STUDIO(dys)TOPIA

Listening to Soil

Siobhán McDonald (IE)

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Interaktionen zwischen Materialien, Technologie und Kultur

Dieses Projekt begann mit dem Sammeln von Erdproben und ihrer Anordnung nach Standort. So entstand eine Landkarte der Reise, die die Erde genommen hatte, die Route, entlang derer die Zivilisation reist. Indem sich diese Route quer durch die Zeitkaskaten fortsetzt, ändert sich der PH Wert und der Ton der Erde verschiebt sich. Die Installation ist ein Ergebnis meines fortlaufenden Dialogs über die Kartierung von Prozessen und Ritualen um 1500 AD mit Arwyn Jones (EU – JRC) und dem Archäologen Dr. Brendan O’Neill (IE).

Indem ein traditioneller Kalkofen gebaut wird, in dem Kalk mit Ton und Erde gemischt wird, wird eine Reihe von Urnen hergestellt, die die Form antiker Begräbnisvasen imitieren, deren historischer Zweck die Verwahrung von kremierter Asche war.

Die Gefäße zeigen vergessene Geschichten aus einer Zeit, in der ökologische Praktiken und Essenssammlung zu den Notwendigkeiten des Überlebens und des Kreises des Lebens gehörten. Das Kunstwerk dreht die Zeit zurück zu einem Zeitpunkt, als die Menschen die Natur noch nicht ausbeuteten, weil sie wussten, dass sie sich so selbst Schaden zufügen.

Biography

Siobhán McDonald’s practice draws attention to contemporary topics dealing with air, breath and atmospheric phenomena, weaving scientific knowledge into her art in a poetic and thoughtful manner. Siobhán works with natural materials, withdrawing them from their cycles of generation, growth and decay. This ritualized process gives form to a range of projects which consider our place on Earth in the context of geological time. Her work with glaciers and other natural phenomena deploys a unique artistic language that gives form to intangible and richly varied processes including painting, drawing, film and sound.
Siobhán is working with world-leading research facilities such as The European Space Agency (ESA) and The JRC European Commission to explore nature in light of current ecological concerns. Across research labs, her research-based approach pursues knowledge to ask questions about the structure and history of the Earth. She calls on notions of what is still unknown to science, exploring the Anthropocene and the recent consequences of our treatment of nature. 
Artist-in-Residence at Studiotopia and Trinity College Dublin (2020-2023.) Siobhán is exploring the Anthropocene and the recent consequences of our treatment of nature. Current and upcoming exhibitions include: The Model, Ireland (2023), Centre for Contemporary Art LAZNIA (2022); Bozar, Brussels (2022) and Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris (2022)
Recent awards include the Ocean Memory Award (2022); Arts Council Ireland Project Award 2022; EU Commission Alumni award 2021; Culture Ireland Award 2022; Arts Council’s Visual Arts Bursary 2020; Creative Ireland Award 2020 and Climate Whirl Arts Programme Helsinki 2021.
Recent shows include BOZAR, Brussels, 2020; Deutsches Hygiene-Museum DHMD, 2020; Volta, Basel 2019; Limerick City Art Gallery, 2019; Deutsches Hygiene-Museum DHMD, 2019; The National Trust Fox Talbot Museum, UK, 2018; Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, 2018 among others. Her work is represented in many collections, both public and private such as The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland, The Ulster Museum and Trinity College Dublin. Her projects are supported by The European Commission, The Institute of Physics, Culture Ireland, The Arts Council and The European Research Council.

Credits

Arwyn Jones from the Soil Project of the JRC Land Resources Unit, Ispra.
Dr Brendan O’Neill, UCD School of Archaeology and CEAMC.

Listening to Soil was commissioned by Gluon within the framework of STUDIOTOPIA, a project co-funded by Creative Europe Program of the European Union. With the kind support of VIB and National Culture and Arts Foundation. With the kind support of he Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, and the Brussels Capital-Region, The Joint Research Centre, JRC SciArt project of the European Commission, Arts Council of Ireland Project Award, Trinity College Dublin, Creative Ireland Award and Monaghan Co Council. The project is also courtesy of Arts Council of Ireland Project Award, Trinity College Dublin, Monaghan County Council and the Creative Ireland Award.

STUDIOTOPIA is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.