Curator and producer

What does it mean to be native or non-native? What is nature, or natural?
Earthbound Tales explores these questions.

The exhibition was inspired by the intricate relationships between the wider ecology of humans and non-humans with which we are enmeshed, despite our urban life. It is an invitation for the community to discover and observe the inextricable assemblage of the novel, native, and almost-native-at-this-point ecologies in our landscape. It is an opportunity to feel the alternative time and space of these inhabitants with curiosity.

Connected to the concepts of harmony and interconnection, embodied by Brigid the Goddess, this exhibition observes remarkably self-organised ecosystems: the old, the new, and the alien.

The artists told tales of an earthbound Dublin, with unexpected and inclusive perspectives on the ecology of the city. Karen Bowett showed us how to slow down to match the time of fellow beings, capturing their lives in the urban context and experimenting with biobased solutions. Dervla Clarke + Jamie Lemoine (POND Studios) invited us to listen to the unhearable in our frenetic life through a fascinating bioacoustic experience in one of the managed urban green spaces. Through a careful, slow exploration in which unexpected wilderness found its space, Melissa O’Brien documented a long, complex relationship with a hidden place with a weighty history. The documentation of the performance of Estibaliz Errazquin, where she cherished the affinities and differences. Remembering and reimagining the past of a faraway country in connection with one of the few wild areas in our present.

The constant discourse between humans and non-humans was brought to us as it appears, in its complexity.

An open, necessary discussion led us to explore intricate relationships in our urban environment, uncover how a plant could trigger strong feelings, and observe the deeper feelings behind them. Artists and scientists joined the community to share their tales and seek yours.

The exhibition concluded with a hands-on enquiry on how to document nature at nature’s pace, with a pinhole workshop led by Karen Bowett and Melissa O’Brien.

These events were an invitation to understand, accept and bond with our fellow beings and rewire the concepts of what is natural and native

Karen Bowett, Dervla Clarke + Jamie Lemoine (POND Studios), Estibaliz Errazquin and Melissa O’Brien.

Part of the 2025 Brigit: Dublin City Celebrating Women and mark the launch of our Sustainability Policy, Pallas Projects/Studios are pleased to present Earthbound Tales, curated by Cristina Nicotra.

Exhibition runs:
Friday 31st February – Sunday 2nd March