The Slow Camera Exchange
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It all started with a house full of cameras. Drawers were packed to the brim with every kind of photographic apparatus imaginable; from classic collectables to obsolete old-timers and dollar-store disposables. Opening any cupboard revealed new surprises: strange-looking equipment so bulky and heavy it’s a wonder the floors bore its weight; discontinued photo paper; film and negatives; developing chemicals and boxes upon boxes of photographs. These were the treasures of Hermann Marbe’s world of photography.
When Hermann sadly died in 2018, he left behind a rare legacy - a collection of cameras equipment and photographs of immense creative value. I had a vision for these cameras; to make analogue photography accessible and for Hermann’s passion to continue through a camera-borrowing library and community arts initiative. Partnership with Cork Film Centre and Cork City Libraries is supporting this vision to come to life.
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The Slow Camera Exchange supports people from all walks of life to use analogue photography processes to slow down, connect and see the world through a variety of different lenses.
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View the first Issue of the Slow camera Exchange broadsheet here
Unravelling to not Unravel
I take his socks knitted with mother love year after year after year.
It’s clear
what I have to do.
I unravel to not unravel.
I pull it taut and stretch out every bend and wave that tightly holds the memory of every loving mother stitch and everyday day of holding warm his feet.
I wind
and wind
and wind
into neat balls
of yards and years of yearning.
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It is five years since the death of my partner in life, father to my children and my creative collaborator.
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As an artist my innate tendency is create make and transform material I have been responding to urges to unravel, cut and transform objects connected to my partner that hold memory and meaning. This transformation of materials emerges as a metaphor of the ongoing transformation of myself and family in our new unexpected circumstances.
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This physical work with materials has been accompanied by writing processes that rework my autobiographical experiences and meticulous documentation of the grief experience journeyed with my children. My writing is and text hybrid of prose, poetic text, essays and biographical notes.
Moving University
MTU CCAD
Design of concept and realisation of a mobile learning space.
The project was a live research on the role of movement in learning for transformation. It also explored the relationship between aesthetic experiences in nature and transformative pedagogies.
See introduction video here
Socially Engaged Arts with Schools
Creative engagement with South Lee Educate Together
This project supported the Cork City arts office and a bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland engages with the whole school and wider community. The project supports digging deeper into nature, physically and metaphorically through artistic engagement with ideas of growth and sustainability. It explores post lockdown desires for connections; to creativity, self, nature and each other. Activities included working creativity with plants, natural materials and dyes, drawing and creative processes to look closing at the growth of the garden, s film project about the loss and planting of trees, and the creation of a nature inspired design for the school facade.
5 ways to Well Being Resource
Creative Toolkit- Five Ways to Wellbeing
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This resource was an exciting project I coordinated in 2020. It provides a wealth of tools and resources to support you to bring creativity and wellbeing supports to your practice as you engage with others.
These activities are structured around evidence-based wellbeing research and New Economic Foundation (NEF)s model of the “5 Ways to Wellbeing.”
This evidence identifies five paths that may lead to improvements in mental health and wellbeing:
Connect
Be active
Take notice
Keep learning
Give
You can read more about it here
This resource has been created by a group of Arts Facilitators who are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and creativity. The contributors to this resource met as students at Munster Technological University, Crawford College of art and Design where they studied on the programme called Arts in Group facilitation in the Department of Arts in Health and Education.
This resource has been illustrated by Gala Tomasso
Discover more of her work here
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Create Explore Flourish
In 2020 I was coordinating a programme for artists from around Ireland in MTU CCAD called Arts in Group Facilitation. They were learning in the context of the pandemic and intermittent lock-downs. High levels of unpredictability and totally unprecedented ranges of challenges surrounded them.
The programme adapted to the circumstances moving lots of the learning experience outdoors whenever meeting was possible and online, when impossible. The programme content also adapted, exploring in more depth the power of the arts to support wellbeing while also experiencing the nurturing possibilities of being in nature. A project was born in these circumstance. I coordinated the development of a creative well-being journal and in collaboration with the students of this programme with guest input and research from Rhonda Schaller or Pratt institute. An online version of the journal is now available at this link. ​
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
2018- Herr Holgerson, Gau Algesheim, Germany, solo exhibition.
2008- Reliance, Cork, Ireland, Installation, selected exhibition.
2008- Ladyfest, Cork, Installation street art in selected exhibition.
