Talk to the Land (Carhoogariff): Film, colour, sound, 3 minutes duration. Billboard poster, inkjet print on board 290cm x 290cm.

Andy Hewitt, Mel Jordan

Research output: Non-Textual OutputArtefact

Abstract

The film shows an earth-toned banner reading “Become Cooperative, Become Common, Become Free” blowing in the wind atop a hill in Carhoogariff, County Cork. Born out of William Thompson’s participation in the cooperative movement, Carhoogariff was the intended site for his visionary utopian settlements. Due to Thompson’s poor health, the project was short-lived.

The cooperative movement proposed alternative economic models for communities based on equal rights among members. The fragility of the statement on the banner seemingly “fights” against the blustery climate of capitalism. The image is stitched together with a script read by one of the artists that responds to the contemporary relevance of the cooperative movement. For example, it highlights the disproportionate distribution of wealth across the globe, based on accumulated capital. The script moves beyond Thompson’s human-centric level of inquiry to address the potential for equal sharing of resources between humans and nonhumans.

The poster behind the monitor in the exhibition installation depicts a pastoral scene, referring to a romanticist vision of nature positioned against civilization. It is also reminiscent of a desire to return to an age before extractivism, the economic process that has been contributing to climate change.
Original languageEnglish
Media of outputFilm
Publication statusPublished - 30 Oct 2022

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