Artist-in-lab postdoctoral fellow, University of the witwatersrand

Throughout 2025 Huge Sillytoe (Dr. Hugh Sillitoe) was ArtSci4Innovation Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Wits School of Arts and Wits Innovation Centre, placed as artist in residence within Johannesburg Lightning Research Laboratory. This interdisciplinary research fellowship led to the production of several new pieces bridging the manifold gaps between experimental physics and experimental live art or institutional engineering and community theatre. Artworks and creative research outputs made during this post include The dirty belly of the cloud will drag across the ground; the dusty stomach of the earth will yet graze the sky, A storm-cloud balanced on the chin, glistening like a raspberry mid-licking, Roots tangle round clouds, Green-bean, grandma; lightning-bolt, great-grandpa, Lightning let the custard flow, and Stroke Data. Also whilst in this role, Huge organized a colloquium linking art-science practitioners from across Latin America with peers across Southern Africa, hosted at University of Antioquia in collaboration with Dr. Juan Camilo Londoño.

Video: Brett Eloff. Photos: Christo Doherty, Juan Vilela, Zivanai Matangi, Daniel Toro, Susanna Fazio, and Brett Eloff.