Ormston House is delighted to present The Sky is Falling!, a group exhibition featuring contributions from Ceara Conway, Seoidín O’Sullivan, Scott Rogers, and Christopher Steenson. Featuring new and existing works, the exhibition is the culmination of several years of research into the corncrake, a species of bird approaching extinction in Ireland and the UK.

Corncrakes are small migratory birds that move between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. Shy and elusive, they live in the cover of long grass and tall vegetation. Rarely seen, they are identifiable by their distinctive call; a loud, almost mechanical-sounding noise that was once a prominent feature in the soundscapes of rural Ireland. In Irish folklore, the corncrake is said to have lain on its back in the long grass, with its two legs pointed upward, and boastfully exclaim; “Tréan le tréun, tréan le tréun” (strength to the corncrake, strength to the corncrake). According to this lore, the birds saw themselves as our defenders, preventing the sky from collapsing around us.

In the last fifty years, corncrake numbers in Ireland have declined drastically. The shift to industrial-scale agriculture has eradicated their breeding habitats. While the sky may not have come crashing down, the corncrake’s disappearance exposes the severe environmental degradation that results from profit-driven, extractive approaches to living from the land. Today, surviving populations are found along the outermost peripheries of our western coastline, in the Gaeltacht regions of Donegal, Galway, and Mayo.

The roots of this exhibition date back to 2022, when Ormston House partnered with Corncrake LIFE, a conservation project working with farmers to improve habitats for the bird. We connected artists with ecologists, landowners, and rural communities to learn about the corncrake, its decline, and the social and political context in which conservation work is implemented.

The outcomes of this research are presented via divergent responses in which the corncrake is a point of departure. While some artists explore issues such as land use and national identity or relationships between human culture and non-human life, others mobilise systems of education and trade to instigate action and raise awareness. Together, the contributors offer us an enhanced understanding of our place within a shared ecosystem and help us consider more sustainable and equitable forms of co-existence.

To accompany The Sky is Falling!, Ormston House will host a series of free events:

On 13 September, 7–9pm we will host presentations by ecologist Dr. John Carey (Corncrake LIFE) and artist and educator Seoidín O’Sullivan.

On 14 September, 2pm–3pm artist Scott Rogers will lead an all ages workshop entitled Decoy Orchestra.

On 5 October, 7–9pm exhibiting artists Ceara Conway and Christopher Steenson will present new performances.

Full details can be found here.

Ceara Conway is an independent Irish contemporary vocal and visual artist. She uses performance, song, text, photography, sculpture, and video to explore social issues such as migration, the ecological crisis, and death rituals. Conway has shown and performed work internationally and in Ireland, including The Museum of Fine Art, Florida; the Barbican, London; and the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. You can find full information on Conway on her website here.

Seoidín O’Sullivan is a contemporary artist with a socially-engaged practice who lectures in First Year Studies and Visual Culture at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), Dublin. She has recently been involved with a number of research projects with public arts institutions and galleries, including Solstice Arts Centre, Meath; Common Ground, Dublin; and University College Dublin’s School of Geography, Dublin. You can find full information about O’Sullivan here.

Scott Rogers was born in Mohkinstsis Treaty 7 Calgary, Canada and lives in Glasgow and Tkaronto. Rogers’ work is focused on the complex interdependencies between humans, animals, and land. He has recently produced projects with ATLAS Arts, Skye; Pink Snow, Berlin; Koraï Project Space, Nicosia, CY; Nuit Blanche Toronto; and Kunstverein München. With Will Holder, Scott co-edited “Recognition”, the 14th issue of the journal FR DAVID. You can find full information on Rogers here.

Christopher Steenson’s practice spans sound, lens-based media, text, and digital systems. His work seeks to bridge historical and speculative narratives in order to interrogate the politics of time, environment, and more-than-human relations. He has recently appeared in group exhibitions at The MAC, Belfast; Luan Gallery, Athlone; Freelands Foundation; LAVA, Mexico City; Pallas Projects/Studios, Dublin; Sonorities Music Festival, Belfast; and CCA Derry~Londonderry. You can find full information on Steenson here.

The Sky is Falling! is curated by Caimin Walsh and supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Arts Office. The events programme is funded by Creative Ireland and Limerick City and County Council through Creative Climate Action funding.