Exhibition - On Sonorous Seas by the Glasgow School of Art Graduate Mhairi Killin
The Scotsman
2022-12-08
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On Sonorous Seas to be shown at The Glasgow School of Art.
Iona-based artist Mhairi Killin returns to the GSA for showing of haunting exhibition.
The story of work began with a whale carcass that came ashore at Traigh an t-Suidhe - at the north end of Iona - in 2018.
The impact of military sonar on the seas surrounding the Hebrides also explored in the show.
The exhibition will run in the Reid Gallery at the GSA from 26 November to 17 December 2022. Press Preview: 11am Friday 25 November 2022
On Sonorous Seas, the haunting exhibition by the Glasgow School of Art Graduate Mhairi Killin will be shown in the Reid Gallery 26 November to 17 December 2022 it was announced today. Initially exhibited at An Tobar on the Isle of Mull, this will be its first showing on the mainland. The exhibition will be open Mon-Sat 10am – 4.30pm. Entry free.
“By transforming how we tell the narrative of the 2018 mass stranding of 118 beaked whales - a narrative embedded in the overlay of two cryptic environments, the habitats of the military and the habitats of the whales – through a partnership of science, music and art, we transform how we observe this story, and perhaps in doing so we can tell reality differently and bring an audience towards the complexity of this issue.”
Mhairi Killin
The story behind this show began with a whale carcass which came ashore in August 2018 at Traigh an t-Suidhe/Strand of the Seat, at the North end of the Isle of Iona, near Mhairi’s home. It is a story told with the voices of science, art, music and poetry, and it explores the impact of military sonar on the seas surrounding the Hebrides. On Sonorous Seas gives voice to what is not apparent beneath the beauty of the Hebridean waters. The work encourages a deeper listening to, and understanding of the sounds we may find there, and their meaning for the ecology of our seas.
In 2018, over 45 badly decomposed Cuvier’s Beaked whales washed up on the shores of several Hebridean islands. At the same time, another 23 whales were stranded on the West coast of Ireland, and scientists have been investigating this ‘unique mortality event’ in relation to the increased presence of military sonar activity in the area around Porcupine Bank, as confirmed by the Royal Navy in September 2021.
In May 2021 Mhairi spent ten days at sea with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) aboard their research vessel Silurian, during the NATO military exercise Joint Warrior: the largest tactically focused exercise in Europe. During the journey - which ranged from The Sea of Hebrides up to Cape Wrath and involved gruelling ten-hour work days - Mhairi and HWDT scientist, Becky Dudley collected sound and visual data using hydrophones and computer software.
On Sonorous Seas is the result of this collaborative research, interrogating the power and reliance on sound as a survival tool and the impact of the legacy of military colonisation of vast areas of land in the Hebrides.
Iona-based artist Mhairi Killin returns to the GSA for showing of haunting exhibition.
The story of work began with a whale carcass that came ashore at Traigh an t-Suidhe - at the north end of Iona - in 2018.
The impact of military sonar on the seas surrounding the Hebrides also explored in the show.
The exhibition will run in the Reid Gallery at the GSA from 26 November to 17 December 2022. Press Preview: 11am Friday 25 November 2022
On Sonorous Seas, the haunting exhibition by the Glasgow School of Art Graduate Mhairi Killin will be shown in the Reid Gallery 26 November to 17 December 2022 it was announced today. Initially exhibited at An Tobar on the Isle of Mull, this will be its first showing on the mainland. The exhibition will be open Mon-Sat 10am – 4.30pm. Entry free.
“By transforming how we tell the narrative of the 2018 mass stranding of 118 beaked whales - a narrative embedded in the overlay of two cryptic environments, the habitats of the military and the habitats of the whales – through a partnership of science, music and art, we transform how we observe this story, and perhaps in doing so we can tell reality differently and bring an audience towards the complexity of this issue.”
Mhairi Killin
The story behind this show began with a whale carcass which came ashore in August 2018 at Traigh an t-Suidhe/Strand of the Seat, at the North end of the Isle of Iona, near Mhairi’s home. It is a story told with the voices of science, art, music and poetry, and it explores the impact of military sonar on the seas surrounding the Hebrides. On Sonorous Seas gives voice to what is not apparent beneath the beauty of the Hebridean waters. The work encourages a deeper listening to, and understanding of the sounds we may find there, and their meaning for the ecology of our seas.
In 2018, over 45 badly decomposed Cuvier’s Beaked whales washed up on the shores of several Hebridean islands. At the same time, another 23 whales were stranded on the West coast of Ireland, and scientists have been investigating this ‘unique mortality event’ in relation to the increased presence of military sonar activity in the area around Porcupine Bank, as confirmed by the Royal Navy in September 2021.
In May 2021 Mhairi spent ten days at sea with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) aboard their research vessel Silurian, during the NATO military exercise Joint Warrior: the largest tactically focused exercise in Europe. During the journey - which ranged from The Sea of Hebrides up to Cape Wrath and involved gruelling ten-hour work days - Mhairi and HWDT scientist, Becky Dudley collected sound and visual data using hydrophones and computer software.
On Sonorous Seas is the result of this collaborative research, interrogating the power and reliance on sound as a survival tool and the impact of the legacy of military colonisation of vast areas of land in the Hebrides.
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