Sarah Mai Kavanagh
she/her
Tá Tú Anseo (You Are Here)
Sarah Mai Kavanagh is a visual artist from Roscommon. 'Tá Tú Anseo - (You Are Here)' is a work that attempts to challenge authority and assumptions embedded within commemorative systems.
Kavanagh’s work is a critique of who is selected to be ‘honoured’ or remembered within a society. The work mimics a solid plinth; historically used to elevate individuals deemed worthy of public remembrance. The stone-like exterior connotes permanence, reverence, and colonial imposition. The interior is an inverted set-like construction, which distorts the reflection of the viewer and their environment. This speaks to how this practice impacts and shapes our understanding of cultural memory, reinforcing hierarchical value systems.
Her work aims to challenge the traditional monument and disrupt the narrative of the plinth. The direct, seemingly innocuous title of the work acts as a subtle subversion; it quietly asserts the presence of the viewer - within a system that often excludes.
Unveiling ceremony
Cutting the ribbon