Breda Burns
Breda Burns is an audio/visual artist based in Westport, working in a variety of media and interdisciplinary projects with narratives and layers that reveal themselves in different ways. She continues to be involved in socially engaged practice frequently by combining sound, video, performances, alongside large-scale visuals in order to express concerns and document our contemporary society. This feels more pertinent than ever in these challenging times.
I would like to develop a series of ‘artists talking to artists’ interviews, about their practice and how they see themselves navigating a future during Covid-19 and how they envision their practice and the art world moving forward. These will be produced for radio broadcast, podcast, and sound art. A key element of this project will be how to develop and research different ways to present audio. It would be interesting to search for new and unusual locations around Mayo to present sound work. Radio and podcasts bring an intimacy that is unique and have gained new audiences recently so a project with artists voices seems timely. I think it is hard to see the familiar in new ways, the silence of lockdown afforded a contemplative space to stop listen and look. The commission will allow time, space, and finances to fully engage with developing this work. I would like to bring the proposed new series of artists voices to a wider audience locally and nationally. Having worked with Mayo Co Council Arts Service in the past I know the value of working together with them in bringing projects to fruition.
Her introduction of audio, to her practice evolved directly from broadcasting experience. For five years Breda and artist colleague Gráinne O’Reilly researched, presented and produced ‘The Arts Show West’ on Westport Radio. They interviewed over 400 local, national and international artists from all genres and at various stages of their careers. This led to an ongoing series of audio / visual art projects
In 2017 she received the ‘Bealtaine Artist Award’ with Mayo and Sligo Art Offices. and developed ‘Archiving Activism’ curated by Linda Shevlin with Sligo and Mayo Arts Offices.
Recent Solo exhibitions include ‘Fractured Edge’, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo. ‘Counterflow-Re-IMAGINE’, The Luan Gallery, Athlone. Here Goes…’, The Green Fuse Gallery, Westport. ‘Archiving Activism’, The Model Arts Centre. Sligo and Áras Inis Gluaire, Bellmullet. ‘Between Tides and Peripheries’. Claremorris Gallery. Breda has exhibited widely in group shows recently including ‘Straight out of Ireland’, Philadelphia USA, ‘Connect’, Interface, Inagh Valley, Galway and ‘Eva Gore Booth’, Irish Museum of literature, Dublin.
Recent residencies and awards include Visual Arts Bursary Award from the Arts Council of Ireland, AIR-ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Krems, Austria, For detailed artist C.V and information of previous work visit: