Last day to dive into immersive art world of 'Tribute to Fish'

Today (Tuesday 26 August) is the final chance to experience Tribute to Fish, a thought-provoking community installation that has been on show at the Projection Room in Paignton as part of the Sink or Swim exhibition.

Created by Torbay artist Lottie Bolster, Tribute to Fish reimagines a fish and chip shop 100 years from now in a future where fish no longer exist.

The piece features a marine memorial made from discarded fishing gear, to which visitors have been adding their own condolence tags across the weekend.

At the opening, guests were even served chips wrapped in a specially printed “fishy tales” newspaper, filled with community stories, folklore, and reflections on the sea.

The installation sits within Sink or Swim, a multidisciplinary exhibition presented by the Art for Social Change collective, which brings together artists exploring urgent issues around marine degradation and our relationship with water. 

The show features photography, glasswork, ceramics, painting, screenprint, digital projection and live performance.

Alongside Bolster, exhibiting artists include sculptor Julie Light, conceptual artist Katherine Masters, digital media and performance artist Aishling Muller, research-based artist Agata Nowak, and multidisciplinary artist Kayleigh Peters.

Together, their work confronts fragility, reflects on ecological vulnerability, and asks audiences the pressing question: will we sink or swim?

For Bolster, who has previously exhibited at CERN, Somerset House and Torbay Hospital’s HeArt Gallery, the project is also personal.

Her practice spans food, ecology and storytelling, often informed by her own lived experience of food-related anxiety. “Tribute to Fish was always meant to be both playful and reflective,” she said.

“It’s about imagining what could be lost, but also recognising the community projects that are working right now to protect our oceans.”

The exhibition marks the collective’s first public show since forming in 2021, and has drawn together contributions from conservation groups, sustainable seafood businesses, and the wider community.

Sink or Swim and Tribute to Fish close tonight at the Projection Room, Paignton, rounding off four days of immersive art, storytelling and reflection on the future of our oceans.