Experiments in art and archaeology. Exhibition 24th – 27th September 2019, Burren Storehouse

Exhibition of work-in-progress 24th – 27th September 2019
Burren Storehouse, Lisdoonvarna, County Clare.

The exhibition opened on 24th September and was on display for the following 3 days, very kindly hosted by the Burren Storehouse, Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. This exhibition was in direct parallel to a similar exhibition on display in Ölands Museum Himmelsberga in Sweden. The Irish version of the exhibition included short music videos, photographs and poetry submitted by members of the group representing their collaboration in the overall project. Special thanks to Peter Curtin and Brigitta Hedin Curtin at the Burren Storehouse for hosting us and offering canapes at the opening compliments of the Burren Smokehouse. Clare Library kindly provided plinths and display walls.

On the opening night, the show began on the very large video screen. Hans Gurstad-Nilsson, music composer and archaeologist from Sweden was present to introduce his music and video composition “Moving the Ship”, featuring drone footage of choreography by Maria Kerin at the Viking burial monument at Karum in Öland. Danny Burke and Maria Kerin spoke about their collaboration where Maria’s embodied movement was accompanied by Danny playing the flute, summarised in a short music video “Dowsing for Eels”. There was also a special guest showing of the music/video “Eldmörja” (“Glowing ashes”) an art and music project by Patrick Arthursson and Roine Magnusson about their native Öland.

Bodil Petersson, lecturer in archaeology at Linnaeus University, Sweden introduced us to the concept of Experimental Heritage, the activities of the Swedish-Irish at the intersection of art and archaeology, then presented a slide-show on the island of Öland (which has many similar landscape characteristics to the karst-limestone landscape of the Burren).

Following the poetry and video “Land of Promise #1” (Hans Gurstad-Nilsson and Déirdre Carr) combining the landscapes of the Burren and Öland, the stage was stolen by Déirdre Carr with her eloquent recital of poems exploring the landscapes of three world heritage sites; the Burren, Stora Alvaret and limestone Kotel of Jerusalem in her collection of poems and oil paintings: “Clints & Grykes Gynge & Mysinge & Singing Stones of Kotel”. 

Throughout the opening evening, Finn and Mia Neville were also present to demonstrate “Maura Rua and Her White Horse”, a pilot experimental project in conjunction with Maria Kerin. This PlayStation/Minecraft 3D model was built by Finn (11) and Mia (10), linking Maura Rua’s castle at Lemenagh via a tunnel to Cairn Connachtan in Kilshanny.