The Bog Queen
The Bog Queen is an interactive digital realization of Seamus Heaney's 1975 poem of the same name that imagines the lore and violence around a woman preserved in Ireland's peat bog. This piece is an exploration of the history of these figures, who have been dated as old as 3000 BC, and a reckoning with the history of violence enacted on these bodies and how often that weight is lost when they become "archaeological artifacts. How do we navigate art that is grounded on violence enacted on women's bodies?
In this piece, I hoped to use poetry and space to bring this topic to the foreground. The viewer is placed in the environment and must navigate the space to uncover the clues leading to each stanza. This piece is also an exploration of accessibility. How can we make poetry, a medium too often reserved for cultural elite, available as an experience for wider audiences? How can we nuance the discussion of art and violence that challenges but also brings in viewers into that dialogue?
In this piece, I hoped to use poetry and space to bring this topic to the foreground. The viewer is placed in the environment and must navigate the space to uncover the clues leading to each stanza. This piece is also an exploration of accessibility. How can we make poetry, a medium too often reserved for cultural elite, available as an experience for wider audiences? How can we nuance the discussion of art and violence that challenges but also brings in viewers into that dialogue?
Made using Unity (C#) and Cinema 4d.