Synesthesia Sat took place in August of 2007 at Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival. The project consisted of a group of nineteen artists, the majority were Irish though others hailed from as far as New Zealand, The Czech Republic and England.Their work was dispersed through five venues in Birr Co. Offaly including a Masonic Lodge, Birr Castle and The Birr Union Workhouse. These spaces accommodated a diverse body of practice including installation, video, sound, drawing, performance, painting and sculptural pieces. The main hub of activity was Birr Union Workhouse, though this was only one of the various spaces that were generously lent for the duration of the festival. This was the first time that BVW&AF had experimented with an open submission and invited format, it was also their first time employing an official curator.

The 'Synesthesia' of the title relates to the evocation of one kind of sense impression when another sense is stimulated, a basic example would be the sensation of colour when a sound is heard. There are documented cases of individuals known as 'synesthetes', who experience certain tastes or smells in relation to names or numbers. It also references phenomena that occur on the periphery of our senses, moments that disturb our existence, unnamed awareness existing in an elusive context.
The use of this open interpretive deliberately avoided a definite thematic allowing for experimentation by a group of artists well suited to developing methodologies in unfettered situations and referred more to the interrelation of all the senses employed within the experience and contemplation of their individual practices. Whatever was formed, discussed and delivered would construct the exhibitions final significance.

Karl Burke

Fergus Byrne

Rhona Byrne

Carol Anne Connolly

Caroline Conway

Mark Cullen

Jeremy Deadman

Mark Garry

Diane Henshaw

Artists:

Karl Burke
Fergus Byrne
Rhona Byrne
Carol Anne Connolly
Caroline Conway
Mark Cullen
Jeremy Deadman
Mark Garry
Diane Henshaw
Jesse Jones
Slavek Kwi
Susan MacWilliam
Kate Minnock
Patrick Murphy
Seamus Nolan
Sascha Perfect
Sonia Shiel
Juliana Walters

Jesse Jones

Slavek Kwi

April Linsey

Susan MacWilliam

Kate Minnock

Patrick Murphy

Seamus Nolan

Sascha Perfect

Sonia Shiel

Juliana Walters