We were delighted to be commissioned to be part of this project!
Louth Culture Quest was an art and heritage trail around county Louth that displayed 20 artworks of 4 different artists. Each artist was commissioned to make artworks for 5 different heritage locations. So we jointly made 5 site-specific outdoor artworks. They were on display around the county from April until December 2022.
Here is what the trail and quest is about…
In 2050, art and culture as we know it has been destroyed by rolling pandemics, political unrest and climate change. A custodian of art from this dystopian future has placed 20 surviving artworks around County Louth for safekeeping. To ensure the future survival of art and culture, you must solve the clues, find the artworks and discover what happens between now and 2050 as you unlock the story behind the Louth Culture Quest.
We decided to zoom in on the landscape for our 5 pieces. Landscapes are an echoed response to both our action and inaction. These places we call home are reflections of who we are, who we have been and who we may become. This mirror is a fleeting glimpse of our collective path, but also the inevitable march of time and our brief moment inhabiting this garden.
Looking into the future inevitably raises questions about how the existing landscape will alter and how we might echo that vision back to the current time. The following questions have ignited our inspiration in the light of this project: What might we glimpse of the future beyond? What if Ireland develops a more Mediterranean climate? What flora and fauna will we see then? How has the current landscape changed? And what are we seeing today?
During the project, you could download the Louth Culture Quest app and embark on a futuristic treasure hunt exploring County Louth. From the Cooley Peninsula, to the coastal town of Baltray, tread the towns of Dundalk and Drogheda on foot. Armed with your mobile device and guided by the custodian from the future named Lugh, performed by Fr Ted’s Joe Rooney, you took a journey through time, exploring the heritage sites of County Louth, engaging with newly commissioned pieces of art and changing the course of history.
Louth Culture Quest is produced by An Táin Arts Centre and funded by Arts Council Ireland.
