Athlone exhibition explores the idea of fallowness
A new exhibition opens at Luan Gallery today (Wednesday). Named 'Allow to Fallow, Allow to Fall Low', visual artist Fiona Kelly's solo showcase is a mixed media installation of newly commissioned work
Kelly, who is from Westmeath and works and lives in Cork holds a MA from Crawford College of Art & Design and is a PhD candidate at NCAD, Dublin (2021-2027) investigating fallowness as a necessary action to navigate an epoch of urgency and overproduction. She was the winner of the Westmeath Artists Award 2023, a collaborative initiative between Luan Gallery and Westmeath Arts Office to support the professional development of Westmeath Artists. A solo exhibition in Luan Gallery forms part of the Award prize.
Centring on the concept of fallowness, the exhibition considers the value of stillness as both a method and a form of resistance, questioning expectations of constant artistic production in an age defined by urgency.
It explores how spaces of pause and contemplation might be reintroduced within contemporary practice, foregrounding the potential of strategic dormancy as a generative condition.Working across a mixed-media installation encompassing sculpture, print, and video, Kelly examines the theorem of fallowness through three distinct yet interconnected sites: the Long Hill Esker—an ancient landform shaped during the last Ice Age; GannonEco, a waste-repurposing plant operating within a disused quarry along the razed esker complex; and the artist’s studio.
Together, these sites trace a movement between geological time, industrial intervention, and intimate creative space, positioning fallowness as a condition that operates across ecological, material, and artistic registers.
A programme of accompanying events will take place during the run of the exhibition, including guided tours on Culture Night, Friday September 18, and an artist’s talk between Fiona and Dr Declan Long, Head of Doctoral Studies & Co-Director: MA/MFA Art in the Contemporary World at National College of Art & Design, Dublin on Saturday 3 October. Information on the exhibition and upcoming events can be found at luangallery.ie and on Luan Gallery’s social channels. The exhibition and outreach events are supported by the Arts Council.
Allow to Fallow, Allow to Fall Low continues until Sunday, November 15. Luan Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and from 12 pm to 5 pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Admission to the gallery is free, and guided tours are accessible to all but require advance booking.
The exhibition opening reception takes place on Saturday, September 12, at 3pm, with guest speakers Dr Declan Long, Head of Doctoral Studies & Co-Director, MA/MFA Art in the Contemporary World, at the National College of Art & Design, Dublin, and Laura McCormack, Communications & Engagement Coordinator, Westmeath Arts Office. All are welcome to attend.