Ciara O’Halloran, The Other Room

‘The Other Room’ is an investigation of a newly developed allotment in Clonsilla, Dublin. The aim of the project is to highlight the activities of allotment gardening in Irish society. It also shows the processes, ritualistic characteristics and the overall ‘strangeness’ of the space. This project calls attention to this unrecognized space and the activities that are on-going here, making a previously irrelevant space, in terms of its use and it’s interest, a visually intriguing location that draws in the attention of the viewer. The processes documented in the photographs reflect the challenges, which the gardeners and allotmenteers try to overcome while developing their plots and the constant struggle in the battle to reclaim the land from nature while simultaneously trying to produce and cultivate nature. The ritualistic characteristics that have been documented include the weekly activities of the gardeners to maintain their perimeters and keep their land free from weeds and seasonal growing of particular vegetables.

Ciara O’Halloran

Ciara O’Halloran was born in 1986 in Dublin where she still lives and works. In 2006 she attended a portfolio course in BCFE where she realized her passion for photography and visual arts. In September 2007, she began a 4-year BA in Photography in DIT. During these 4 years O’Halloran took part in 6 exhibitions, one of which was a solo show in 2009 that she curated for the Fingal Co.Council Offices in Blanchardstown. O’Halloran was also the class rep for her peer group for 3 of the 4 years in college. She sat on committees for group show exhibitions including their very successful Full Spectrum show in 2010 and the Graduate Photography show in 2011. More recently, O’Halloran’s body of work ‘The Other Room’ had been selected for the RDS Student Art Award in the RDS Concert Hall and for the travelling exhibition, which was located in Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park Dublin. ‘The Other Room’ was also shortlisted for the Inspirational Arts Award 2011 by Irish Artist Seán Hillen.
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