Fitzgerald Park
Exploration of safety with and among trees.
The Installation MAP for Safety.Sanctaury.Set of Web.
3 different zones spread around, displaying the answers to safety questions and giving people a chance to interact with them.
I spent 9 days in the park where I was present from 8am-7pm for 8 days. I displayed 8 previously collected answers to one of the questions from the safety questionnaire in a space where there were many trees next to each other, sort of forming an island, where it was also close to a pond and river (on the map marked as space number 2: In Trees Questions). The question is ‘What question would you like to ask others about safety?’ Each question was displayed on a different tree to also give people a feeling that trees were interested in knowing answers to these questions. People were given materials to write answers to these questions and display on each particular tree while spending time under the tree, exchanging the space, breaths with these trees, uniting, slowing down and being here, now. It served as part of a larger ritual. There were two more spots I used for displaying more of the collected answers to 2 other questions. I made a map for people to give a sense of journey.
Elements wrapped around the trees and pieces of wood for people to write answers on were kindly given by Jan Koerner. Thank you!
Zone 3: Shaky Bridge displaying answers to the question 4 from the questionnaire:
What feelings come to your mind when you think about safety.
A beautiful helper, Marieke from Heartfelt Connections assisting me in putting the installation on the Shaky Bridge. I am very grateful for this as there was a lot to put up throughout the park.
I thought this part of the installation would become a journey of its own, especially that it involved feelings and a shaky bridge. I need to open up to all that could happen. ‘Let go’, the trees were whispering to my ear.
There was one day when I decided to leave the park earlier than usual. I was struggling with making that decision since I was so committed but I figured I have been there 11 hours each day and I was really pulled towards the event devoted to casting the River Lee happening in the National Sculpture Factory. Prior to leaving the park I went to the Shaky Bridge to take a few photographs and check if the installation was still there. As I was approaching I saw a family entering the bridge and looking at the answers. They were really moved and I heard them laughing and then they all hugged each other together surrounded with the sound of the bells attached to the installation dancing in the wind. Enchanting moment. This was such an exceptional time in space for me to encounter. It happened because I did follow the inner voice. Throughout each day I was located in the zone 1: Hut Centre, which was about 400-600 meters away from the bridge. I could not see the bridge during my hours in the park, only at the beginning of the day and when I was finishing.
People were given pieces of material with bells to attach to the answer which resonated with them most. Indeed, it was rather exquisite when the wind was blowing and the bells were ringing as you walked along the shaking bridge looking at different feelings.
I took this photograph one day before I was due to finish. On that day, 3 answers, which were displayed, were missing.
I wonder which ones?
Zone 1: displaying answers to the first question from the questionnaire:
What is your definition of the word safety?
The Silent Conversation Installation
I continue solo and without any funding. It is very challenging but I keep going, keep trying and using whatever resource I can in whatever way I can. This time I was additionally challenged with the conditions of the outdoors. And I put it all on myself! I have quite many unused CDs and so does my friend Helena Palmer who came up with an idea to spray the backs of the CDs. We set out on a mission one afternoon in my little back garden and went wild, wild, so wild. The colours were splashing, the experiment was unfolding in a myriad of ways. It was my first time with a can of spray paint in my hand.
One to one spoken word performance
I kept performing one to one spoken word Safety.Sanctuary.Set of Web.
Also, fasting and cleansing myself.
Water Glossary by Carol Anne Connolly
photo from her web (check out the link below)
Water
Carol Anne Connolly presents Irish words related to water in her book Water Glossary. It is a stunning and incredibly important book.
Words from the book were placed on CDS for people to interact with during the installation. The CDs were moving with the wind, glittering in the sun giving the sensation of flow.