Collins & Goto Studio

Deep Mapping Lough Boora Sculpture Park

Reiko Goto standing in Irish Bog with tree

Collins + Goto Studio
2020 Quarantine Productions.
Glasgow Scotland

A dialogue about bogs, energy, art and landscape futures.

Narrated Overview of the project

This project was commissioned by Offaly County Council and Bord na Móna and funded by Offaly County Council, The Arts Council and Creative Ireland. First published in Ireland, 2020 by Offaly County Council. Áras an Chontae.

The book documents a comprehensive study, also known as ‘deep mapping,’ of the Lough Boora Sculpture Park, Offaly County Ireland. The aim of the project is to establish a sustainable and exceptional artistic vision for the future development of the park as a Land and Environmental Arts facility.

Additionally, the book provides valuable historical, cultural, and ecological information for artists and scientists interested in considering a residency at Lough Boora in the future.

Order a physical copy of the book here for the cost of shipping and mailing.
Or you can download a free PDF copy below..

Deep-Mapping-Lough-Boora-Sculpture-Park-COLLGOTO

Deep-Mapping-Lough-Boora-Sculpture-Park-COLLGOTODownload

Introduction

Collins + Goto Studio was commissioned by Offaly County Council and Bord na Móná in August 2019 to propose an artist-led deep mapping process for the Lough Boora Sculpture Park in Offaly County, Ireland. The goal of the project was to create an understanding of the past, present, and future of the park by embracing local knowledge and experience and conducting desk research. Through walking and talking with those who understand the land, art, and culture, the team developed an archival baseline of materials relevant to the park’s development.

The team was interested in the modernization of the Midlands landscape and the ways in which ideas about land and energy can shape society and culture. They believe that art has the power to create space for comment and discussion, producing unexpected changes to existing concepts and experiences. This approach was informed by the team’s previous work in post-industrial landscapes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they conducted public interest research to present alternative futures for public discussion.

The Irish boglands have been a source of fascination for the team due to their unique agency and the changes they have undergone in recent history. The bogs have been described as more than water but less than land, and as a living material that is active, not passive. They stabilize everything from trees to ancient artifacts and deliver the past into the present. The team recognizes the potential of peat bogs as a source of energy, carbon storage, and diversity of life, and as a realm of uncertain footing that challenges anyone who would access it. The team’s goal was to understand the support that artists need to engage with the complex relationships between peat bogs, nature, carbon, and climate.

We believe that art does not fix things, solve problems, or predict change. It has a very particular kind of agency, one that creates space for comment and discussion, producing surprising changes to extant concepts and experiences. It is within this realm of human discourse, related to aesthetic perception and value, that art has its most inspirational and significant impact.

Our Methods

The methods used for deep mapping in this project are diverse, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration between artists, landscape architects, natural scientists, philosophers, and social scientists. Over the past 20 years, the team has approached deep mapping in different ways, including working with communities of interest in post-industrial landscapes in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, developing concept maps and plans, and exploring the role of the arts and humanities in evolving ideas about future public space. The team has also focused on remnant forest ecosystems and shorter workshop-based programs that are a form of discursive deep mapping and are only reflexive if and when they choose to write about them. Additionally, the team has organized a seminar and written a paper based on an interdisciplinary gathering of friends on a long-abandoned shale-oil bing. The common theme throughout these methods is to interrogate and expand the perception of the meaning of place and the more-than-human entities in the environment.

In the foreground:: 60 Degrees (2002), Kevin O’Dwyer, artist and curator..
In the background Sky Train (2002), Mike Bulfin.

It is within this realm of human discourse related to aesthetic perception and value, that art has its most significant impact.

Review and download a PDF copy of the book and bibliography here.

Order a physical copy of the book here.

Bibliography with links.