‘Cóitheach’ is a multi-disciplinary artwork, a series of sound installations and a ceremony; an exploration of oral transmission of the meteorological knowledge and language of weather local to the Mullet peninsula and the Erris Gaeltacht in North County Mayo, Ireland.
Background:
2017 is the 25th anniversary of the Tír Sáile North Mayo Sculpture Trail. Mayo County Council commissioned the original sculpture trail in 1992 and for the anniversary have created a new website and signage and engaged contemporary artists to undertake residencies that sought to explore some of the same areas as the original Tír Sáile artworks whilst acknowledging the evolution of public art practice in the intervening quarter-century.
Noah Rose and Selma Makela were commissioned jointly for one of these residencies, alongside artists Joanna Hopkins and Gareth Kennedy. In addition, Dorothy Cross was commissioned to begin a research project during 2017.
The results of this process were presented and the artwork officially launched at the Tír Sáile Symposium, which took place at Áras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet County Mayo on 13/ 14 October 2017.
‘Cóitheach’ comprises four connected artworks:
1. Sound installation: ‘Cóitheach’ at Áras Inis Gluaire, Oct-Dec 2017, then on tour to various locations around North Erris in 2018.
2. Sound Installation: ‘Cóitheach’ at Blacksod Lighthouse. For more information, and a link to video of the installation in the lighthouse, click here.
3. Ceremony: ‘Keepers of the Weather Words’, 10 October 2017. To see a short video of the ceremony, click here.
4. Installation: ’25-year Weather Words safe deposit’ at Blacksod lighthouse.