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15/07/2020 - 15/09/2020

Current practice explores the historical, political and biodynamical ecologies of plant life through the subject of the seed and the agency of plant matter. This approach cultivates relational, site-responsive works that looks to the smaller scale, land-based notions of nature, remembering ‘localized’ farms and small gardens, common lands and vegetal systems. Lost, forgotten or effaced, these subjects are transformed in pursuit of producing something anew. The artist intention is to articulate alternative histories of place, ecosystems and plant life. Complex processes build from multiple narratives based on an assemblage of key research material, sites of interest and community integration that transform anew. This engaged and social practice embeds a series of sensitive responses in relation to site, agency and ecology.

Inter-disciplinary in approach, the drawings, archival and photographic images and texts, videos, installations, public-sited interventions, temporary events and publications generated in this process are speculative, open-ended and transient in nature. What links Mackey’s works are the embedded biological, social and historical narratives of place, whilst exploring the local questions of ecology, and the evolving dialogue among peoples perception of their environment through vegetal matters and their broader social and environmental contexts.

Christine Mackey, HOME GROWN HOUSING, 2017 Large scale archival print, archival objects and small scale sculptural works, text prints and an out-door installation The Chook Run. Museum of English Rural Life, Reading University. This combined outdoor and indoor installation is part of Mackey’s Welcome Trust funded artist-in-residence project at the MERL in which she investigates self-sustaining agricultural systems in an urban context using archival knowledge as a key method for collaborative empowerment, DIY strategy and systematic ‘know-how’ that celebrates the creative crossovers between art, food and farming practice.
Christine Mackey, HOME GROWN HOUSING, 2017

Large scale archival print, archival objects and small scale sculptural works, text prints and an out-door installation The Chook Run.
Museum of English Rural Life, Reading University. This combined outdoor and indoor installation is part of Mackey’s Welcome Trust funded artist-in-residence project at the MERL in which she investigates self-sustaining agricultural systems in an urban context using archival knowledge as a key method for collaborative empowerment, DIY strategy and systematic ‘know-how’ that celebrates the creative crossovers between art, food and farming practice.
Christine Mackey, HOME GROWN HOUSING, 2017 Large scale archival print, archival objects and small scale sculptural works, text prints and an out-door installation The Chook Run. Museum of English Rural Life, Reading University. This combined outdoor and indoor installation is part of Mackey’s Welcome Trust funded artist-in-residence project at the MERL in which she investigates self-sustaining agricultural systems in an urban context using archival knowledge as a key method for collaborative empowerment, DIY strategy and systematic ‘know-how’ that celebrates the creative crossovers between art, food and farming practice.
Christine Mackey, HOME GROWN HOUSING, 2017

Large scale archival print, archival objects and small scale sculptural works, text prints and an out-door installation The Chook Run.
Museum of English Rural Life, Reading University. This combined outdoor and indoor installation is part of Mackey’s Welcome Trust funded artist-in-residence project at the MERL in which she investigates self-sustaining agricultural systems in an urban context using archival knowledge as a key method for collaborative empowerment, DIY strategy and systematic ‘know-how’ that celebrates the creative crossovers between art, food and farming practice.
Christine Mackey, An Enduring Monument, 2013-2015 Sculptural archive/pedestal/gold cast pea/other materials. Merging historical documentation, ‘hearsay’ and contemporary agricultural practices, this research led work traced the historical lineage of the Daniel O’Rourke pea [Pisum sativum], an Irish cultivar sourced from the Irish Seed Savers Association in Clare.
Christine Mackey, An Enduring Monument, 2013-2015

Sculptural archive/pedestal/gold cast pea/other materials. Merging historical documentation, ‘hearsay’ and contemporary agricultural practices, this research led work traced the historical lineage of the Daniel O’Rourke pea [Pisum sativum], an Irish cultivar sourced from the Irish Seed Savers Association in Clare.
Christine Mackey, Seed Matter, Publication, 2010-2013http://issuu.com/leitrimchrist... Seed Matter was developed as series of evolving exhibitions with publication that took at the core of its research the ‘seed’, which began from a research trip at Svaldbard Seed Bank, Norway. This work attempted to uncover the geo-political control of biological organisms, food sovereignty, land use and social justice. Assembling a wide range of responses from people concerned with current debates on foods sovereignty, seed culture, land use and community gardening.
Christine Mackey, Seed Matter, Publication, 2010-2013

http://issuu.com/leitrimchrist...

