OPEN MAPS OPEN BORDERS

By Office of Life + Art (IE / NO / US) 2019

A DIY aerial map of a site at the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (UK)

This is an installation that maps and documents a small piece of a border that has fascinated the world. Using DIY tools and protocols developed by the Public Lab community, the Office of Life + Art created a high resolution map of the border at the Finn river in Annaghraw, CO. Monaghan. The team used three party balloons filled with Helium, a GoPro, and a plastic bottle to survey a peculiar passage dividing the two sides of the Island of Ireland. The thin pass marks a place where the Republic of Ireland essentially “bubbles” into the Northern territory, begging the question, what happens if the River Finn floods and a hard border makes this territory impassible? Would there essentially be an Irish Island within the UK?

EXHIBITOR BIOGRAPHY

The Office of Life + Art (OLA) is a creative studio working at the intersection of technology, nature and culture. They make objects, exhibitions and experiences that meaningfully engage with the challenges of the 21st century.

Credits: This project uses balloon mapping methods and software created by Public Lab. Thank you to Grace D’Arcy for joining us during the initial field work and mapping on location. Other citizen geographers can add to the map of the Irish border here: https://mapknitter.org/maps/irish-uk-border-mapping

LINKS

Website: lifeandart.io/