Biseach: The Art Cycle
Biseach: The Art Cycle
2022-2023 / 2014-2015
CANÁIL collaborative performance by Noel Molloy and the students of William and Mary University Williamsburg Virginia USA at the Eglinton Canal Galway
CANÁIL
collaborative performance by Noel Molloy and the students of William and Mary University Williamsburg Virginia USA at the Eglinton Canal Galway for Biseach Art Cycle Project 9th July 2022
The performance took place beside the Eglinton Canal on the edge of the Children’s Millennium Play park. The layout of the performance consisted of a trash can lid at center and performers formed a circle around the lid , at one edge of the circle facing the canal the artist stood with a cd player and a bunch of twigs and beside the trash can lid lay a piece of white chalk plus a knife. The artist dressed in a business suit with white plastic forks attached by glue and wearing a mask of the river Gods which is used in stone carvings on bridges, above doors and a halo with the name Naomh Abhainn (Saint River)The artist drew beside the lid, pointers facing north, south, east and west. Returning to the cd player picked up the bunch of twigs to be carried on his shoulder and played the sound recording. The recording being dialogue from the artists uttering the words RUBBISH – TRASH – REFUSE . The artist then carrying the bunch of twigs proceeded to walk in a spiral movement around the circle stopping and shouting OUT OUT OUT also as the artist progressed to the center nonsensical random dialogue was used that came to mind of the artist that could have been said or heard along the canal banks, who knows ? In the progression to the center a chance happening occurred when some of the plastic forks of the suit fell to the ground and using this, the artist, as he was doing a sweeping gesture with the twigs to the center, incorporated it into the performance and swept the forks also. Having reached the center and the trash can lid the artist released the binding on the twigs, held the twigs above the lid and dropping them they hit the lid and spread outwards . From the falling twigs two were chosen and weaved into a cross shape symbolizing a blessing and offered to the canal , two more twigs were chosen and weaved into a x shape symbolizing a kiss and also offered to the canal again two twigs selected were weaved into a Celtic knot shape similar to a cross symbolizing a wish and offered to the canal. The greenness of the twigs made it difficult to make the Celtic knot so a simple cross was used even though some of the students did manage to make some knots. The collaborators having made their own symbolic crosses etc. came forward and placed them at the center making their own invocations. As in certain rituals dance is incorporated and the artist invited the collaborators to join and dance to a recording of a song ‘Dirty Old Town’ which relates to events around a canal. Everyone partnered or otherwise danced to the sounds and the performance finished with the song.
END OF PERFORMANCE
Adjunct to the performance
The artist had thought of incorporating the action of ‘casting upon the waters’ (the canal) as is done in certain rituals, the crosses etc. made of dogwood twigs, but on reflection did not want to run the risk of the twigs propagating and adding to the woes of the canal. The canal has already seen the proliferation of a plant known commonly as the butterfly bush, which upon observation has come from the surrounding gardens. Buddleia - Butterfly bush is an invasive plant, meaning it out-competes and crowds out beneficial native plants that have been naturally growing for centuries. In Ireland, butterfly bush, which has origins in Asia, readily spreads and takes over space where native plants would normally thrive. Also dogwood is considered invasive.
collaborative performance by Noel Molloy and the students of William and Mary University Williamsburg Virginia USA at the Eglinton Canal Galway for Biseach Art Cycle Project 9th July 2022
The performance took place beside the Eglinton Canal on the edge of the Children’s Millennium Play park. The layout of the performance consisted of a trash can lid at center and performers formed a circle around the lid , at one edge of the circle facing the canal the artist stood with a cd player and a bunch of twigs and beside the trash can lid lay a piece of white chalk plus a knife. The artist dressed in a business suit with white plastic forks attached by glue and wearing a mask of the river Gods which is used in stone carvings on bridges, above doors and a halo with the name Naomh Abhainn (Saint River)The artist drew beside the lid, pointers facing north, south, east and west. Returning to the cd player picked up the bunch of twigs to be carried on his shoulder and played the sound recording. The recording being dialogue from the artists uttering the words RUBBISH – TRASH – REFUSE . The artist then carrying the bunch of twigs proceeded to walk in a spiral movement around the circle stopping and shouting OUT OUT OUT also as the artist progressed to the center nonsensical random dialogue was used that came to mind of the artist that could have been said or heard along the canal banks, who knows ? In the progression to the center a chance happening occurred when some of the plastic forks of the suit fell to the ground and using this, the artist, as he was doing a sweeping gesture with the twigs to the center, incorporated it into the performance and swept the forks also. Having reached the center and the trash can lid the artist released the binding on the twigs, held the twigs above the lid and dropping them they hit the lid and spread outwards . From the falling twigs two were chosen and weaved into a cross shape symbolizing a blessing and offered to the canal , two more twigs were chosen and weaved into a x shape symbolizing a kiss and also offered to the canal again two twigs selected were weaved into a Celtic knot shape similar to a cross symbolizing a wish and offered to the canal. The greenness of the twigs made it difficult to make the Celtic knot so a simple cross was used even though some of the students did manage to make some knots. The collaborators having made their own symbolic crosses etc. came forward and placed them at the center making their own invocations. As in certain rituals dance is incorporated and the artist invited the collaborators to join and dance to a recording of a song ‘Dirty Old Town’ which relates to events around a canal. Everyone partnered or otherwise danced to the sounds and the performance finished with the song.
END OF PERFORMANCE
Adjunct to the performance
The artist had thought of incorporating the action of ‘casting upon the waters’ (the canal) as is done in certain rituals, the crosses etc. made of dogwood twigs, but on reflection did not want to run the risk of the twigs propagating and adding to the woes of the canal. The canal has already seen the proliferation of a plant known commonly as the butterfly bush, which upon observation has come from the surrounding gardens. Buddleia - Butterfly bush is an invasive plant, meaning it out-competes and crowds out beneficial native plants that have been naturally growing for centuries. In Ireland, butterfly bush, which has origins in Asia, readily spreads and takes over space where native plants would normally thrive. Also dogwood is considered invasive.