An Ecology of Memory: Artist Talk by Elinor O'Donovan

This program will also be streamed online via Zoom at .

In this talk, artist will explore the themes of memory and uncertainty in her practice, presenting a sketch of her new research developed during her time at Residency Unlimited. This research focuses on the migration of Irish women to New York in the late 19th century in connection with the migration of plant matter.

In this talk, ecology is glossed as a dynamic system of connections and interdependencies among memories, stories, and interpretations. Just as natural ecologies involve complex relationships within an environment, an “ecology of memory” suggests that memories, myths, and knowledge don’t exist in isolation but rather influence and shape one another in evolving, unpredictable ways.

Elinor will reflect on the recent evolution of her practice, beginning with ‘The Immeasurable Grief of the Prawn’ (GeneratorProjects, Dundee, 2023), an exhibition that took the form of a "bad museum" and an accompanying film questioning how we choose to understand the more-than-human world through the figure of the Prawn. She will then discuss ‘Metametamorphosis’ (2024), a film loosely about the Beatles.

Elinor will then introduce the research she has developed in New York - investigating the migration of Irish women to New York following the Great Famine in the mid-19th century. She will frame this with the story of Charlotte Grace O’Brien, her great-great-great-great aunt who campaigned on behalf of emigrating women to improve their living conditions. In New York, Elinor’s research will cover contemporary views of “Irish-ness” held by Irish-American women, the migration of plant matter, and the problematics of narrative framing when working with historical sources.

This is an artist talk rooted in uncertainty, where the stems of fact and fiction are intertwined, and the leaves of knowing may not fully unfurl.

About

is an artist based in Cork, Ireland. In her practice which spans film, drawing, installation and digital collage, she speculates playful answers to questions about knowledge and memory. In 2024 she was shortlisted for the Golden Fleece Award, Ireland’s largest prize for artists. She has exhibited in solo and group shows in Ireland, the UK, Portugal, Italy and Mexico. Of particular note, solo shows include GeneratorProjects, Dundee, 2023; Sample-Studios, Cork, 2021; and 126 Gallery, Galway, 2021. Recent commissions include the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork Midsummer Festival, and the National Sculpture Factory with Cork City Council. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art.

Elinor O’Donovan is currently the secretary of Praxis: The Artists’ Union of Ireland, and is a recipient of the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme by the Government of Ireland. On the topic of the Basic Income for the Arts, she has been interviewed by NBC News, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The Telegraph, the UK Independent and the Irish Times.

This program is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Residency Unlimited, 360 Court Street, Brooklyn, United States