connections
'connections' was an exhibition featuring the Mandala Public Art Projects and a large-scale installation artwork created by artist Marie Flaherty for her masters project at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. The exhibition took place at Catalyst Arts Gallery, Belfast.
Below you can view a book created by Marie for this exhibition entitled, 'connections' and images of the event.
The exhibition was a space for activity and contemplation, a transitory mediative space. Each person who entered could sit in silence or interact with the installation. Visitors could write on the floating ceramic spheres or the ceramic bowls laying on the floor, they could light a candle or create a mandala using a variety of coloured sand.
Throughout the duration of the exhibition the space changed and evolved. Each day the artist introduced new materials into the space for the viewer to interact with.
On the closing night Marie invited percussionist Michael Speers to conduct an instrumental performance using the objects within the space. Anyone who attended the event could also participate in the musical performance. It finished up with a fire ceremony during which Marie invited people to place the ceramic bowls into the fire firepit to be transformed.
As suggested by the Buddhists, nothing is lasting, even in the moment everything is undergoing change. All is fleeting, the beauty of a flower, the sunset, the leaves on the trees are in a continuous state of change. The entire exhibition was a celebration of this change and of the endless connections that exist in and around us.