Seed Matter was developed as series of evolving exhibitions with publication that took at the core of its research the ‘seed’, which began from a research trip at Svaldbard Seed Bank, Norway. This work attempted to uncover the geo-political control of biological organisms,
food sovereignty, land use and social justice. Assembling a wide range of responses from people concerned with current debates on foods sovereignty, seed culture, land use and community gardening.
Christine Mackey, The Potting Shed, 2013-ongoing Installation/renovation. This work was developed in tandem with local communities and up-cycles a range of materials from the existing buildings on site. This indoor/outdoor space is used as a space for creative learning on the ecology of local resources and as a stimulating environment within which over the coming years, artists and activists will be commissioned by Artlink to develop further projects onsite premised on the creative governance of the shed and its relationship to the environment.
Christine Mackey, The Potting Shed, 2013-ongoing

Installation/renovation. This work was developed in tandem with local communities and up-cycles a range of materials from the existing buildings on site. This indoor/outdoor space is used as a space for creative learning on the ecology of local resources and as a stimulating environment within which over the coming years, artists and activists will be commissioned by Artlink to develop further projects onsite premised on the creative governance of the shed and its relationship to the environment.
Christine Mackey, The Potting Shed, 2013-ongoing Installation/renovation. This work was developed in tandem with local communities and up-cycles a range of materials from the existing buildings on site. This indoor/outdoor space is used as a space for creative learning on the ecology of local resources and as a stimulating environment within which over the coming years, artists and activists will be commissioned by Artlink to develop further projects onsite premised on the creative governance of the shed and its relationship to the environment.
Christine Mackey, The Potting Shed, 2013-ongoing

Installation/renovation. This work was developed in tandem with local communities and up-cycles a range of materials from the existing buildings on site. This indoor/outdoor space is used as a space for creative learning on the ecology of local resources and as a stimulating environment within which over the coming years, artists and activists will be commissioned by Artlink to develop further projects onsite premised on the creative governance of the shed and its relationship to the environment.

Christine Mackey

Christine Mackey completed a Fulbright Creative Research Scholarship Award in 2018 pursuing independent research at institutions across the States including Art & Ecology Department, University of New Mexico; Botanic Gardens Steere Herbarium, New York; Native Seed Savers, Arizona; WormFarm Institute and GUMZ Peppermint Farm, Wisconsin.

Recent solo exhibitions include Home Grown Housing, The MERL, England; Silent Needles Speaking Flowers, The Observatory, England (2017); Provisional AC Institute New York, The Lung Kings House, Roscommon (2015), The Potting Shed Artlink Donegal, Balsam Bashing ArtLab, Rejmyre, Sweden, Labour on Draoicht Arts Centre, Dublin, Seed Matter Limerick City Gallery of Art, The Butler Gallery, Kilkenny and Leitrim Sculpture Centre.

Resident artist at various cultural institutions across Europe including Grizedal Arts, England; EUCIDA Digital art residency programme, Latvia (2019); ACA Allenheads, England (2016); Delfina Foundation, London; Agora Collective, Berlin, Utopiana Genève, Switzerland (2015); Rejmyre Art Lab, Sweden; Killruddery House and Gardens/Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow and Art & Sustainability (2014) Cambridge.

In recent times, Mackey has produced several site-specific works throughout Ireland, most notably Safe HoldWexford Public Arts Programme (2019-2020); Ocean Flowers WHAT Waterford Healing Art Trust (2019); Of Land and Soil, Flanagan’s Field Community Garden Bealtaine Age & Opportunity (2015), The Potting Shed ArtLink Fort Dunree (2014-ongoing), Backlands Property Registration Authority, Roscommon and A Year in the Field Fingal County Council Public Arts Office (2012).

She is also author, designer and publisher of several books and pamphlets that focus on historical and political vegetal matter and site-specific social narratives. Her work has received support from The Arts Council of Ireland Bursary and Travel Awards, Leitrim, Leitrim County Council Arts Award, Culture Ireland Exhibition Travel Awards, Vice-Chancellor’s Research Scholarship, University of Ulster, Belfast, Fulbright Creative Research Scholarship Award, USA and received the main open award at EV+A Limerick (2003). Her work is held in collection at The Arts Council of Ireland, The Drawing Collection - Limerick City Gallery of Art, Dublin County Council and Leitrim County Council.

Past Residencies