Talk About Fracking - Art for Social Change
The project was born out of the TRADE residency program, run jointly by Leitrim and Roscommon County Council. The concept behind TRADE is for a free-flow of ideas and opportunities for local artists to engage internationally, as well as international artists to participate locally. The invited artist to lead the residency was David Michalek, New York based artist, his most recent work includes Portraits in Dramatic Time and Slow Dancing. The selected four resident artists worked with David Michalek over a 9 month period.
The residency grew into a project ‘Talk about fracking’ to voice the current concern of the local people and to raise the issue of hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
David Michalek took over 80 portraits of people, from counties Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Longford and Dublin. The posteres and postcrads were created in collaboration with the resident artists and the community.
The work created during the residency was exhibited during the TRADE Symposium in Carrick on Shannon which was opened by Professor Declan McGonagle, director of the National College of Art and Design, who spoke about the responsibility of the artist in this regard (Art for Social Change) verbalising a stimulating inquiry into the social function of art itself. The exhibition included both campaign material and individual artistic interpretations of the subject.
JOANNE LAWS REPORTS ON THE TRADE SEMINAR, 2ND & 3RD DECEMBER, 2011,
Ruth McHugh Profiles ‘Trade: Artists in Conversation’ Seminar
Video by Brigitta Varadi in collaboration with Abbi (9) and Leah (12)Sweeney, Dr Aedin McLoughlin and Janice Daly.
Some of the national and international organizations used the video on their site for informative and educational purpuses. International: Catskill Citizens (NY,USA), TED-Ed (USA) and many others.
Map created by Brigitta Varadi in collaboration with Eddie Mitchell (research) and John the Map (professional map maker).
Links to some of the national and international organizations using the map on their site and in their papers International: The SaFE Alliance:Fracking and Unconventional Gas Exploitation in the UK – A Guide(pdf), Beyond Economics (USA), Abaleo (Spain), Energetica, pdf page84 (Spain) Frack Free Fernhurst FB (UK); National: GEAIreland
Fracking is a method of gas extraction. The map is illustrating the pattern of horizontal drills that are needed for tapping into gas trapped in shale.
Sound Installation for the Talk about Fracking exhibition, created by Brigitta Varadi in collaboration with the community.