Odlums

A story of two worlds, one inside the other.  

Set in the Odlums building on the South Docklands in Cork City, a large and landmark building, originally known as the Cork National Flour Mill.  A relic of a bygone era, built in 1892, it is now front and center of Ireland's largest regeneration project.   

This installation aims to juxtapose the past and the present and question the complex relationship between our natural and man-made worlds as we move into the future. The work was installed during the autumn equinox, and as the sun set, it illuminated a central corridor that ran east to west through the dark, derelict building. For a few minutes, the corridor, flanked with rows of iron pillars, took on the appearance of a temple.  Our ancient ancestors were attuned to these celestial cycles, seasons and harmonized to the natural world. The autumn equinox represented the end of harvest, a time of balance, and gratitude, a shift toward darkness and preparation for rest, reflection and renewal. Millennia later technological advances see the Cork National Flour Mill turning the same wheat to flour on an industrial scale. The boxes and screens are miniature, self-contained glimpses of the natural world within this industrial setting. The boxes contain Rosehips found growing wild on site, a traditional medicinal, nutrient-dense food, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.  The natural world is as complex as it is vast; we are of it, and we are uniquely positioned to use our knowledge and technology to understand and protect it, not only because it is magically beautiful, but because ultimately, we depend on it.