The first thing you experience in The Breath From Fertile Grounds is its emptiness.

 

Your eyes move through the sparse space, latching onto the collection of pieces at the opposite side of the room Like diffusion, you gravitate towards where the exhibition is at its busiest. A staff created of lime mortar and covered in lichen leans on the black metal railing; A cloth with a poem written on it; A piece of bog and flora, the roots of which can be seen through the transparent plexiglass, shaped like a cutting of peat- and connecting these pieces, a railing. The railing itself protrudes from the wall, its twisting reminiscent of torcs. It is an orchestra of mediums, exactly what The Breath From Fertile Grounds aims to be.

 

It is an exploration of the material history of Ireland, created by the vibrant internationally-acclaimed artist, Otobong Nkanga. In this exhibition, Nkanga expertly blends the contrasting themes of regeneration and decay through medium, from the living flora, carefully watered by the curators, to the weary brickwork that takes the main stage in a piece that quite literally can’t be missed.

 

However, I would have to admit that the spareness of The Breath From Fertile Grounds can be intimidating. This is namely due to the lack of information given about its focus and scope. Though the website does go into some detail of the themes and the origins of the exhibition, it doesn’t give  nearly enough information. Seeing how ambitious the whole exhibition aims to be, it could have really benefited with some extra contextualisation of the pieces.

 

That said, there were pieces that I particularly enjoyed in this exhibition. Playfully named ‘The Handshake’, this particular work spans the gallery and divides it neatly in half. Two bulking pillars of brick are seated opposite each other, their appearance softened by the growth of moss on  their facades. A slender piece of metal connects these colossal structures, which widens in the middle to spoon a piece of rock with lichen and moss. The piece is both visually and intellectually engaging, asking you first to see its lighthearted nature before asking you to think deeper on the relationships between the very same materials.

 

Altogether, The Breath From Fertile Grounds is an interesting glimpse into the Ireland that has come before and the Ireland now.

 

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