Photo credit: Richard Long 2020
Featured artists: Aisling Dunne, Ceara Conway, Darran McGlynn, Katherine Sankey, Luke Casserly, Naomi Draper, Richard Long, Thomas Brezing
You cannot step into the same river twice
Heraclitus. Fragments. Penguin Classics, 2001.
The concept of walking as an art form offers profound insights into our relationship with nature and the world around us, serving as a medium for reflection on how we interact with our environment. Richard Long’s This Too Will Pass—the title of both his textwork, image and exhibition—speaks to the impermanence and transient nature of all things. The title evokes the idea that everything, no matter how persistent or overwhelming, is temporary. This exhibition invites us to consider our place within the natural world and the ongoing processes that shape it. Long’s walks across landscapes, his interactions with nature, and his use of words like “walking days” highlight the idea that change is inherent in both the Earth and in ourselves due to the ephemeral nature of existence.
This exhibition explores these themes of impermanence and change through the use of decaying materials, reflecting the ongoing transformation of nature and the cycles that drive it. In Irish tradition, the proverb Bíonn siúlach scéalach, meaning “a walk is a story,” reinforces the idea that walking is not just movement, but a narrative unfolding with every step. Walking, then, becomes a metaphor for the journey of life itself, where each path taken reveals new stories and insights about the world and ourselves. The use of materials that decay or transform over time mirrors the cycles of life and death inherent in nature, urging us to reflect on the fragility and resilience of the environment.
This Too Will Pass serves as a poignant reminder of this philosophy, asking us to contemplate the passage of time and the cycles of nature. The title itself—suggesting that both hardship and beauty are fleeting—invites us to embrace the impermanence of life. Through the artists’ works, we are invited to walk with the Earth, not as conquerors, but as part of an ever-changing ecosystem that requires mindfulness, respect, and care.
In the context of sustainability, the featured artworks become powerful metaphors for our current environmental challenges. As we face climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss, it is critical to recognise that these issues, though urgent, are part of the Earth’s ongoing transformation. Sustainability requires us to acknowledge the flow of the planet’s natural systems and adapt our ways of living in response. The message of the exhibition encourages us to act with a sense of urgency, while also recognising that change is a natural part of the cycle of life. We must learn to live within the rhythm of the Earth, understanding that our actions today will shape the world of tomorrow. Or, as Donna Haraway might suggest, we must “stay with the trouble” and engage in “making kin” in a way that fosters a more interconnected and sustainable future.
Art, as exemplified by the artists, becomes a medium through which we can engage with these ideas. This exhibition offers a space for reflection on our connection to nature and the impermanence of all things. Through art, we can reimagine our place in the world and consider the hopeful solutions that might emerge from a deepened awareness of the flow of life. By walking with the Earth and embracing the transient nature of all things, we might find a renewed sense of responsibility and urgency, forging a path toward a more sustainable, harmonious future for the Earth.
Interface Inagh, Connemara, Ireland
Dates: 14th – 27th July 2025
Opening Reception: 12th July, 5pm
Location: Interface Inagh, Connemara, Co. Galway, Ireland
