Event: Reclaiming Nature

Curated by Aoife McCloughlin as part of the 2025 Provost’s Fellowship in Curating at The Douglas Hyde Gallery of Contemporary Art.

Saturday 7th February 2026

Venue: ATRL: Arts, Technology, Research Laboratory, Trinity College Dublin.

Reclaiming Nature is a public event that examines how art encourages us to reimagine our relationship with the natural world. Through a new artist commission by Marielle MacLeman, film screening by Aoife Desmond and panel discussion, the event brings together artworks that examine humans’ relationship to nature in the midst of environmental and ecological collapse. Contemplating the transience of our ecosystems, the programme reflects on the ways humans can positively engage with the natural world. The event has been developed by Aoife McCloughlin, 2025 Provost’s Fellow in Curating at The Douglas Hyde, and builds on her interest in the relationship between art and ecology. 

The event opens with a screening of artist Aoife Desmond’s new film, WE HONOUR, WE LAMENT (2025). The film was made as part of the art project RIVER GUARDIANS, a collaboration with a river and community. Beautifully shot on 16mm, the film documents collective actions on the Bandon River from Imbolg to Lughnasa, as community living on the banks of the river attempt to restore care for the water system. Through a series of collaborative seasonal engagements, from tree planting, feasting, storytelling and dancing, the local community contemplates their concerns for the river.

A newly commissioned artwork by artist Marielle MacLeman will be presented in the event space. MacLeman’s work considers human impact on the natural environment, often using reclaimed materials and natural dyes to invite viewers to reflect on their relationship with the natural world. Somewhere between celebration and commemoration, her new commission is imbued with a feeling of hope in a time that can often feel hopeless in the face of climate calamity. An exploration of nature and architectural space; these spatial arrangements will create a dialogue between the natural and the manmade, commenting on the fragility of ecosystems.  

A panel discussion moderated by Aoife McCloughlin brings together artistic and academic voices to reflect on concerns between art and the vulnerability of ecology. Aoife Desmond and Marielle MacLeman will discuss their practices and shared lines of enquiry around in relation to care for ecosystems. Joining them in this discussion will be Gareth Kennedy, Course Coordinator on the Art and Ecology programme in the NCAD Field- a site where art and design students engage with critical ecological thought and action. Bringing knowledge from her ongoing research into understanding the science of climate change and biodiversity loss, Professor Jennifer McElwain, Head of Botany at Trinity College Dublin, will join the discussion.  

The event opens with a screening of artist Aoife Desmond’s new film, WE HONOUR, WE LAMENT (2025). The film was made as part of the art project RIVER GUARDIANS, a collaboration with a river and community. Beautifully shot on 16mm, the film documents collective actions on the Bandon River from Imbolg to Lughnasa, as community living on the banks of the river attempt to restore care for the water system. Through a series of collaborative seasonal engagements, from tree planting, feasting, storytelling and dancing, the local community contemplates their concerns for the river.

A newly commissioned artwork by artist Marielle MacLeman will be presented in the event space. MacLeman’s work considers human impact on the natural environment, often using reclaimed materials and natural dyes to invite viewers to reflect on their relationship with the natural world. Somewhere between celebration and commemoration, her new commission is imbued with a feeling of hope in a time that can often feel hopeless in the face of climate calamity. An exploration of nature and architectural space; these spatial arrangements will create a dialogue between the natural and the manmade, commenting on the fragility of ecosystems.  

A panel discussion moderated by Aoife McCloughlin brings together artistic and academic voices to reflect on concerns between art and the vulnerability of ecology. Aoife Desmond and Marielle MacLeman will discuss their practices and shared lines of enquiry around in relation to care for ecosystems. Joining them in this discussion will be Gareth Kennedy, Course Coordinator on the Art and Ecology programme in the NCAD Field- a site where art and design students engage with critical ecological thought and action. Bringing knowledge from her ongoing research into understanding the science of climate change and biodiversity loss, Professor Jennifer McElwain, Head of Botany at Trinity College Dublin, will join the discussion.  

Reclaiming Nature aims to generate discussion around the complex relationship between humans and the natural world, exploring the points where ecology, art and community intertwine.  

Programme Schedule

14:00 – 14:15 | Welcome

Welcome by Dr Georgina Jackson, Dr Sven Anderson, Provost Dr Linda Doyle, followed by an introduction by Provost’s Fellow in Curating, Aoife McCloughlin.

14:15 – 15:00 | Film Screening

Aoife Desmond, WE HONOUR, WE LAMENT (2025), 45 minutes

15:00 – 15:15 | Break

15:15 – 16:00 | Panel Discussion, Q&A

Speakers Aoife Desmond (Artist), Gareth Kennedy (Lecturer in Sculpture and Expanded Practice at NCAD), Marielle MacLeman (Artist), and Professor Jennifer McElwain (Professor of Botany at Trinity College Dublin). Moderated by Aoife McCloughlin.

13:30 – 16:30 | Artwork

Marielle MacLeman, Wake, silk, natural dyes and inks, starch, 2026. Site-specific installation.