Experiments in Self-Building
2024
My final exhibited work for the Art and Research Collaboration masters was a dissection of the Lineview/Growing Space project, from its inception to the realities that were faced in trying to fully realise its ambitions. It also serves as a promotion of 'meitheals' as a sustainable way of building the living spaces we need within our communities.
This took the form of a wood-framed cabin, 3m x 1.5m x 2.7m. Around it, 2 TV monitors, one showing images of life at the cottage, and another showing a timelapse recording of the construction of the installation. The structure also contains the old back door of the cottage which was painted as a collaborative project by Conor Campbell, Lochlann Dowd, Phoebe Moore, Aoife Anderson, and Gareth Quinn Redmond.
Shown in The Lab Gallery, Dublin, December 2024 - January 2025 as part of "Water Has No Enemy".
Measuring materials for building the cabin in IADT
Constructing the wall panels
The cabin, collapsed into its 6 panels
Thank you to Eileen Coll for helping me test instal the roof.
Planning out how the story of the cottage will be shown around the structure
Presenting the project to IADT 1st year Art students
Working with IADT Arts students to disassemble the cabin for transport to the gallery
Growing Space
2023-2024
During the first year of the Art and Research Collaboration Masters though IADT, a vision and title for the overall project became clear - Growing Space.
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This would have built from the experience of hosting the HxHomeshows, as well as research into other community based art spaces and organisations around Ireland such as Deirdre O’Mahony’s X-PO, The Good Hatchery, and the ongoing work of Workhouse Union.
”Growing Space is a rural embedded arts participation project at a Railway Cottage near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
Hosting monthly Sunday afternoon music and arts events as well as functioning as the home of artist Luke Brabazon, will be a gathering place for communities of interest and place, facilitating creative expressions.
It is an experimental, evolving space in an early development stage, currently interested in designing spaces collaboratively, Meitheals, and bringing the community together around the fire."
The work was presented during a test event in the Irish Museum of Modern Art as part of “Build Again, Test Again” in summer 2024.
Research material, presented in a DIY bookstand/stool
'Growing Space' presented at IMMA
Audience interaction - mapping out dreams for the space
Audience reaction to 'Growing Space - 2020-2022' video
Research material, with tea made from nettles gathered during a mini-meitheal in the cottage
Photo documentation of the space
The rear garden of 'Growing Space' during a meitheal in summer 2024
Lineview Railway Cottage
2020 - 2023
In 2020, I was given the keys to an 1850's Railway Cottage in Westmeath.
Seeing a chance to create a much needed space for community gathering (as well as a permanent home I could live in) I began researching, and inviting friends and interested artists to visit and collaborate on experiments in bringing life back to the neglected space.
Through 2021-2022, I would visit the cottage for about a week each month, and send out an open invite to a whatsapp mailing list I created for the project.
“4 September 2022
This message is from the Lineview Railway Cottage text list
The open invite week for September will be the final week of the month, the 26th until the 1st. Starting a path into the garden, patching the roof and moving the storage shed onto its new floor will probably be the main projects.
As always, if you're around within those dates and are interested in coming by (or just finding out more) reply to this message!
Thanks,
-Luke”
Each month, about half a dozen people would join on the slow journey to make the space more comfortable and liveable.
Partially encouraged by the Celtic Tiger years, we've created a culture of paying people to build and maintain the spaces we live in instead of doing this ourselves. Combined with discouraging people from entering the trades and the crash driving many tradespeople from the island, we are left with few options but DIY and self-building when budgets are tight.
2023
This scrappy, learn-as-we-go approach worked well to a point, but I knew there was a lot more I'd need to learn.
For learning the starter skills needed for self-building - Harrison Gardner and Common Knowledge. A few weeks working there was enough to make the challenges seem manageable, as long as some planning, enthusiasm and hard work could be thrown into the project. Also, a competent person leading the team.
In how to approach and manage a creative placemaking project - Arts Council Agility Award mentorship. Through this, Rosie Lynch of Callan Workhouse Union recommended this Art and Research Collaboration masters, where I continued learning.
HxHomeshows
2021 - 2023
Monthly home concerts with 2-3 performers and audiences of 15-30 hosted by my housemate Noah Higgs and I in Harold’s Cross, Dublin.
The homeshows began almost a year ago at the tail end of Covid, when it was almost impossible to have the communal experience of gathering together under one roof and enjoying a good night of music.
Audiences were encouraged to pay what they could, and the money was split equally between the artists.
Running order:
5pm - Artists arrive. Soundcheck if needed.
6pm - Dinner
7:30pm - Doors open for audience
8:15pm - First act
9pm - Second act
9:30pm - Food, snacks for audience
10:15pm - Third act
11pm - Curfew
Performers:
Jonny Pickett, Rita Perry, Gareth Quinn Redmond, Bríd Lyons, Jamie Bishop, Harry Fennell, Joey Gavin, George Higgs, Noah Buffini Higgs, Branwen, Leila Jane, Luke Murphy, Let’s Set Sail, Luke Howard, Lioba Petrie and Cameron Doyle (Unshaped Form), Rose Connelly, Brendan Carvill, Conor Lorkin O’Reilly, Laura Quirke, Emily May Morrison, Aviv Gilad, Patrick Stefan, Laura Ryder, Kieran Mulvihill, Peter Brabazon, Erika Severyns, Mr. Jansky, Alannah Thornborough, Declan and Eoin Gillen, Varo, Dylan Harcourt, Lughaidh Armstrong Mayock, Bróna Keogh, Brigid Mae Power, Séanie Bermingham + band (Liam Watts, Shane O’Connell, Andrew Smyth), Sammy Copley, Emilio, My Friend Luke, Diarmaid Mac Gloinn, Ferna, and Sasha Samara.
Open Park Please?
2021
There's a park in Phibsboro, Dublin called Four Masters Park. It's owned by the Sisters of Mercy, but maintained by the Dublin County Council. And it was locked.
I thought it should be open, so during 2021 over 7 evenings I wrote on the pavement by the padlocked gates around the park with chalk.
“Open me please”
“Can we walk in here?”
“Open Park?”
In 2024, thanks to The Mater Hospital and the District 7 Community Alliance, it was opened to the public.
Blessington st movie nights
2020
While living in a small apartment block in Phibsboro over Covid, I began to see the importance of community within our lives - and that we needed to do something to bring our lockdown neighbourhood together in a Covid-safe way.
The car park of the building had a large wall which we projected movies onto for 5 monthly socially-distanced movie screenings which hosted audiences of 6-15.
Chalk the Streets
2020
Inviting the public to participate in adding to the canvas of the street with chalk during outdoor Covid meet-ups.
