David Snoo Wilson (UK)

Bio

David Snoo Wilson is an artist, educator, and founder who specializes in sculptural metal casting, with a particular focus on bell casting. He is one of the few active bell-casters in the UK, and his unique approach combines his sculptural background with live performances, creating bells outside of traditional Christendom contexts.

Project

During his residency at NART, David Snoo Wilson created a functioning bell foundry entirely from scratch using locally sourced materials. Clay was brought from Sillamäe, sand gathered from the Narva River, wax sourced from a Tallinn beekeeper, brass salvaged from a local scrapyard, and donkey dung collected nearby to form the traditional mould mixture. This process was inspired by the itinerant bell founders depicted in Tarkovsky’s film Andrei Rublev. The bell cast during the residency is intended to eventually be installed at the historic Kreenholm site.

While in Narva, David also laid the groundwork for a forthcoming exhibition, Songs of the Tower, scheduled for September 2025. This show will bring together British and Estonian artists in the Long Legged Tower in Tallinn, exploring sound, place, and material.

Community engagement was central to the residency. David led workshops with local artists and participants, introducing them to aluminium casting in scratch blocks. His time in Narva was a living embodiment of the travelling founder—reviving ancient practices with contemporary relevance and local collaboration.

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