2007- Leipzig Book Fair, Leipzig Germany, selected exhibition.
2007- 4th Seoul International Book Arts Fair, Seoul, Korea, selected exhibition.
2006- Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania; 4th International Artist's Book Triennial, selected show.
2005- County hall, Cork, Ireland, video Installation:
2005-Wexford arts centre, Wexford Ireland, bookarts exhibition.
2004- Frankfurt Art Fair, Frankfurt, Germany, selected book art exhibition.
2004- School of Art Design and Media UWE, Bristol, UK, selected show.
2004- Wexford arts centre, Wexford Ireland, book arts exhibition, open submission.
2004- Gallery Gravicel, Lille, France, selected exhibition.
2004- Giorgio de Chirico, Volos, Greece, Selected Group exhibition.
2004- Eleftherias Park Arts Centre, Athens-Greece, selected group exhibition.
2003- Film based installation: various sites, Art trail, Cork, Ireland, selected exhibition.
2003- The Tube, Amsterdam, Holland, selected group exhibition.
2003- Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania; 3rd International Artist's Book Triennial, selected group exhibition.
2002- Frankfurt Art Fair, selected group exhibition
2001- Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford, Ireland, open submission, exhibition.
2001- Galerie 5020, Salzburg, Austria, selected group exhibition.
2000- Gallery "Kaire-Desine, Vilnius, Lithuania, selected group exhibition
2000- Gallery "Arka" Vilnius, Lithuania, 2nd International Artist's Book Triennial, selected group exhibition
1999- Wexford arts centre, Wexford, Ireland, open submission exhibition.
1996- RHA, Dublin, Ireland, Photography / installation, group exhibition.
1995- Eigse, Carlow, Ireland, photography / installation group exhibition.
1995- City arts centre, Dublin, Ireland No.3, Photography / installation Group exhibition.

Artists residencies
2015- Programme of participatory events in Midsummer festival in collaboration with Hermann Marbe and GASP artists using a caravan studio with for chalk board interventions.
2014- Youth arts Residency Junction Art festival Clonmel. Street art and public engagement programme with youth.
2013-2014- Year long artist residency in Cluid Housing Association, Clonmel. Project involved street art, video work and community events.
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2014- Renovacion Corporacion, Medellin Colombia. Collaborative, Participatory Public art project, Corporacion Renovation. Funded by the Medellin City council Arts programme.
2013- Residency in project CItizen Arts Days event Kunsthalle IX- Berlin.
2012- Residency in Museum of Modern Art, Medellin, engaging 4 community projects. http://www.jessmarbe.com/otrasvoces/Otrasvoces/home.html
2011- Residency in New Moon Dance company Youth initiative project
2010- Artist Residency & Academic Seminar at Paul Bardwell Gallery of Contemporary Art. Social Lab 24 in association with Amigos con Calor Humano
Empathy to Action- Designing Learning Spaces
In this project an international group of youth workers were brought together for a week to explore the role of creativity to nurture empathy and inspire action. There was a focus on how the design of learning spaces and environments impact on the transformative learning process. Project co design with Clare Coughlan and Helen O'Keeffe.
View video here
Expanding Realities
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Expanding Realities was an exciting project I developed and coordinated in MTU CCAD. It was a European international bringing together GASP Cope Foundation, (Cork), AIM and the Arnolfini Gallery (Bristol), Debajo del sombrero and the Matadero (Madrid).
These three dynamic projects engage the creativity, and support the professional development of artists who have much to contribute to society as artists and citizens. They seek to break barriers in society and in the world of art that may exclude or limit the participation of artists who may need additional supports.
The project supported professional development and exchange of approaches between the organisations involved.
Perceptions
https://www.perceptions2016.com
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In 2016 Perceptions 2016- The Art of Citizenship took place with a series on exhibitions events and programmes across Cork city.
As well as co curating the exhibition I designed and coordinated the accompanying education programme and several events including a creative fair presented at this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b3-z81J1Dk
I also developed an education resource pack based on the work of the exhibited artists that is available at this link.
http://www.perceptions2016.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/activity-postcards.pdf
Chalk-It-up
A van and a caravan painted in Chalk board paint became a mobile workshop for a number of years, visiting festivals and events. The inside was a workshop space for planning, dreaming creating and the outside became a surface for drawing interacting creating and animating.
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and some video pieces
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