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Quantum Questions for Dummies - Solo Exhibition

This solo exhibition was curated by Marcel Hager and Howard McCaleb of DadaPost, Berlin, a venue exploring art as a tool to critique cultural and political frameworks.

It comprises an installation of sculptural and animated elements derived from research into contemporary cosmology and physics’ endeavours to understand the fabric of space-time. O'Beirn is interested in the dynamic between the creativity of theoretical speculation and the rigours of observation and proof.

o'Beirn's overarching research question focused on art and science, specifically on the politics of space, asking how scientific research can be likened to contemporary art practice. Both involve speculation and testing. Her work centred on exploring lay peoples’ attempts to understand contemporary scientific research on the fabric of the universe through her work with Armagh Observatory. In this O'Beirn is conscious of the work of Olafur Eliasson, Trevor Paglen, The Arts Catalyst and dOCUMENTA [13].

In Quantum Questions O'Beirn used folded acoustic foam to construct sculptural objects with seemingly infinite variables, referencing how space might be bent and distorted, non-Euclidian or might contain more than space-time’s familiar four dimensions.

Starting with readily available patterns for polygons, she extended the score of a fold line along the entire sheet of foam, thus creating a vast range of unpredictable folding possibilities that can never be replicated in subsequent reassembly. She utilised trial and error when manipulating materials, testing their physical properties and juxtaposed them with other materials.

Accompanying animations speculated about various actual and theoretical structures in the universe, featuring footage from Armagh Observatory’s Meteor Patrol cameras and the artist's own imagery, thus paralleling scientific research through artistic enquiry.