The human need for hope is a strong one, with hope manifesting in various forms across time, often in the shape of belief or faith. Is this the basis of the 'Moving Statue Phenomenon' that occurred across Ireland in the summer of 1985?
Having always been drawn to the miraculous and the impossible, my work aims to better understand the psychological attraction and the symbolism behind the phenomena in the context of the social and economic state of 1980s Ireland, and the Ireland of today. Discussions with my mother – a young woman present at one of the events – provided further context.
Using analogue processes such as direct animation and 16mm film, the work combines archival and more recent footage; the medium of film allowing space for ambiguity.
Wooden Thaumatrope
Physical Film
Exhibition
Film Stills
Hen Party
Film Stills
Research