Join our visual arts curators with Iona artist Mhairi Killin for an afternoon studio cèilidh at Aosdàna, Iona.
Our studio cèilidhs take inspiration from the traditional house cèilidhs; informal gatherings combining culture, craft and conversation, particularly through the long, dark winter nights.
Mhairi Killin is an artist living and working on Iona. She works with drawing, print, sculpture and installation in an exploration of the landscapes that surround and are her home. Her practice seeks to understand place from a specific perspective; one of inquiry into how belief structures - religious, mythopoeic, and socio-political - have shaped the physical and metaphysical landscapes we journey through.
Killin’s recent work considers the ongoing presence of the MoD in the Hebrides, questioning whether we can consider this presence as a form of extraction. Her practice also explores the wider impacts of militarisation of land and sea, and the importance of continuity, community and situated knowledge in facing the challenges of the climate crisis.
Mhairi's Studio Cèilidh will explore Visual Art Practice and ‘Islandness’.
How does thinking and working from an island support artistic practise in engaging with the forces shaping our futures; global warming, extractive capitalism and continued colonisation of real and virtual spaces?
Mhairi invites us to explore this theme through conversation, and reflection on her recent and future projects.
Iona Ferry
Please note: Visitors coming from Mull having the option of either taking the 12:15 ferry, allowing some time to explore Iona before the event, or taking the 14:15 ferry, arriving at 14:25. The discussion will start at 14:35 to accommodate those on the later ferry; the Aosdàna Gallery will be open beforehand for refreshments for those arriving earlier.
Maximum audience number is 16.
Location & Directions
Aosdàna Gallery, Isle of Iona, PA76 6SJ
What3Words: polices.punctuate.emporium
Aosdàna Gallery is part of a larger building containing artists’ studios and a craft shop, situated on the main route to Iona Abbey. The Gallery is accessed via an eight minute walk from the road North from the ferry slipway.
Parking
Access to the island by ferry is for foot passengers only unless special dispensation is given. For those on Iona, there is parking immediately outside the gallery building, including a disabled parking space.
Access and Safety
The walk to the gallery is about eight minutes long, on a tarred road with a gentle slope. From the main road, the gallery is accessible via a short gravel and stone path. The site is not suitable for wheelchair users, due to a lip on the threshold of the Gallery door. However, the site is accessible for those with mobility issues.