26 Treasures

Northern Ireland’s most compelling treasure house, the Ulster Museum, is delighted to collaborate with 26. Writers, including poets Michael Longley, Paul Muldoon and Bernard MacLaverty, have been randomly paired with visual artists, such as Michael’s daughter, Sarah Longley, Peter Anderson and Ross Wilson. These creative partnerships have hustled, bustled and negotiated their way to creating personal responses to myriad of intriguing objects. You can discover exactly how and why they were inspired at the exhibition in The Belfast Room from 14th October.

blog ulster
Screen shot 2011-10-14 at 13.36.16.png The Meanley Fillpot Teapot

There's only two of us, at the last count. Northern Irish members of 26 I mean. Just me and Gillian. And I'm English so I probably don't count. I shouldn't. Gillian is, of course, much better qualified than me to be a 26er. A proper, professional, skilled writer. On the other hand, I'm a charlatan. Not so much a writer as a stringer of words. Sticking them together so...
 
Screen shot 2011-10-14 at 13.18.40.png Design studio, Bag of Bees was paired with Commercial Philosopher and the Drumbest Horns

26 Treasures was an exhibition at London's V&A Museum by the folks behind26.org - a resource for writers, and the clients who need their help. Their idea was to pair-up an object from the museum with a writer at random and see what creative sparks would happen as a result. Now 26 has expanded their reach to locations...
 
chair.jpg 26 Treasures - An Historical Treasure Trail

The O’Neill Inaugural Seat of Kings is a decidedly uncomfortable looking chair that is roughly hewn out of stone and somewhat wonky. It now sits in the Ulster Museum in Belfast, but in the 14thand 15th centuries, it was used in inauguration ceremonies by the kings of Ulster...
 
Screen shot 2011-10-14 at 12.41.46.png Sparks Studio was paired with the comedian and poet Owen O'Neill and the The O’Neill Inaugural Seat of Kings

BLUDGEON
Inspired the history of the The O’Neills’ Inauguration Chair and 62 words written by Owen O’Neill we created a bespoke font for use in our visual response for the 26 Treasures Exhibition at the Ulster Museum, Belfast.

...
 
The Clonmore Shrine – a miniature classical tomb that housed relics of Christian saints Northern Ireland. Funny place. Even funnier people.

Not many of us like the usual associations. Say you’re from Northern Ireland and chances are, you’ll be met with one of the following responses. 

  1. Are you a protestant or a Catholic? (Variation, do you see yourself as Irish or British?)
  2. Have you ever seen anyone shot?
  3. ...