The Linen Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Linen Memorial, conceived and created in 2001 by sculptor Dr Lycia Danielle Trouton and sponsored by Canada Council
of the Arts as an ongoing site conscious memorial installation which seeks to narrate the almost 4,000 deaths which took place during the fraught period in contemporary Northern Ireland
, called 'The Troubles
'. It is an alternative history which can be understood as a counter-monument: a non-hierarchical list of names of those killed; it creates a funerary record of the toll of human lives, seeking to pick, unpick and re thread a sense of the fragile, recuperative work involved in a community emerging from conflict.
The Linen Memorial is made from almost 400 Irish linen
handkerchiefs listing almost 4000 names of those killed; it is an evolving installation that has taken many forms within the genres of public art
, textile arts
, performance and large-scale site-conscious, sculpture. The Memorial was conceived in 1999 after the artist exhibited at The Waterworks, Antrim Road, North Belfast in a 'site-interventionist' group sculpture show, called Seattle-Belfast Horsehead International. Subsequently, Lycia did research into the iconic Northern Ireland fabric of linen, at The Linen Museum, Lisburn and she also toured a dis-used flax scutching mill in the Northern Ireland countryside.
The Memorial was first unveiled on September 7, 2001 in Washington state, USA, as part of an ecumenical project with the names list on printed handkerchiefs and a 'coffin' represented in compressed peat moss (Irish bog oak). The 2002 in Australia
showing on The Day of the Dead included an interdisciplinary dimension in the memorial, featuring an original sonic-scape by Thomas Fitzgerald (composer)
, which incorporated Kevin McFadden's Gaelic poetry, with oration by Anthony Stamboulieh, and a performance with choreography by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, OAM, and her Mirramu Dance Company
. In 2004, the domestic textile arts element was introduced with hand-embroidery overtop the printed names on the Irish linen handkerchiefs. By 2009, over two hundred handkerchiefs have been sewn by 36 women and 1 man around the world. The hand embroidery (white-on-white) continues slowly day-by-day; one hour per name.
The Linen Memorial was initially exhibited in Northern Ireland at the Corrymeela Community
Centre for Peace and Reconciliation on June 21, 2007 and 2008, in recognition of the first Day of Private Reflection
; both showings included a names reading, and in 2008, persons who so wished could pin a memento or token of remembrance, beside a name on a handkerchief. The Linen Memorial will be a feature at the Flax and Linen Biennale in Quebec in 2011, a USA tour is proposed. The memorial has also been blessed and photographed in Protestant and Catholic churches, N. America, including at the Canadian Memorial United Church and Centre for Peace, Vancouver.
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
of the Arts as an ongoing site conscious memorial installation which seeks to narrate the almost 4,000 deaths which took place during the fraught period in contemporary Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, called 'The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
'. It is an alternative history which can be understood as a counter-monument: a non-hierarchical list of names of those killed; it creates a funerary record of the toll of human lives, seeking to pick, unpick and re thread a sense of the fragile, recuperative work involved in a community emerging from conflict.
The Linen Memorial is made from almost 400 Irish linen
Irish linen
Irish linen is the brand name given to linen produced in Ireland. Linen is cloth woven from, or yarn spun from the flax fibre, which was grown in Ireland for many years before advanced agricultural methods and more suitable climate led to the concentration of quality flax cultivation in northern...
handkerchiefs listing almost 4000 names of those killed; it is an evolving installation that has taken many forms within the genres of public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
, textile arts
Textile arts
Textile arts are those arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects.Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the beginning of civilization, and the methods and materials used to make them have expanded enormously, while...
, performance and large-scale site-conscious, sculpture. The Memorial was conceived in 1999 after the artist exhibited at The Waterworks, Antrim Road, North Belfast in a 'site-interventionist' group sculpture show, called Seattle-Belfast Horsehead International. Subsequently, Lycia did research into the iconic Northern Ireland fabric of linen, at The Linen Museum, Lisburn and she also toured a dis-used flax scutching mill in the Northern Ireland countryside.
The Memorial was first unveiled on September 7, 2001 in Washington state, USA, as part of an ecumenical project with the names list on printed handkerchiefs and a 'coffin' represented in compressed peat moss (Irish bog oak). The 2002 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
showing on The Day of the Dead included an interdisciplinary dimension in the memorial, featuring an original sonic-scape by Thomas Fitzgerald (composer)
Thomas Fitzgerald (composer)
Dr Thomas Fitzgerald is an Australian Composer, Musical Director, Conductor and Musician.Thomas Fitzgerald completed his Doctoral Thesis in Composition at the University of Wollongong in 2005. He also holds a Master of Music and Bachelor of Music from Melbourne University...
