'Cé Leis É?' (who's is it?)

NCAD Gallery 2014 - 15

Alanna Blake / Lucy Bowen / Jenny Drea / Julia Dubsky / Octavian Fitzherbert / Grainne O’Carroll / Sean O’Riordan

This exhibition marked the launch of Irish NGO Coastwatch Europe’s annual survey; which examines climate change, coastal erosion, endangered sea species and pollution. Through a collaborative process, exhibited works by the artists respond to the challenges facing the Irish coast as found by Coastwatch Europe’s 2014 survey.

The title Cé leis é?, proposes a re-engagement with the Irish coast; who it belongs to, who is responsible for it and why it should be respected and valued. The Irish coast stretches nearly 7000 km long, generating income through tourism, fishing and marine work. However, there is a disunion between the Irish nation and the coast that surrounds it. In 2014, a Canadian corporation bought the rights to 20% of Irish seaweed, disenfranchising small scale, sustainable harvesters and reflecting the general disinterest in this industry. In the last one hundred years, plastic is being used in fishing, resulting in it now being more common to find plastic on many Irish shores then it is to find sea shells or seaweed.

In considering these questions and research, this exhibition presents works of dematerialised mediums in the NCAD Gallery space - interventions, documentations, performances and experiments. A shared pool of influence for the artists is the Tibetan Buddhist concept of ‘Oceanic Consciousness’. This idea considers that we exist individually and then gradually return to being part of the whole ocean; that all life mimics the patterns of a wave. This process of renewal, recycling and leaving little behind when we go, was an ethos that resonated with each of the practitioners.

Sea Conversations

Video, 2014

A collaboration with artist Octavian Fitzherbert in scripting and recording conversations held on a commuter train, that discuss the Irish habitant's evolving relationship with the coast. A place-specific piece that runs parallel to the rise and fall of the tides and the ebbs and flows of commuters. 

On the opening evening of 'Cé leis é?', Bowen also collaborated with NCAD Luncheonette to provide a series of seaweed-inspired dishes. Coinciding with the end of the Coastwatch survey results, dishes arrived in sequence: At 5.45pm, mini Carrageen hot whiskeys, baked hake wrapped in Nori, sea spaghetti in white wine sauce (served on oyster shells), Nori crisps with Dillisk hummus and Nori brownies are served, along with local biodynamic wine. This culinary project continued over the duration of the exhibition, as Bowen infiltrated the NCAD Luncheonette menu to serve hundreds of students, staff and members of the public daily with freshly made seaweed infused Nori pound cake, Kale chips, Carrageen Colcannon, tea and Dillisk hummus flatbreads.  

* Coastwatch Europe is an environmental group founded in 1989 to undertake the first international Coastwatch Europe survey - an eco-audit of the shore carried out by schools and local volunteers. Coastwatch Europe is based in the Civil & Environmental Engineering department at Trinity College Dublin. Please view www.coastwatch.org

NCAD Gallery 100 Thomas St, Dublin 8, Ireland.

http://www.ncad.ie/gallery-event/view/ce-leis-e