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Subject
Alternative Arrangements: A Topography Along and Across the Irish Borderlands
First and second supervisors听
Abstract
This thesis asks how architectures and landscapes of the Irish borderlands tell the stories of its pasts and presents. It draws out and responds to 鈥減olysituated鈥� (Kinsella, 2017) sites and histories of the contested border on the island of Ireland through a method of 鈥榓lternative arrangement鈥� as a form of 鈥渃ritical spatial practice鈥� (Rendell, 2003). It tests and argues for a 鈥榯opographic practice鈥� that uses architectural and landscape historiography as a form of artistic output; one that employs 鈥渂ordering practices鈥� (Hafeda, 2019) to break down the binary of the border.
The contested border on the island of Ireland runs 500 kilometres from Lough Foyle to the Irish Sea and has divided the six counties in the north from what is now the Republic since 1921. This research produces an alternative reading at a critical juncture: on the centenary of Partition and as the UK leaves the European Union. While the Brady Amendment of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 called for 鈥渁lternative arrangements鈥� (HC Deb 29 January 2019) to the so-called 鈥業rish backstop,鈥� this thesis shifts the emphasis from 鈥榓lternative arrangements鈥� for goods and services to making 鈥榓lternative arrangements鈥� of contested historical, material, and spatial 鈥渇ragments鈥� (Benjamin, 1940), and their operations as 鈥渟ites鈥� and 鈥渘on-sites鈥� (Smithson, 1968).
The thesis consists of three journeys along and across the borderland: a drive, a walk, and an itinerant 鈥榟edge school鈥�. This methodology extends other forms of 鈥渁ltering practice鈥� (Petrescu, 2007), valuing both official and unofficial forms of knowledge production as a 鈥減olyphonic鈥� (Alexievich, 2016) approach to writing and responding to histories. Through photography, mapping, performance, installation, and more, these journeys navigate the past in the present creating three sets of 鈥榓lternative arrangements;鈥� in doing so reconfiguring power dynamics of peripheral architectures, landscapes, and histories, and creating a space to imagine the island differently.
Biography
Tom Keeley (b. 1982) is an artist-historian based in An Sciobair铆n, Ireland. He uses artistic practices to write and rethink architectural histories. This research-led 鈥榯opographic practice鈥� generates site-specific outputs ranging from writing, printed matter and photography, to film, installation and performance. It studies the features of a place and goes beyond: asking how research methods, practices, and outcomes can also be site-specific.
His work has been exhibited internationally: Venice Architecture Biennale, Salone del Mobile Milano, Istanbul Design Biennial; published widely: Places Journal, The Architectural Review, MacGuffin, Domus; and is held in the collections of the National Art Library and the School of Architecture Library at Princeton University. He is a lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture, 香港六合彩中特网, and Cork Centre for Architectural Education.
Funding
London Arts and Humanities Partnership
听Image:听Keeley, T. (2022). Alternative Arrangement #4: Cla铆 na Muice Duibhe, Corr na P茅iste, Co. Mhuineach谩in (Black Pig鈥檚 Dyke, Cornapaste, Co. Monaghan).