Bed and Soil

Bed and Soil is a new art intervention in the Ulster Museum staged by Irish artist, Hannah Casey-Brogan. 

The large-scale collage directly responds to botanical specimens from the Ulster Museum collection, which are now extinct from the shores of Lough Neagh. As the largest lake in Britain and Ireland, Lough Neagh is a vital source of drinking water for Northern Ireland. However, Lough Neagh’s once rich biodiversity is under threat from blue-green algae blooms caused by nutrient pollution, climate pressures, and invasive species.

Casey-Brogan imagines Lough Neagh as a site of both damage and resilience: strange lifeforms stir in cyanobacteria, alien species bloom, and the air is thick with effervescent toxins. The piece reflects on the long-term effects of colonisation, land ownership, and unregulated agriculture. Using a palette of both visually appealing and unappealing colours, Bed and Soil invites viewers to consider environmental harm alongside the possibility of renewal, acting as both a warning and a gesture of hope.

The Ulster Museum regularly invites artists to create new artworks in response to its Collections. Hannah Casey-Brogan joins previous artists, such as Mary McIntyre and Anushiya Sundaralingam, in participating in our programme of artist interventions.

You can find this display on Level 5 of the Ulster Museum.