An Xray in Naas Hospital at the beginning of March, prompted me to look for my medical records from 2014. This week, I received a very large file, copies of those 2014 medical records. My memories of 21st February 2014 are so vague, many of them patched together from the stories I heard after. It was very disconcerting to read how ill I was but also that I had an ability to communicate that I cannot remember. The only memory I have is that of pain and my difficulty with breathing which luckily made me call on neighbours’ help.
So BREATHING was very much on my mind when I visited IMMA and saw the Take a Breath exhibition.
Take a Breath is a major exhibition that provides an historical, social, political, and personal examination of breathing – why we breathe, how we breathe and what we breathe – exploring themes of decolonisation, environmental racism, indigenous language, the Impact of war on the environment and breath as meditation.
Taking as its starting point the nature of breath and its vital role in our very existence, the exhibition reflects on the social, political, environmental, and spiritual aspect of breathing, tracking this vital act from the impact of post-industrial air pollution to modern-day wars and the effect on environment, health and how we live; to the suppression of protests of voices from different communities, where breath is a symbol of community and resistance; and the use of breath as personal meditation.
