these small things i cannot see (2026) was commissioned by the Technological University of the Shannon as part of the Percent for Art Scheme for the Mary Ward Centre for Science. For this commission, I was asked to create a site-specific audio walk response on the perimeter of the site, which would activate exterior thresholds and prompt audiences to consider the interaction between themselves, their bodies, and the building itself. The resulting audio walk takes place around the perimeter of the site in three parts, accessible through QR codes affixed to the architecture. Partially influenced by the life of the building’s namesake, Mary Ward (who was a botanist and illustrator), the audio works reflect on the value of looking at things closely, in order to understand them better.
Alongside each QR code plaque in the raised flowerbeds, there are sculptural works partially hidden, cast from jesmonite designed to mimic the natural stones found in the flowerbeds. The forms of these works are directly influenced by the work of Mary Ward herself, who would study plant life under the microscope to produce detailed illustrations of shapes invisible to the naked eye. The shapes are also inspired by the shapes of the seeds and pollen pods of plants found on the grounds of the Mary Ward Centre for Science.
