Cloudlands Online Gallery

The Cloudlands Online Gallery brings together the collaborative work of teenagers and artists participating in Helium’s Cloudlands Project at three Irish hospitals: Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, University Hospital Galway and Cork University Hospital. Through the Cloudlands Project, artists in residence work with chronically ill teenagers to facilitate their active participation in the design and delivery of a multi-media, arts and technology project through which they create, perform, and exchange their stories. The Cloudlands artists are Rachel Tynan (Temple Street), Emma Fisher (UHG) and Eszter Nemethi (CUH).

Each digital exhibition is curated by Katy Fitzpatrick, and is selected with a variety of curatorial frameworks, which include:

• representing a snapshot of a particular period or duration
• showcasing themes that emerge from the stories and creative collaborations with the young people
• and illustrating the work made by the artists in response to their experience of the project overall.

‘It was a pleasure to work on the development and curation of the Cloudlands Gallery, an important next step for this wonderful and worthwhile arts and health project, as this public element makes the work that the artists and children are producing in collaboration visible. In considering the function of the online space, it was important that the site allowed us to show visually a number of exhibitions, and that it allowed for all types of media, from sound to painting, side by side – not an easy task we soon found out! In terms of a curatorial framework, the stars and galaxies exhibit represents the first, of hopefully many exhibits, that represent themes that emerge from the collaborative work (sometimes by chance) across the hospitals, and other frameworks do or could include representing the work of the teenagers over a time period or one body of work by a teen, the media and materials being used, and how the ideas spread beyond the hospital walls through the teens, artists, families, friends and even the President (!). It was a wonderful experience to have the opportunity to step back from the project and review the work across the hospitals, to see how it is linked and to consider not only the ideas and stories, but also the variety of media that is being used as part of that process. I am delighted with how this new public space looks and how it is navigated, but more importantly that it creates a public space for the project and I hope that all ages will be able to enjoy the variety and rich work that is being made with Cloudlands.’ – Curator Katy Fitzpatrick

The Cloudlands Gallery was launched at Helium’s annual film screening by Helen O’Donoghue, Senior Curator: Head of Education and Community Programmes at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Temple Street artist in residence, Rachel Tynan, introduced the short film Star Lady Story Part I, made in collaboration with a young dialysis patient, and forming part of the gallery “Stars and Galaxies.” This gallery represents a theme that emerged in Year 2, that of wishing upon a star or passing through a door in a star to become anything you wish to be.

Emma Fisher, artist in residence at UHG, collaborated with a young singer-songwriter on two music videos which also form part of the “Stars and Galaxies” gallery. Both music videos, Free and Chance, were shown at the film screening.

Visit the Cloudlands Gallery here: http://cloudlandsgallery.old.helium.ie/cloudlandsgallery

Cloudlands Year 3 will be commencing at Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, Dublin, and Cork University Hospital in November 2014. Cloudlands Year 3 is funded by the BNP Paribas Foundation Smart Start Programme, Cork City Council Arts Office, HSE South, and the Health Services Credit Union.