Our Latest News: A New Journey in Fiber, Place, and Performance
We have been a little quiet online for some time, and we have some news which we are really excited to share.
Since our Island exhibition, we have been working steadily on habitat support in the fields surrounding our studio. Through this, we have brought our vision of a small fiber herd supporting our creations a considerable way along. As an integral component of our vision for a circular, integrated business model—and of rooting our work in place—we now have a selection of yarns created from our very own herd of Alpaca. We will be using these yarns in an upcoming art collection, which will, in turn, continue to support the habitat and health of our surrounding fields and wildlife.
The Power of Collaboration
A huge part of this process has been the fostering of connections—to people, to place, to ways of being, and to our materials and skills. One of our core values is a love for collaboration and for weaving together the many strands that present themselves as we go about our business. It keeps things alive and exciting for us, while allowing a sense of support and community to grow among fellow creatives and collaborators.
As makers working within the fields of art, design, fashion, and architecture, we are deeply fueled by a desire to inspire and to create works of meaning and purpose.
Introducing: “Distillation” by Luke Casserly
This August, we have taken a step off the beaten track and have invited Luke Casserly to bring his inspirational work, “Distillation,” to our showroom. This weaving of performance art into our space feels like a powerful move in bringing our work together in a diverse and novel way. Having seen the play at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin, we felt a deep sense of resonance with Luke’s work and how he addresses our connection to place. We are thrilled and grateful to host it here in Barrystown in our own showroom.
“Distillation” is a performative journey that takes you to the Irish bog landscape through scent. Created as a response to the recent cessation of the peat harvesting industry in Ireland, the project looks closely at our human relationship to place. Over the past year, Luke collaborated with renowned perfume maker Joan Woods to create a unique distillation of the Midlands bog—the place where he grew up—as the starting point for an olfactory encounter.
The work is dedicated to the future of our broken landscapes, in the hope that by listening to them, we might be able to better understand them.
The Experience
Part interactive lecture and part performance, “Distillation” features original text, video, sound design, and sculpture. The audience is seated around a large, custom-made table and gently invited to hold organic materials and smell parts of the landscape.
The custom perfume featured in the project was designed by Joan Woods, who collected and distilled botanicals from the Irish Midlands as part of the creative process. Each audience member is gifted a small sample of this custom-made perfume during the performance.
About the Project
“Distillation” premiered as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival 2023, shortly followed by a sold-out run at the Peacock Theatre in early 2024. The project has since toured extensively throughout Ireland, the US, and Canada with support from Culture Ireland.
The project is co-produced by Solas Nua and the Abbey Theatre, and was commissioned by Solas Nua in Washington, DC. It is supported by the Goethe-Institut Irland, with additional development support from IMMA, Druid FUEL, AXIS Ballymun, and Backstage Theatre’s Activate Residency programme.
Join Us
With its unique combination of scent, touch, sound, vision, word, and movement—all set in the beautiful surrounds of our intimate showroom on the Corrach Owenduff Estuary—we think this is the perfect location in which to experience this work.
We are looking forward to opening our doors and our hearts to you.
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For more information: Reach us at info@ceadogan.ie
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To attend: You can purchase tickets via the Eventbrite link below.
