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Isabel Nolan and William McKeown in Take a Breath

Take a Breath is a major new exhibition that provides an historical, social, political, and personal examination of breathing – why we breathe, how we breathe and what we breathe – exploring themes of decolonisation, environmental racism, indigenous language, the Impact of war on the environment and breath as meditation.

Taking as its starting point the nature of breath and its vital role in our very existence, the exhibition reflects on the social, political, environmental, and spiritual aspect of breathing, tracking this vital act from the impact of post-industrial air pollution to modern-day wars and the effect on environment, health and how we live; to the suppression of protests of voices from different communities, where breath is a symbol of community and resistance; and the use of breath as personal meditation.

Featuring the work of Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Alex Cecchetti, Ammar Bouras, Belinda Kazeem-Kaminski, Hajra Waheed, JMW Turner, Marina Abramovic, Ana Mendieta and Isabel Nolan, among many others, the exhibition will also explore breath through movement and sound with performances by Okwui Okpokwasili, Maria Hassabi, Isabel Nolan with Belinda Quirke and Camille Norment Trio with Crash Ensemble.

Take a Breath features the work of Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Alex Cecchetti, Ammar Bouras, Belinda Kazeem-Kaminski, Hajra Waheed, Ana Mendieta, Isabel Nolan, among many others.

The exhibition will explore breath through movement and sound with performances by Okwui Okpokwasili, Maria Hassabi and Camille Norment.

Images

Isabel Nolan in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

Isabel Nolan in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

Isabel Nolan in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

Isabel Nolan in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown (left) in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown (left) in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown (left) in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown (left) in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown (left) in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown (left) in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

William McKeown in Take a Breath, installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 14 June 2024 – 17 March 2025. Photography by Ros Kavanagh

Isabel Nolan 

Deep Time Day, 2024

hand-tufted 100% New Zealand Wool, 12 mm pile

300 x 314 cm

118.1 x 123.6 in   

Isabel Nolan 

Deep Time Day, 2024

hand-tufted 100% New Zealand Wool, 12 mm pile

300 x 314 cm

118.1 x 123.6 in   

William McKeown 

Hope painting – through the looking glass, 2005

oil on canvas

186 x 168 cm

73.2 x 66.1 in   

William McKeown 

Hope painting – through the looking glass, 2005

oil on canvas

186 x 168 cm

73.2 x 66.1 in   

William McKeown, Tomorrow, 2010,  Oil on linen

William McKeown, Tomorrow, 2010,  Oil on linen