Seoidín O’Sullivan – CITIZEN ARTIST
Seoidín O’Sullivan is a contemporary artist and educator.
http://www.seoidinosullivan.com/Her art projects are collaborative and focus on people joining together in action to protect and develop an aspect of their local commons. Her practice supports sustainable models within various ecological contexts and addresses issues of land use, lost knowledge, social justice and biodiversity.
As part of the CITIZEN ARTIST award, Seoidín developed an art project HARD/GRAFT. HARD/GRAFT’S research continued Seoidín’s interest on issues of sustainable cities, land access, food access and spaces of ‘commoning’. Through this project she playfully tied a planting (grafting) project to the unearthing of questions of labour (graft).
HARD/GRAFT: towards community orchards began with fruit tree grafting. The graft is the trees rhizome. Working with community groups in St Andrews Community Centre and people from the area, heritage apple trees from UCD Heritage Orchard were collectively grafted towards future orchards for Dublin 8. Community Orchards are a commons, they are green spaces in the city where communities are able to access free food and be connected with a seasonal cycle. They create spaces where people can relax and meet and provide a place for pollinators.
While in studio 468 Seoidín also initiated a reading group with a group of feminist mothers. Collectively they discussed ‘Women’s Labour’ and unpacked feminist ideas and biases toward housework and the home including ‘Can the home be seen and recognised as a place with political potential?’ Through regular meetings they began to build up an archive of reading material and created a solidarity and visibility to women and their labour.