Ciarán MacAoidh

Sound Artist

2016 - 2017

Ciarán MacAoidh took advantage of this long residency to work on research and learning. He spent time on the rivers, lakes, and shorelines of the North West, Clare, Kerry, and Dublin as well as in caves, quarries, tunnels, and tombs all over Ireland. In these locations, he refined his recording methods and found new sounds and new ways to work. As a resident of The Dock, he found a community of other artists and craftspeople and was provided with the space and time needed to develop his practice.

His major projects vary in theme and style but draw together elements of field recording, documentary, and experimental music.

About the Artist(s)

Sound artist and field recordist Ciarán MacAoidh was an artist in residence at The Dock from 2016 to 2017. By the end of his time at The Dock, MacAoidh realised two large works. He worked with the young people of the Leitrim Youth Theatre and was commissioned by the National Maritime Museum to complete a documentary-style installation for the museum based on the landing of U-35, a German submarine, in Ventry Harbour on the Dingle Peninsula at the start of the Second World War.
In his field recording and documentary work, MacAoidh has looked to the underground music scene and to independent filmmakers to learn practical working methods. He enjoys the pared-down approach of these artists, avoiding controlled environments and situations where the results are guaranteed and repeatable. This gives him space to experiment and to chance upon new sounds and new ways to approach the themes of his work.