Programme
River Residencies
Ormston House is delighted to announce the artists for the River Residencies following an international open call. The River Residencies will bring together artists and rural communities including boat-builders, folklorists, Geopark guides, historians, swimmers, citizen scientists and other catchment custodians, in partnership with four local authorities along the River Shannon.
Cavan Arts Office will host boredomresearch in the Cavan Burren and the Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark. boredomresearch are UK-based artists, Vicky Isley and Paul Smith, internationally renowned for exploring an understanding of the natural world through their work at the interface of art, science and technology. Their practice considers our strategies for coping in a world increasingly destabilised by human activity. You can read more about the artists here.
Clare Arts Office will host William Bock along the north shore of the Shannon Estuary, a Special Area of Conservation and home to various protected species of avian and aquatic life. William is an interdisciplinary artist working in Ireland and the UK exploring the connections between people and the environments they inhabit. Through photography and sound, he will explore connections between the community and the body of water of the River Shannon where they live and work. You can read more about the artist here.
Limerick Culture and Arts Office will host Tania Candiani in the coastal town of Glin. Tania is a visual artist from Mexico City who has a special interest in site-specific projects because of the precise social links that they trigger. She uses historical records and archives as materials, and often works with sound, rhythm and translation. The artist will research the industrial heritage and traditional crafts of Glin. You can read more about the artist here.
Tipperary Arts Office will host Nathan O’Donnell on Lough Derg, the largest of the three lakes along the river. As a writer and editor, Nathan is interested in how publishing can be used as a device for participation and what forms participatory publishing can take. He will visit villages, swimming spots, and monastic sites along the shores of the lake, speaking to swimmers and mapping some of the mythologies, place-names, customs, and daily rituals that have evolved around the water. You can read more about the artist here.
“There was great interest in the River Residencies from artists around the world and we received 295 thoughtful proposals exploring the river, its culture and stories. After a lengthy selection process, the partners are delighted to be working with William Bock, boredomresearch, Tania Candiani and Nathan O’Donnell. We look forward to connecting them with our knowledgeable communities in Cavan, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary to co-create a series of collaborative artworks along the River Shannon in 2021 and 2022.” Pippa Little, Limerick City and County Council, lead partner.
The River Residencies are co-funded by the Arts Council’s An Invitation to Collaboration scheme, led by Limerick Culture & Arts Office in partnership with the Arts Offices in Cavan, Clare and Tipperary. The River Residencies are curated by Caimin Walsh and Mary Conlon as part of the Museum of Mythological Water Beasts (2017-), a multi-year project about, along and on the River Shannon.
