Iteration III of Past, Present, Future, an ongoing installation project by artist Catherine McDonald, is on at the LAB Gallery in Dublin until 27 August, 2022.
Each iteration of this work unfolds the narrative of five clay creatures and their journey to achieve immortality. Their goal is to fuse their bodies to the planet through fossilization and to combine themselves with flora in the hope of successful reproduction. This way, they will exist in the past, the present and the future, escaping their fear of oblivion.
This is the third iteration of this narrative, and is curated by Shannon Carroll and Sheena Barrett.
The creatures have emerged from the Earth and are now in the process of growth, fusion and decay. The installation space is a travelling and fluctuating ecosystem, evolving in time with the natural materials from which it is borne. It includes clay which falls from cliffs along the Irish coast, and common Irish plants such as dandelions and clovers. It also incorporates limestone, suggesting planetary history and the fossilization process.
Past, Present, Future – Iteration III is a mini landscape that is both familiar and unfamiliar. The narrative is speculative, but remains rooted in the rhythms of the Earth. It is evocative of a new world yet shaped by the elemental substances that sustain life.
The LAB was established by Dublin City Council in 2005 as a municipal arts hub, housing gallery, rehearsal and incubation spaces for a range of art forms. The LAB Gallery supports emerging art practices and delivers a year-round programme of free events for all ages. The LAB Gallery is also supported by the Arts Council.