Land and Language - Talamh agus Teanga
Exhibition

Land and Language – Talamh agus Teanga This innovative interactive audio-visual, Irish-English bilingual exhibition aligns with the often overlooked human resilience needed by citizens in order to act to toward achieving the many of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. With a subtle, gentle and simple perspective this exhibition explores the interconnectedness of life on Earth, and the importance of our human emotions. It encourages viewers’ awareness that living well with others and the wider Earth community is fundamental for wellbeing. This exhibition counters the fear and anxiety that is consistently raised by media reports about climate breakdown, land degradation, social injustice and species collapse. Almost everything we hear or read about climate change in the media is fear-based. There is a sense of intersecting emergencies, and action does needs to be taken. However in an emergency one needs to remain calm and connected to function optimally and wisely. Too much climate anxiety can overwhelm and paralyze, as a result this can lead to apathy and inaction. Alternatively, when people feel a connection, a desire that comes from the heart, they can care more and have a desire to do something to help people and places and future generations. Land and Language – Talamh agus Teanga creates awareness of the intimate relationship we have through our breathing, highlighting our connection and dependance on Earth’s life-giving ecological processes and with each other . And we now know that understanding life’s interwoveness is crucial when a virus spread through the breath stopped the world for two years. Background –Land and Language –Talamh agus Teanga – available to interact with online Derval Dunford presented this project in November 2022 at the US Breath Body Mind Foundation celebration, hosted by professors of psychiatry and researchers Dr Patricia Gerbarg and Dr Richard Brown. The exhibition was also endorsed by musician and environmental enhancement advocate Sharon Shannon. Sharon is involved with NUIG’s beach cleaning project and takes a hands-on approach. This exhibition was designed to be inclusive. People who cannot directly interact with the exhibition in galleries, those in hospital, in other countries etc. can engage in ideas of ecological compassion through images and our the ancient Irish language by visiting www.sui.ie Land and Language – Talamh agus Teanga is an experiential encounter with images and words that evoke sensations of the living world. Suffice it to say, Derval’s exploration of eco-art with ecological themes employs innovative ways to connect audiences near and far, whilst imparting ancient Irish wisdom. The artist gratefully acknowledges support from Creative Ireland Mayo. Important note: The interactive nature of the exhibition means that headphones or earbuds are essential for group visits. Earbuds also make the experience more intimate for individual exploration. Teachers and student groups are invited to interact with Land and Language. It provides a unique cross-curricular experience of wellbeing through life’s interconnectedness. It supports and enhances SESE, STEAM, SPHE, and Gaeilge programmes. The aim of the exhibition is to encourage students to explore, connect, maybe draw a simple image or write a word or a feeling in response to Derval’s images and audios. Subsequent collective exercises in the classroom will underline the universality of the human experience of living in an interconnected, interdependent world.