallery, Porto. 2016.

2013

Hetero q.b.

International video programme. Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea, Lisbon. 2013.

2012

Off the s{h}elf: The Self and Subjectivity in the Artist’s Book

Stockwell Studios, London, 2012

2009

New Territories / Novos Territórios

Pavilhão 28, Centro Hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa, Lisbon. 2009.

2008

Mundos Locais / Local Worlds

Centro Cultural de Lagos. 2008.

2006

Welcome Goodbye Adeus Obrigada — Journeys, Dislocations and Imaginary Nations

Blue Elephant Theatre & Little Portugal, London. 2006.

2004

POSTSCRIPT (Part One): Portuguese Live Art in the Age of Scripted Reality

[SPACE], London. 2004.

03

RESIDENCIES / RESIDÊNCIAS

2025

Chão Terra Pessoas

Mira Galerias, Porto, Portugal.

2015

Photobook Publishing from the Archives

Arab Image Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon.

2013

Xistorias / Schistories

Commissioned residency and participatory project, Góis Schist Villages, Portugal. Commissioned and funded by ADXTUR; supported by Lousitânea, Góis City Council and ESEC. With Eunice Gonçalves Duarte, Mário Montez and paula roush. May–November 2013.

Memory of Stones

Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium.

04

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS / PUBLICAÇÕES SELECCIONADAS

2025

One Green Eye, the Other Blue: Herbarium of the Anthropocene.

Monograph. msdm publications. ISBN 978-1-7396192-7-5.

2023

Wide Load [Bred Last]: A House Moved.

Monograph. msdm publications. ISBN 978-1-7391803-1-7.

Follow Y/Our River: Lea-minal Edges — Prompts for Transitory States of Being.

Artist’s book. msdm publications. ISBN 978-1-7390996-4-0.

Follow Y/Our River: A Manual for Deep Mapping in the Lower Lea Valley.

Educational manual. msdm publications. ISBN 978-1-7390996-5-7.

2022

Liquid Memories ~ to read with water.

Artist’s book. msdm publications. ISBN 978-0-9553793-5-2.

Water Prints.

msdm publications. ISBN 9781739099602.

2020

Photobook Is / Did You Mean Photo Book Is.

Photobook. ISBN 9798669289034.

05

AWARDS & GRANTS / PRÉMIOS E APOIOS

AWARDS & SELECTIONS

Nothing To Undo

First Prize, Sheffield International Artist’s Book Prize.

Nothing To Undo

shortlisted, Kassel Fotobook Festival.

Bus-Spotting + A Story

shortlisted, Photo-Text Award, Rencontres d’Arles.

Fundació Mies van der Rohe

Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture.

GRANTS & RESEARCH SUPPORT

Camões — Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua / Embassy of Portugal in Denmark

support for BOX. UNBOX, Godsbanen, Aarhus.

Erasmus Grant

collaboration with Victoria Browne, Publishing Studio / KHiO Oslo Art Academy.

School of Arts & Creative Industries Research Grant

research towards monograph on photobook publishing / Arab Image Foundation.

Centre for Media & Culture Research, LSBU

research grant for printmaking technologies and photobook publishing, Thames Barrier Print Studio.

ADXISTUR

support for Xistorias, Góis Schist Villages.

Gulbenkian UK / Instituto Camões

support for Welcome Goodbye Adeus Obrigada.

[SPACE]

commission for Bowville, London.

Arts Council England, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Southwark Council, South East London Community Foundation and Community Renewal Unit

support for SOS:OK Emergency Biscuit, developed with Coleman Project Space, London.

06

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2004–present

Founder & Lead Artist — msdm (mobile strategies of display & mediation)

Artistic research, publishing and curatorial platform.

2006–2025

Senior Lecturer — School of Arts and Creative Industries, London South Bank University

Photography, artistic research, publishing and participatory practice.

07

EDUCATION / FORMAÇÃO

2001

Postgraduate studies in Art and Artistic Intervention in Urban Contexts, Bauhaus Kolleg, Dessau — Event City.

Master’s degree — Creative Arts Therapies

Emporia State University, USA. Fulbright Research Award.

BA — Social Psychology

University of Lisbon.

08

COMMISSIONS / SELECTED PROJECTS

Honorary PhD as an Art Work

commission by South London Gallery and Art Fund.