Mulhuddart Satellite by PhD Student Michael Mc Loughlin

Michael Mc Loughlin is one of our current PhD students at the School of Sociology. Check out his latest project as the artist in residence with Draíocht - Mulhuddart Satellite. Opening on Sat 17 November, 12 noon, Ground & First Floor Galleries, Draíocht, Dublin 15.

MULHUDDART SATELLITE BY MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN DRAÍOCHT'S ARTIST-IN- RESIDENCE 2017-2019 Curated by Sharon Murphy November 17th2018 to February 23rd2019 Opening on Sat 17 November, 12 noon, Ground & First Floor Galleries, Draíocht, Dublin 15 To be opened by Mr. Fergus Finlay, Chief Executive, Barnardos Mulhuddart Satellite is a major exhibition by Michael McLoughlin, at the mid-point of his 3 year residency (2017 to 2019) in Mulhuddart, a community on the doorstep of Draíocht. The exhibition presents a number of mappings of Mulhuddart through drawings, soundscape, audio recordings and radio broadcasts. The artwork and accompanying engagement programme reflects the lived experience of people, groups, clubs and agencies who make Mulhuddart the community it is. Mulhuddart Satellite and the longer term relationship with Mulhuddart through McLoughlin's residency exemplifies Draíocht's local participation focus in its new 2018 to 2022 Strategy - ‘Space for the Arts' and the community involvement central to the work of Mulhuddart Priority Task Group and the recently published Mulhuddart Strategic Development and Implementation Plan. Mulhuddart has been a prominent west Dublin civil parish for hundreds of years. Along with Clonsilla and Castleknock it was one of the main three areas of what is now Dublin 15. With this exhibition, we aim to present visions of Mulhuddart as presented by clubs, community networks and groups of friends who help define this continually developing vibrant area. McLoughlin has been Artist in Residence in Draíocht since 2017. The role we asked Michael to take on was that of ‘diviner’ (as coined by Sharon Murphy, our Curator in Residence) to spend time in Mulhuddart developing an understanding of the communities within it and in turn begin to suggest possible linkages between Draíocht, Mulhuddart residents and the participations that could build potential points of connection. The Mulhuddart Satellite exhibition presents a number of ‘mappings’ of Mulhuddart, each presented as an installation in the gallery, drawings, or as public radio broadcasts. One piece, for instance, consists of a bank of wall mounted loudspeaker cones and was made from McLoughlin’s door to door calls to every home in Mulhuddart, in an attempt to record the names of every resident. Another draws on local archaeology and changes in what Mulhuddart is several over centuries. In the Ground Floor Gallery an installation that takes the name of the exhibition ‘Mulhuddart Satellite’ features spatial recordings of conversations between community groups in Mulhuddart and is made from banks of speakers hanging from the gallery ceiling through which the audience negotiate their way through conversation, chat and stories. As part of the Mulhuddart Satellite exhibition program, there is a series of events, workshops and screenings that you can find out more about in the Draíocht brochure, or on Draíocht.ie.  They include an exhibition in Riverdale Community College made in collaboration with students from the school, screenings of filmed work by young people from the area and we will be collaborating with 92.5 Phoenix FM to broadcast live from Draíocht’s artist studio. Overall the exhibition explores place, belonging, friendships and the connections we have to the people around us. This sense of place is something we can’t take for granted and exhibitions like Mulhuddart Satellite can act as a gentle reminder of how our relationships with neighbours, friends and family define us and the place we live.

About Michael McLoughlin Since the mid-1990s Michael McLoughlin has consistently developed and presented new ways of making contemporary artwork in social contexts. Within the few years alone he has made site specific audio work in Limerick (Cumann: An Audio Map of Limerick, Limerick City Gallery of Art), Drogheda (Cumann, Droichead Art Centre, & as part of Beyond the Pale, Highlanes) and in Dublin (Rest Here, UCD Sutherland School of Law & Ocean Wonder, Resort Revelations, Portrane). In 2017 he participated in Curating the Social: Meet me in the empty centreat PRAKSIS Oslo, Norway. He was also UCD College of Social Science & Law Artist in Residence in 2015, where he is currently a doctoral candidate in UCD School of Sociology, focus on relationship building, orderliness and participations in art practices in social contexts. About Sharon Murphy Sharon Murphy is a curator and lens-based artist. She has curated exhibitions in both gallery and public art contexts. Her curatorial practice is mainly focused on the place of the visual arts/visual culture in the lives of young people and concomitantly on supporting emerging artists whose practice is experimental and interdisciplinary. Her recent work has explored expanded notions and uses of the Gallery beyond traditional ’white box’ conventions and uses and, conceived as a social, creative, cultural space. She is resident curator at Draíocht. Mulhuddart Satellite is her eighth exhibition for Draíocht. About DraíochtBlanchardstown Draíocht, opened in 2001, is a multi-disciplinary arts and entertainment Centre in the heart of Dublin’s Blanchardstown. Choose from comedy, theatre, music, film, dance, family events, exhibitions and more. Draíocht welcomes over 50,000 people a year.  Draiocht's two Galleries are open Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm. Admission is Free. Draíocht is a registered charity venue generously funded by Fingal County Council with additional funding provided by The Arts Council. Draíocht also has a loyal network of Friends who contribute annually to the Company.