Artists: Noah Rose & Selma Makela
Noah Rose and Selma Makelaís project looks at maritime and meteorological knowledge local to the area of North Erris, focusing on the particularly descriptive detail that exists in words in the Erris-Irish dialect relating to the sea and weather. The artists have worked primarily with sound, researching with Irish-language scholars, fishermen, historians and meteorologists.
They have combined these with their own field recordings from across the Mullet peninsula, offshore islands and under the sea, and created temporary sculptural sound-installations layering Erris-Irish words with English translations, mixed with sounds of the natural environment. These have been installed at various locations in and around Belmullet.
In an era of increasing dependence on new technologies in navigation, fishing and meteorology, the artists consider our increasing detachment from the natural environment. With these changes the vocabularies expressing a human connection with the natural environment are also changing, with words falling into disuse.T
he artists also worked with children from Belmullet National School, with a small ceremony at Belmullet Pier in which they become ëKeepers of the Weather-Wordsí - to look after and pass them on to the next generation. In an era of rapid climate and environmental change, the artists question what we are we leaving behind for the next and future generations.
Visit the project website for more information: www.northmayoarttrail.com/about