, which incorporated Kevin McFadden's Gaelic poetry, with oration by Anthony Stamboulieh, and a performance with choreography by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, OAM, and her Mirramu Dance Company
Mirramu Dance Company
Mirramu Dance Company is an Australian contemporary dance company founded in early 2002 by Australian dance pioneer Elizabeth Cameron Dalman and dancer–choreographer Vivienne Rogis....
. In 2004, the domestic textile arts element was introduced with hand-embroidery overtop the printed names on the Irish linen handkerchiefs. By 2009, over two hundred handkerchiefs have been sewn by 36 women and 1 man around the world. The hand embroidery (white-on-white) continues slowly day-by-day; one hour per name.
The Linen Memorial was initially exhibited in Northern Ireland at the Corrymeela Community
Corrymeela Community
The Corrymeela Community is a Christian community whose objective is the promotion of reconciliation and peace-building through the healing of social, religious, and political divisions in Northern Ireland...
Centre for Peace and Reconciliation on June 21, 2007 and 2008, in recognition of the first Day of Private Reflection
Day of Private Reflection
The Day of Private Reflection is a day of remembrance created to acknowledge and reflect upon the conflict in Northern Ireland. It was proposed by Healing Through Remembering, a cross-community organisation devoted to dealing with the legacy of the conflict...
; both showings included a names reading, and in 2008, persons who so wished could pin a memento or token of remembrance, beside a name on a handkerchief. The Linen Memorial will be a feature at the Flax and Linen Biennale in Quebec in 2011, a USA tour is proposed. The memorial has also been blessed and photographed in Protestant and Catholic churches, N. America, including at the Canadian Memorial United Church and Centre for Peace, Vancouver.
Exhibition History
- June 21, 2008 - The Linen Memorial
- The second Day of Private Reflection, Host organisation: Corrymeela Community of Peace and Reconciliation, Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
- with a Names Reading
- participating embroiderers: 35
- June 5 - 15th 2008 - The Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryThe Linen Hall Library is located at 17 Donegall Square North, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Northern Ireland. The Library is physically in the centre of Belfast, and more generally at the centre of the cultural and creative life...
exhibition- Groves Conference, USA, on Trauma, the Community and the Family
- June 21, 2007 - The Linen Memorial
- The first Day of Private Reflection, Host organisation: Corrymeela Community of Peace and Reconciliation, Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
- with a Names Reading
- participating embroiderers: 20.
- 2006 - Slide Presentation by Dr. Lycia Trouton
- Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Cross Cultural Research Centre, Canberra, ACT, Australia - Electric ViolinElectric violinAn electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument purposely made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body...
Performance by Dr. Thomas Fitzgerald - Shroud Artwork (bodybag with a figurative punched hole pattern) by Monique Van Nieuwland
- Australian National University
- 2005 - The Irish Linen Memorial exhibition
- Faculty Gallery, University of Wollongong, Australia
- Silent viewing along with a personal installation called Make Do and Mend.
- participating embroiderers: 5.This year Lycia, the artist, began sewing 'freckled spots' of human hair. This aspect has been written about by Textile Theorist Jessica Hemmings, PhD.
- 2004 - Transformation of Tears: The Irish Linen Memorial
- Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Sponsored by The Canadian High Commission
- Canberra, ACT. opening by Revd. Dr. James HaireJames HaireJames Haire AM, KSJ is a Christian minister of religion. He is currently the director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia...
(who delivered a brief Ecumenical service and a speech about the history of linen and Irish migration) - Original score by Thomas Fitzgerald, sonic-surround.
- participating embroiderer: Margot Damon (née McGladdery)
- Original choreography by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, performance with 2 dancers on the theme of maiden, mother, crone with Mirramu Dance Company.
- Embroidery by Margot Damon, 25 handkerchiefs, and tatting by Edith Morriot on 3 handkerchiefs, with an attachment of a lock of human hair.
- 2002 - Horrific Hankies: The Irish Linen Memorial
- Centre for Canadian-Australian Studies, Australia.
- Launched by Dr. Gerry Turcotte from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Original score by Thomas Fitzgerald, Australian composer
- Original choreography by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, OAM, choreographer and pioneer modern and contemporary dancer, Australia.
- 2002 - Unfolding Territories group exhibition
- Fabric(ation)s of The Postcolonial: Text and Textiles conference
- Launched by Janis Jefferies, Constance Howard Textiles Research Centre, Goldsmiths CollegeGoldsmiths CollegeGoldsmiths, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom which specialises in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1891 as Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute...
of the University of LondonUniversity of London-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, UK. - small-scale artwork of 3 handkerchiefs by Lycia Trouton
- 2001 - Between Two Worlds: The Common Body, The Irish Linen Memorial
- Group Exhibition called Natural Causes, curated by Cheryl Hahn
- Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA, USA
- Opening Chanting for the Dead, September 6.
- Intercultural/Ecumenical service led by Korean Buddhist nun, Chong Do Sunim (formerly Geraldine Finegan).