7 October at 7pm | Online talk with Christopher Steenson
As part of Void’s youth programme, Void Visionaries, we are inviting artists to speak about their practice. The talks are aimed at 14-24 year olds and give an insight into an artist who is working on the island of Ireland today.
For the first in the series, we are delighted to welcome Christopher Steenson, a Northern Irish artist currently based in Inch, Co. Kerry. Through field recording, analogue photography and writing, Steenson’s practice uses listening as a method of navigating changing elements of our environment and the entangled role of human activity in causing these changes.
Book here
Since beginning his artistic practice in 2017, Christopher Steenson’s work has manifested itself as several site-specific performances, sound works and installations. Steenson’s work has been presented by CCA Derry~Londonderry (2021), curated by Locky Morris and Catherine Hemelryk; CCA Glasgow’s Radiophrenia (2020); NCAD Gallery, Dublin (2019); Pallas Projects/Studios, Dublin (2019); EastSide Arts Festival, Belfast (2017); and The Old Jesuit Monastary, Syros, Greece (2019). His tape-based composition Let Me Tell You (2018) was included on compilation sound works, curated by Catalyst Arts, Belfast, and was premiered at the Sonic Arts Research Centre in Belfast.
One of Christopher Steenson’s most recent projects was On Chorus, a large-scale public sound artwork, in collaboration with Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail, BirdWatch Ireland and Fallow Media. This artwork generated significant media attention and acclaim within Ireland and beyond. In April 2021, the artwork won the award for ‘Best Use of Creativity in the Workplace’ at the Business to Arts Awards. An artist’s LP for the artwork will be released in November 2021.
Upcoming solo exhibitions include Soft Rains Will Come at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Carlow (February 2022). In March 2022, Steenson will participate in a 4-week residency at Interface, Connemara – a residency for encouraging collaboration between the arts and sciences.
Image credit: Christopher Steenson, PA system speaker used for On Chorus (2020) broadcasts, photograph by Louis Haugh, courtesy of the artist.