Curator Cleo Fagan talks about Elemental, a contemporary sculpture exhibition especially for children aged 4-12, currently on display at Uilinn: West Cork Arts Centre.
For some time now in my work on projects with children and contemporary art and artists as an engagement curator, I have wondered what art would be like if it was made specifically for an audience of children.
I noticed how children so often encounter the world with much more of their senses than adults - touching things they are curious about, moving their bodies in such a variety of positions and speeds. I wanted to curate an exhibition that encouraged, rather than discouraged, the richness and energy of this way of being in the world. I also wanted to specifically work with the gallery or the art institution as a physical space for this to happen.
There are so many places in life that children are required to behave in a more adult-like manner – for instance, for health and safety reasons many schools do not allow children to run in ‘the yard’. This surely goes against their instincts, and must be frequently frustrating for them. Though I didn’t want to try and turn the gallery into a playground, or a space to run, I did want to temporarily transform it to a space that was all about welcoming their energy and inclinations.
This led me to approach visual artist Caoimhe Kilfeather, with the idea to commission her to make a body of work specifically for this particular audience - I have always admired Caoimhe’s ability to spatially transform the galleries where her work is exhibited, and the subtle beauty in her use of materials. Her use of a refined palette of colours and textures, close to nature, I think creates a primitive and universal visual language that subtly calls to our senses and deep memories. In this quiet but richly sensory atmosphere, our corporeal selves are invited to respond, and, if they do, our consciousness can become stiller and more present.
The Elemental exhibition complements this commission from Caoimhe Kilfeather with artworks that suggest an imagined garden of both indoor and outdoor elements. One element, created from hundreds of metres of green Indian silk, hanging 3 metres high, offers pockets of space for children to inhabit.
A tree house perches 5 metres high overlooking the exhibition space, the floor covered with cushions and 'leaves' fashioned from organdie, with brooms and sweeping brushes to tidy up.
‘In making the work,' says Caoimhe, 'I wanted to create a series of spaces for children to explore - based on the type of hideouts that generally entice them - spaces under trees or in bushes, cubby holes, small dens and treehouses. The parts of the exhibition that can be fully interacted with/moved around relate to how children like to order, reorder and rearrange as well as to put things in boxes, in bags and other containers as well as on themselves. Small things and details as well as big and enveloping spaces. Ongoing in my work is an interest in enclosures of different types, as well as in working with materials and scale in ways which are immersive. It has also been important to me that the work is a continuation of my practice generally: that although primarily for children, it can be enjoyed and contemplated by anyone, of any age.’
Aside from Caoimhe, other contributors to Elemental are artist Karl Burke and practising primary school teacher (and trained artist) Anne Bradley. Like Caoimhe, Karl’s work is very responsive to space. It's exhibited in the upstairs gallery at Uillinn, where children are able to walk around and through his large steel sculpture Taking a Line, which stands 2.5 metres high, and creates a very subtle optical illusion that implies density in empty space - a related video piece and some photographic works in unexpected places are also included.
With Karl Burke’s work, the experience for the viewer is skilfully scripted to create a sensory experience of the body in relation to the work, and our body in relation to the space around it; we become acutely aware of ourselves in space; our minds are firmly called to notice, that we, and our bodies, exist in space, moment by moment. So, it’s this connection to the body that drew me to believe that Karl’s work would also be interesting to a child audience.
Also upstairs is The Make Space by Anne Bradley - a calm room where children can take time to creatively respond to the themes and materials of the works on exhibition; using materials such as sand, small objects, pieces of wood and fabric to explore pattern, visual order and touch. As a primary school teacher, parent and person with an active interest and background in contemporary art, Anne has used her combined set of skills and experience to create a space with a pared-back aesthetic designed to enable focus, with activities and ‘creative toys’ inspired by the artists’ work.
Another exciting strand of the exhibition is an 8-session artist-residency project with artist Siobhan McGibbon and local school children from Dromore National School in Bantry, who are collaboratively working together to create their own artworks that respond to the artworks on exhibition. Currently, Siobhan and the children have been looking at the elements of scale, nature, composition, portals and perspective in both the artists’ work, and thinking about both the impact on the viewer – how does it feel? - and how the artists worked with the particular space and scale of Uillinn to make or position their work. Working in both Uillinn and their classroom, they are exploring their ideas through drawing, collage and sculpture, as well as prolonged looking and discussion. These collaborative artworks will be exhibited for the final 10 days of the exhibition.
The fabulous sound of children enjoying the gallery spaces. Exploring 'Elemental'. 30 coats ready for collection at the end of their adventure through the spaces. #childreninthegalleries #elemental #uillinnexhibitions #superprojects #caoimhekilfeather #karlburke #annebradley pic.twitter.com/ShndTELhSU
— West Cork Art Centre (@westcorkarts) February 7, 2019
Schools from all over west Cork have booked in to see the exhibition, and to take part in practical workshops facilitated by Charlotte Donovan, Uillinn's Artist in Residence. To date, the response has been excellent, with the children and their teachers enjoying the sensory experience and the play with scale and space - families are also engaging with the work, with many visiting the exhibition multiple times.
Elemental is at Uilinn: West Cork Arts Centre until Saturday 2 March - see here for further information.
Pics: Kevin O'Farrell
