'Scríobhtar é sna Carraigeacha / It’s Written in the Rocks’ celebrates artist Louis Haugh residency at Loughshinny Boathouse
‘Scríobhtar é sna Carraigeacha / It’s Written in the Rocks’ marked the conclusion of his residency that enabled him to reflect on climate change, biodiversity and the coastal habitats of the area.
A recent event held at Loughshinny celebrated the outcomes of artist Louis Haugh’s residency at Loughshinny Boathouse. ‘Scríobhtar é sna Carraigeacha / It’s Written in the Rocks’ marked the conclusion of his residency that enabled him to reflect on climate change, biodiversity and the coastal habitats of the area.
At the heart of the event was an open studio exhibition showcasing a collection of artworks created during the residency in response to Loughshinny’s biodiversity and geology. These pieces reflected Louis Haugh’s deep engagement with the coastal environment and the local community throughout his residency.
Visitors also had the opportunity to take part in walk and talk sessions led by environment experts to discuss the unique biodiversity and geology of Loughshinny. Dr. Quentin Crowley, Prof. of Geology and Director of the Centre for the Environment Trinity College Dublin led an engaging talk on the area’s geological features and Fingal County Council’s Executive Biodiversity Officer, Lorraine Bull’s session on the shoreline offered visitors valuable insights into Loughshinny's coastal biodiversity. These guided experiences provided valuable perspectives on this coastal landscape and enriched the audiences understanding of the area’s ecology. The event attracted an impressive turnout and received positive feedback and enthusiastic responses from attendees.
The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Brian McDonagh recently met Louis and 6th class students from St. Brendan's National School, Loughshinny, who participated in an art workshop at the Boathouse. The creative responses they produced informed the artwork that was showcased as part of 'It's Written in the Rocks'. The Mayor commented, “I would like to congratulate Louis Haugh and the pupils from St. Brendan’s National School on the successful outcomes of their workshop and this residency which has fostered meaningful engagement with the local community, the environment and ecology specialists.”
Louis Haugh was the first recipient of the Loughshinny Boathouse Studio award initiated by Fingal County Council Arts Office. The objective of the residency award is to provide a fully funded studio for a professional visual artist to research and develop new work in response to Fingal’s biodiversity and climate change. Over the past nine months, Louis immersed himself at the boathouse and engaged with Fingal County Council’s Biodiversity and Climate Action Officers and the community of Loughshinny. He facilitated a workshop for Fingal County Council’s programme of events for Dublin Climate Action Week and a series of workshops for Council staff, 6th class students from St. Brendan’s National School, AerachAiteachGaelach (LGBTQ+ Irish Speaking Arts Cooperative) and the Loughshinny Widows group, The Wednesday Club.
County Arts Officer, Sarah O’Neill said “This residency and culminating event are testament to Louis’s prolific and thoughtful approach which has cultivated community collaboration resulting in a powerful reflection on the residency’s themes. I’m pleased this new initiative has supported the artist’s development and promoted engagement with the Council’s Biodiversity and Climate Action departments."
Louis Haugh is a visual artist with a background in photography and video, whose work is often socially engaged and community focused. The work he makes is concerned with ecology, biodiversity, landscape and climate change.
