New Paragraph
Michael McLoughlin
UCD College of Social Sciences and Law Artist in Residence
Michael McLoughlin is a visual artist working in drawing, video, sculpture and sound. Since the mid-1990’s McLoughlin has consistently developed and presented new ways of working in social contexts.
McLoughlin explores developmental possibilities through an art practice grounded in sound, drawing and spacial consideration. His work examines the value placed on the feelings of ownership, belonging and connection experienced by both the individual and the collective. In addition, he is particularly interested in the relationship between public spaces, institutions, the public they aim to serve and the potential meeting ground with contemporary visual arts practice within these contexts.
McLoughlin describes what he does as audio cartography. It’s a process of mapping the sonic space that conversations occupy, so they can be recreated through exhibition, in 5 years time, or in 20 years time.
Cumann:
An Audio map of Drogheda is an artwork that acknowledges friendships, bonds and connections between communities of interest in Drogheda, within its surroundings and explores the potential relationships between them. McLoughlin recorded audio conversations and connections between people representing society in its broadest sense and represented them as spatial mapped recordings in Droichead Arts Centre.
This artwork was made in collaboration with Ablevision, Drogheda Homeless Aid, Drogheda & District Pigeon Racing Club, Boomerang, St Vincent de Paul, Bridge Jam, Old Drogheda Society, Connect Family Recourse Centre, Drogheda Chamber of Commerce, Drogheda Youth Theatre and Drogheda Local Voices.
Fittingly, after the exhibition in Droichead Arts Centre, the Cumann recordings will be housed in Drogheda, as part of the Drogheda Local Voices archive.
'Rest Here' has a simple premise. It’s an invitation, an extended welcome to the landless traveler and to remind us that we are part of their journey. We can offer support, hope and a safe place of rest.
Rest Here
4 channel sound installation
UCD Sutherland School of Law 2016
Rest here is a temporary spatial sound installation made from the song of the Common Swift developed by Michael McLoughlin while the UCD College of Social Science and Law Artist in Residence 2015. The piece developed initially from a conversation in the Sutherland School of Law about the journey that people connected with the School have made to be here. The focus was on the countries from which student, academic, administrators and service staff have travelled and the migrations of birds to Ireland from these countries.
The Common Swift is one of these birds. It makes a journey from the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East to Ireland every year. And every year it bears witness to the happenings in the countries it flies above, returning to Ireland with the stories of what it has seen. When it arrives in Ireland, once a year, it rests.
In heraldic tradition the swift represents the exiled, or one without land. Yet we meet it as the communal bird, drawn together by each others’ song, returning, gathering in colonies, ; nesting, raising youngand resting before taking flight once again.
As the piece developed during the summer of 2015 a clear focus emerged. The parallels between the story of the swifts’ journey and those of people taking flight from the Middle East and North Africa in search of refuge deepened.
This artwork has a simple premise. It’s an invitation, an extended welcome to the landless traveler and to remind us that we are part of their journey. We can offer support, hope and a safe place of rest.
Rest Here was created using recordings of swifts provided by Birdwatch Ireland. The treatments within the piece slow the speed of the birgsong in relation to our heartbeat, resulting in a tonal layer that carries the movement of the swift around the atrium.
3 Socials
3 channel sound installation.
Duration 55mins.
3Socials was a site specific installation in the Quinn School of Business in University College Dublin. It involved academic staff from the School of Social Justice, the School of Social Work and the School of Social Policy.The work brought together people from the three schools around the time they had just merged into one school called the School of Social Policy Social Work and Social Justice. The conversation was around commonality, shared interest and possibilities. For many it was their first time to meet their new colleagues.
For more information on Michael McLoughlin;
info@mmcloughlin.org
Newman Lines
Newman Lines follows the route lines of the Newman Building in UCD. They were painted in the 1970’s and never quite had the desired effect. People tend to get lost in the Newman Building.
McLoughlin made the work while negotiating the Newman building for the first time, just as new students have every year, for over 40 years. Newman Lines was made for installation, as a screen saver, on 50 public access PC’s in the building. It has also been shared widely with college alumni, who have a nostalgic attachment with the confusing architecture of the Newman Building.