HomeEventsTULCA presents: Performance: The Leviathan of Parsonstown | Stuart Whipps
2nd November | 16:00 - 17:00

TULCA presents: Performance: The Leviathan of Parsonstown | Stuart Whipps

Birmingham-based artist Stuart Whipps’ new performance and installation, The Leviathan of Parsonstown, shares its title with the name given to the historic telescope that sits in the ornate grounds of Birr Castle in Offaly. Built in 1845, it remained the largest telescope in the world for seventy-two years, drawing visitors to see the previously unknown spirals of faraway galaxies. Its creation was driven by intense curiosity and the tremendous personal wealth of the wife of its patron, William Parsons. Whipps points out the materials that made one of Ireland’s greatest scientific wonders possible: ‘Parsons saw the potential in using speculum metal, an alloy made from copper and tin, as the material for the reflective mirror – in order to learn about the stars above our heads, we must first extract metals from the rocks and mud that sit beneath our feet.’

Continued research for Whipps has led to the James Mitchell Geology Museum, founded in 1852 at the University of Galway with thousands of rock, mineral, and fossil specimens, along with the remains of a larger natural history museum once on campus. Still appearing as a nineteenth- century room with few modern updates, it is referred to by many as a ‘museum of a museum’. Given full access to the collection throughout 2024, Whipps has worked closely with the site, artefacts and the generosity, endless knowledge and enthusiasm of curator John Murray, teasing out a new performance artwork and a subtle rearrangement of objects and labelling in the museum.

Image: A Foot, A Mouth, A Hundred Billion Stars, Lapworth Museum of Geology, 2023. Photo Katja Ogrin

Event Date
2nd November 2024 - 2nd November 2024
Event Time
16:00 - 17:00
Event Category
Art
Venue
University of Galway Quadrangle
Location
Newcastle
Event Address
University of Galway,
University Road,
,
Galway
View Map
Ticket Price
free
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