about softday
Since 1999 Softday, the art-science collaboration of artist Sean Taylor and computer scientist Mikael Fernström, have engaged with issues relating to natural cycles in time, climate change and its global effects.
Early projects such as Bliain Le Baisteach (A Year of Rainfall) (2000) looked at fluctuating annual rainfall patterns in Ireland. Further, Cóisir an Tsionainn (The Shannon Suite) (2003) focused on the four-year life cycle of the wild Atlantic salmon and the effects of overfishing and pollution on the species ability to survive. Projects such as Nobody leaves till the Daphnia sing (2009) examined the implications of contaminated domestic drinking water supplies in Galway and West Limerick. Most recently the Marbh Chrois (Dead Zone) (2010) project addressed the impact of two ‘contested’ marine dead zones as a key stressor on marine ecosystems in Donegal, Ireland. In 2011 Softday were selected as one of the winning entries to the prestigious project EUROPE – A SOUND PANORAMA, in Karlsruhe, Germany. The Karlsruhe live concert will be recorded by Deutschlandradio Kultur and distributed to all European radio stations.
As a collaborative team they use their arts practice to explore relations to and understandings of nature, expressed through sonifications and multimedia artworks and performances.
Both artists are interested in exploring the cracks between various media and creative genres such as expanded theatre, sound art, socially engaged practice, sculpture, music, dance and the application of new technologies.
Photo courtesy of Patricia Klich
selected softday multimedia exhibitions
2011 Re-mediating Joris Ivens, Corona Cork Film Festival 2011, Ireland.
2011 Europe - A Sound Panorama, Karlsruhe, Germany
2011 RMX, Salon des Amateurs, Düsseldorf, Germany
2011 Carbonation, Galway Jazz Festival, Galway, Ireland
2011 As Baile – Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland.
2011 RAFLOST 2011, Icelandic Festival of Electronic Music, Reykjavik, Iceland.
2011 POOLED, Just Listen, Cork, Ireland.
2011 Pure Data Mini-Com, Boydell Recital Room, Trinity College, Dublin
2011 Contemporary Music Centre, Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin
2010 Boundary Work1, Wandesford Quay Gallery, Cork
2010 Marbh Chrois (Dead Zone) Lovely Weather Artists Residencies-Ireland, Co. Donegal, Ireland
2010 Sonic Vigil V, St.Finbarr’s Cathedral, Cork, Ireland.
2009 Zeppelin 2009 Sounds of Power / Listening of Fear, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Spain
2009 INFECTIOUS- Stay Away, Science Gallery, Trinity College, Dublin.
2008 MERGE VISUAL, Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon, Georgia, USA
2008 DEAF, Dublin Electronic Arts Festival, Dublin
2005 Eist, Sound Art group exhibition, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick
2005 TXTULTR, Interactive Public Art commission for RTE Lyric FM, Limerick
2004 6x6 for Ireland II, 411 Gallery, Hangzhou City, China.
2003 Common Ground – with Michael O’Suilleabhain, ‘SIONNA’ European Festival of World Music, Limerick
2002 Coisir an Tsionann (The Shannon Suite) - Ardnacrusha Power Station, Co.Clare, Live Webcast Performance.
2000 Bliain le Báisteach – A Year of Rain, Irish Pavilion, World Expo 2000, Hannover, Germany, University of Limerick Concert Hall, Limerick.
selected softday multimedia awards
2011 The Goethe-Institute of Belgrade, Deutschlandradio Kultur, Radio Belgrade, the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) Ars Acustica Group, the Institute for Music and Sound at the Centre for Art and Media Technology in Karlsruhe (ZKM) Germany, Award.
2010 Donegal County Council Arts Office Per Cent for Art Award
2005 RTE Lyric FM funding for ‘TXTULTR’
2001 Arts Council Project Funding for ‘Coisir an Tsionann’
2000 Arts Council of Ireland, Interdisciplinary Collaboration Award
current employments
Sean Taylor: Lecturer, Sculpture & Combined Media Department, Limerick School of Art and Design, Limerick
Mikael Fernström: Lecturer, Interaction Design Centre, University of Limerick