‘I too walked’ is a contemplative and sometimes unsettling listening experience comprised of impromptu recordings made over the course of several years, during periods of deep personal distress and grief and through the pandemic years. Inspired by the multiple interpretations of 'gather' and 'gathering' along with a desire to reflect the interconnectivity within nature and the comfort that this can provide. The artist uses active listening as a way of calming the spirit, gathering strength and gaining a deeper understanding of self and shares this experience with the audience. Capturing moments in time from places were people gather, the edited sound clips were made in workplaces, on countryside walks, in suburban gardens and city soundscapes and serve as a gentle reminder of our collective and co-dependent existence.
The sound is best experienced in a quiet space using headphones and can be further enhanced by listening with closed eyes.
Biography
Sinéad O'Neill-Nicholl is a multi-disciplinary artist using a range of new media to create installations, using light, audio, still images and video and who engages in live art performance to explore contemporary themes of gender, identity, truth and justice. Examining the power structures at play within language and the methods used to silence the voice of the 'other', Sinéad's recent practice involves the creation of spatial audio environments using the agency of sound as a method of resistance.
Working at the intersection of contemporary fine art and technology, Sinead is a current member and Trustee of Vault Artist Studios having received the 2020 Catalyst/Kilkenny Exchange Award and the 2021 University of Atypical DDAF Award. In addition, Sinéad received the University of Atypical Graduate Award in 2020 as well as funding from both Arts Council NI and Freelands Foundation in 2020. Sinéad is a co-founder of Second Collective Belfast.