Cecilia Vicuña‘s solo exhibition, ‘Reverse Migration: A Poetic Journey’, is the first show in Ireland by the renowned artist, poet and activist. For this exhibition at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Vicuña delves into themes of ancestry, ecological urgency, and the interconnectedness of humanity, inspired by the discovery of her ancient ties to Ireland.
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Katarina Hruskova, of WoolStore Ireland, assisted the artist in preparing the wool used in the creation of the installation, titled ‘Aran Quipu’.
Photos of the Piece, ‘Aran Quipu’
In her Co Galway workshop, Katarina washed and carded 50 kilograms of wool, which she purchased from the Galway Wool Co-op at their annual Meitheal. Then she needle-felted the clean fibre by hand into 50 strips, each 5.5 metres long. As Cecilia Vicuña wanted the strips to be very fluffy, hand needle felting was the method. Altogether, it came to 275 metres of Galway wool. The entire process from start (washing) to finish took Katarina 6-7 weeks to complete.
Needle Felting
At IMMA, the long strips were then mounted, with assistance from other Irish artists, in a large hall.
Katarina said that at the opening, visitors were encouraged to walk between the strips. Editor’s Note: On a recent visit, a museum attendant encouraged attendees to touch a sample of needle-felted Galway Wool.
In addition to the installation incorporating Irish wool, the exhibition includes other installations featuring natural materials such as plants and shells, along with paintings, drawings, and sound art by Vicuña.
The exhibition runs until the 5th of July, 2026.
Where: IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Military Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 FW31
For more information about Cecilia Vicuna’s exhibition, visit the IMMA’s website – https://imma.ie/whats-on/cecilia-vicuna/
To purchase cleaned and carded Galway wool fibre (and those from other Irish-raised breeds), visit Katarina’s website – https://www.woolstore.ie/
Katarina’s Instagram: @woolstoreireland
Feltmakers Ireland 