Bound

During the process of Normalisation in Northern Ireland, I photographed the roads that dissect the Northern Irish/ Irish border, many of which were impassable between 1978 and 2005. At that time my project showed empowering images of the newly opened roads, connecting the country and leading to a brighter future. The photographs depicted an alteration that was far reaching. Though a relatively small physical change, it was a monumental one in the everyday lives of the population. Permanent vehicle checkpoints were removed and free movement between North and South was permitted.

Bound revisits the Irish the border as in our current climate, the hope and empowerment these photographs referenced is under threat and tainted. With Britain’s recent BREXIT vote the Northern Irish / Irish border is once again on the international stage. This newly found free movement has been pulled into question and plans of how the border will look and operate are uncertain. Bound documents these roads creating both a legacy to their open state and a record to the apprehension of their future. Bound aims to capture the tension and precarious nature these connection routes embody.

The photographs are presented over 499 frames, representing the Irish Borders 499km length. A recording made from the A1/ N1 accompanies these images to juxtapose and animate further this liminal space.