To mark the Cypriot presidency of the European Council the Cyprus based Irish artist Miriam McConnon will present the solo exhibition Common Fractures at The Europa Gallery, Dublin, a project for the European Parliament Liaison office in Ireland, curated by Olivier Cornet.
The work looks at Ireland and Cyprus’ shared history of colonialism, its consequences and the impact it had on the social and political evolution of both nations in its aftermath.
Objects such as a wedding dress, a military jacket and ancient ceramic vessels narrate the common elevation of religion, education and conflict in the post-colonial era of both nations. The ceramic pots are presented as fragments of archeological artifacts with inscriptions from letters of those who joined the struggle for independence in both nations, linking the domestic with the armed struggle.
The artist also refers to the mass emigration that befell both nations during and after their struggle for independence. The clothing in her artworks is adorned with the pattern from the personal objects belonging to refugees who have been currently displaced due to war. The history of displacement of Ireland and Cyprus is echoed in the present reality of other nations today.
For the past eight years, Miriam has been interviewing displaced families, presenting their stories using personal objects that travelled with them on their journey to safety. It is the pattern of these objects that encrypt the individual consequence of conflict. In this exhibition Common Fractures she holds a mirror up to Cyprus and Ireland, nations that are the custodians of the edges of the EU’s borders to see the reflection of their country’s past struggle to survive conflict in the lives of the immigrant of today.
