Launch of latest exhibition at An Lanntair

Mhairi Killin and Hugh Watt will present an installation combining sound, film and sculpture that explores the role and symbolism of the bell within the landscapes of Lewis and Iona.

Set against the wider context of the Reformation in Europe, the exhibition will coincide with two site-specific sound interventions which will play simultaneously in St. Oran’s chapel on Iona and St. Moluag’s chapel on Lewis.

The gallery installation will include sculptural bells cast from decommissioned World War 1 weapons and a specially commissioned sound work by composer Dr. John Purser of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

An Lanntair’s Head of Visual Arts and Literature Roddy Murray said “The exhibition is a symbolic reversal and annulment of an act of destruction via an act of creation.

“Among other things it references the Reformation and the Great War while reminding us that intolerance, radicalisation and attempts to obliterate the past, are not a thing of the past.

“We saw it recently in Palmyra, Syria, and earlier in the Buddhas of Bamiyam, Afghanistan. It’s a compelling, multi-layered exhibition across a range of media that extends beyond the gallery to sacred sites and the secular landscape.”

The artists commented that: “At the heart of Re-Soundings is the experience of a collaborative journey through the physical, cultural and spiritual terrains of Lewis and Iona.

“Working closely with the people most connected to these landscapes we have created a series of installations that speak not only to a local audience but also to a much wider audience, as the work references contemporary issues of iconoclasm, and the power of religious belief to alter a landscape”.

Mhairi Killin is a visual artist based on Iona. A graduate of Glasgow School of Art, her practice combines drawing, installation and sculpture in an exploration of the island landscapes.

Hugh Watt is a Northern Irish artist based in Glasgow, known for his evocative work in film and video.

For the last 10 years he has been visiting lecturer at Lews Castle College in North Uist.

A public opening with the artists will take place at An Lanntair on the 12th of May at 5pm when we will welcome the local community to the exhibition.

Pictured is the AdomnaÌn bell which is part of this new sound, film and sculpture exhibition.