BASIC TALKS ~ Christopher Steenson ~ December 2025, TU Dublin

1.15pm, 5/12/2025

TU Dublin, Grangegorman Campus, Dublin 7

Photo credit: Laura Fitzgerald

Basic Space is delighted to present Christopher Steenson for our December BASIC TALK - 1.15pm on Friday the 5th of December 2025, TU Dublin, Grangegorman Campus, D7.

Following time as a researcher and PhD candidate in psychology and movement science, Christopher Steenson began his artistic practice in 2017. Since then, his work has been presented by The MAC, Belfast (2024); Freelands Foundation, London (2024); LAVA, Mexico City (2024); Flat Time House, London, United Kingdom (2023); VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art (2022); TULCA Festival of Visual Arts: The World Was All Before Them (2022), curated by Clare Gormley; Pallas Projects/Studios, Dublin, Ireland (2022); Project DivFuse, London, United Kingdom (2022); Sonorities sound biennale (2022); CCA Derry~Londonderry (2021), curated by Locky Morris and Catherine Hemelryk; Radiophrenia (2020).

 Steenson has participated on several residencies including: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, USA (2023); Flat Time House, London, United Kingdom (2023); Interface, Connemara, Ireland (2022); Cow House Studios, Wexford, Ireland (2022); Sounding Paths, Syros, Greece (2019). He was part of the fourth and final cohort participating in the PS² Freelands Artist Programme (2022–2023).

 Steenson’s On Chorus (2020) was a national public sound artwork, developed in collaboration with Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail, BirdWatch Ireland, which used a national network of train station PA systems to broadcast birdsong across Ireland. On Chorus won a Business to Arts Award in April 2021, and now exists as an artist LP. His artwork Soft Rains Will Come (2022) is an ever-changing broadcast installation, that was exhibited at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art. This work has been discussed by writers such as David Toop and Ian Maleney and a publication for the artwork, designed by Or Studio, was released in May 2022. Soft Rains Will Come is now part of the Arts Council of Ireland Collection.

 In 2022, Steenson began a collaborative research project with Ormston House, titled Crex crex, crex crex, crex.... that connected artists and field experts (i.e. conservationists and farmers) to learn about the corncrake and its place in Ireland’s cultural heritage. This research culminated with a series of artworks, collectively titled The Long Grass, which were presented in the exhibition ‘The Sky is Falling!’ at Ormston House, Limerick (2024). The slide projection component of this work has also been presented at the Freelands Foundation, London; and The MAC, Belfast (both 2024). A new presentation of this body of work is planned for mother’s tankstation, Dublin, in October 2025. After this, the work will be shown as part of New Contemporaries in the UK at South London Gallery (January 2026) and MIMA, Middlesbrough (May 2026).

 From November 2024 – August 2025, Steenson has been working as Studio Artist-in-Residence at Galway Arts Centre for ‘The Air We Share’ project. Working with scientists at University of Galway and community members at the Westside Resource Centre, this project seeks to explore shared issues of breath and air quality through a series of workshops and interventions. The project will culminate with a multi-faceted sound installation, titled Where Does the Body End?, at Galway Arts Centre in August 2025.

https://christophersteenson.com/

BASIC TALKS is a series of informal talks with leading contemporary practitioners. Curated by Basic Space in partnership with the Hugh Lane Gallery, BASIC TALKS is an open platform for lectures, workshops, presentations and performances. Speakers include artists, curators, writers and critics who generate discourse on producing, framing and exhibiting art.

For the months of November, December 2025 and January 2026, Hugh Lane Gallery & Basic Talks are delighted to have the Basic Talks programme hosted by the TU Dublin School of Art & Design, Grangegorman, Dublin 7.

This talk is presented as part of the HLG Explore & Learn offsite programmes during the Gallery’s period of temporary closure. 

How to get to TU Dublin:

TU Dublin School of Art and Design is located in the East Quad building, Grangegorman campus, Dublin 7 (D07 XFF2).

The talk will be held in room EQ-203 located on the second floor and is directly opposite the main lifts - you can also use the maze map to find room EQ-203.

 The building is served well by public transport with both the Luas Red Line (Smithfield stop)  and the Luas Green line (Broadstone stop) close by. https://www.luas.ie/ . Further information about getting to our campus can be found here: Grangegorman | Getting Here | TU Dublin