Sustainable Experiments at the Butler Gallery in Kilkenny

A series of talks, events and workshops will take place to coincide with Sustainment Experiments, an exhibition and public engagement project at Butler Gallery that responds to the urgent need for a multidisciplinary approach to food production, farming and climate crisis.

The exhibition by Deirdre O’Mahony takes place in the aftermath of a feast for an invited audience of farmers, scientists and policymakers which took place in the main gallery on October 13.

Gowran Little Theatre presents ‘The Communication Cord’

A handmade dinner service and provocative menu encouraged diners to think about soil health and food production. The feast is modelled on an 18th century feast hosted by French scientist, Antoine Augustin Parmentier who worked to address food security and public health problems by changing public attitudes towards the potato, believed at the time to be unfit for human consumption. The gallery was installed with the dinner service, wall hangings by Deirdre O’Mahony, costumes made by Bog Cottage Collective, and embroidered texts by Sadhbh Gaston.

Feeder in the Learning Centre at Butler Gallery gives viewers a chance to read about soil health and food production. This exhibition is accompanied by a screening of Speculative Optimism at the Digital Gallery, a film which tells the story of sainfoin, a sustainable alternative to rye grass for animal fodder.

The exhibition, which runs from October 15 to 31 is part of The Soil Project, an annual artists commission at Butler Gallery.

Deirdre O’Mahony is a visual artist whose practice is informed by a deep interest in rural sustainability, farming, food security and rural/urban relationships. For more than two decades she has investigated the political ecology of rural places through public engagement, archival and moving image installation, critical writing and cultural production.

A series of talks and events on the exhibition will also take place during October. 

For more see butlergallery.ie