Costello Memorial Chapel Project
Artist Name(s) | Stephen Rennicks |
Artwork title | Costello Memorial Chapel Project |
Context/Background | When the artist moved to a new town, Carrick-on-Shannon in Co. Leitrim, he decided to do a project there before it lost that sense of wonder and newness. The choice of using the Costello Chapel also gave an excuse to research some of the towns history as well. |
Description | A 20 minute sound piece, Time, was constructed solely from sounds emanating into the chapel on one day during October 2005. The artist had come to see it as being a type of recording device of the ever changing fate’s of the towns population since it was built. 50 CD’s were placed anonymously on the door for the public to take between November and December 2005. The chapel had originally been built by heart broken local merchant, Edward Costello, in 1877 to house the remains of his wife and for him to be interred beside her after his own death. At the time of the project the building had become neglected but the artist was excited that this beacon of eternal love should exist hidden at the heart of this small Irish town which continues in transition. |
Mediation | The project was publicised and documented with a website |
Biographies | Stephen Rennicks (b. 1972) is an artist now based in Co. Leitrim, Ireland. Some pieces to date include the year long Junk out of Context (2004 - 2005) which explored the audio and video stock of Dublin charity shops; Trains for the Blind (2004), a sound piece released in conjunction with the ESB Dublin Fringe festival; a six month Secret Residency at Dublin Airport during 2005; Imagine Black Lough (2006) installation at The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim; his debut solo show With & Without Context at Mantua Project, Co. Roscommon in 2007; his three year in the making land art piece 666777888 completed in 2008; the moment concerned Deeper into Nothing (2009) and How to Disappear (2010) which was shown during the Boyle Arts Festival, Co. Roscommon in July 2010. For this latter project he was supported with an artist bursary by Leitrim County Council. He took part in the TRADE 2011 residency programme, run jointly by Leitrim and Roscommon County Council Arts Offices, led that year by the artist David Michalek. One of the projects to emerge from this was 'One Minute Residency'. |
Commission Type | Other |
Commissioning process | Artist led |
Public Presentation dates | November 1, 2005 - December 23, 2005 |
Artform | Visual Arts |
Funded By | Private |
Budget Range | 0 - 10000 euro |
Location | Costello Chapel |
County | Leitrim |
Town | Carrick-on-Shannon |
Street Address | Main St |
Website | www.costellochapel.webs.com/ |
Content contributor(s) | Stephen Rennicks |
Relationship to project | Artist |
Public engagement | Any members of the general public walking past the chapel between Nov and Dec 2005. |