As the river starts its life, it begins to move, meandering in search of the simple path'. Its tributaries reach out charting its course - and along its carved paths communities follow and forge relations, becoming active in the river's ecology. Artists Chelsea Canavan & Deirdre Power invited communities of interest to keep a journal beginning in January 2021. The Water Paths Archive is a collection of shared conversations around the cultural and ecological heritage of riverine communities, those who engage daily with the river, swimmers, river residents, boaters and writers, those who make visible the everyday life of our water.
WATER PATHS
Ann Liston - Ann has maintained an online archive, Shannon River Corbally for many years, collecting and correlating stories of her beloved river Shannon, in particular her home on the Mill Road in Limerick.
Andrew Duhig, member of the Curraghgour Boat Club and boat builder. Andrew shares his stories of maratine traditions in Limerick. Andrew’s ‘Canal Gate’ a stunning scaled model, will showcase at the club, a project he has worked over the past few months.
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Denis O’Shaughnessy shares his recollection of summers in the family hut in Corbally. Skilled oarsman with Athlunkard Boat Club and writer of many books on his beloved Parish, Denis at 85 continues to swim in canal over the summer months.
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LJUSNE STICH’N LIMERICK
Concurrently, the artists invited two groups engaged in the craft of embroidery to participate in a curated strand of the Mayfly Flag project. Connected by the water that divides us, we invite the participants from Limerick and Sweden to respond to riverine ecology, respectively. The delicate nature of stitches, the tiny nature of insects, bacteria, and hidden ecologies along the river are brought into a tangible display alongside the ceremonial flag. The outcome, highlighting the fragility of our natural world, a space we must collectively stitch together, for the good of all.
The Mayfly Flag, designed by artists Chelsea Canavan & Deirdre Power, responds to the life and ecology of our rivers, reflecting the short lived aquatic insect of the northern hemisphere, the ephemeral Mayfly. The 2.5 metre biodegradable flag fashions an interconnected creative resonance between oceans in relation to the fragility of freshwater habitats and ecologies found around the world. Selected for The Flag Project, in New York City, supported by The Rockefeller Center, the Climate Museum and the United Nations Environment Programme, the flag will fly over the iconic Rockefeller Center Rink during Earth Day Celebrations in April 2022. On its return, it will continue its journey aboard the Mayfly, the flagship of the Eco Showboat
The Mayfly Flag at The Rockefeller Center Rink, New York City, April 2022
