Ailbhe Callanan

Ailbhe's practice is concerned with memory, identity and intergenerational trauma in relation to land, with a particular focus on the legacy of colonialism in rural spaces. She is interested in how one’s sense of place is impacted by historical, geographical, and political factors. Her most recent body of work has emerged from an investigation into ‘the cartographic gaze’, a concept which critiques the omniscient position of the cartographer. As a result of this investigation, the aim of decolonising the map has become the key line of enquiry within Ailbhe's research. By studying aerial imagery in comparison with historical maps, she seeks out evidence of topographical changes in the land before implementing counter-mapping techniques through mis-orientation, superimposition, and subversion. This practice has been influenced by the artists Mona Hatoum and Rita Donagh, the research group Forensic Architecture, and the writing of Palestinian-American scholar Edward Said.