IMMA presents Reverse Migration, a Poetic Journey, the first solo exhibition in Ireland by internationally renowned artist, poet, and activist Cecilia Vicuña. This ground breaking presentation delves into themes of ancestry, ecological urgency, and the interconnectedness of humanity, inspired by Vicuña’s discovery of her ancient ties to Ireland and the poetic resonance of her return journey from the Andes to Ireland.
The exhibition draws on Vicuña’s 2006 visit to Ireland, during which she and her partner, poet James O’Hern, honoured Ireland’s archaeological sites with rituals of gratitude. This connection becomes a narrative thread within the exhibition, intertwining personal memory, indigenous traditions, and a dialogue with Irish heritage. Vicuña, whose multidisciplinary practice bridges visual art, poetry, sound, and performance, transforms IMMA’s galleries with a dynamic suite of new works. Central to the exhibition is a site-specific quipu—an ancient Andean system of communication using knotted cords— created with the participating of local makers, the commission is a refence to the design of Aran sweater that is thought to be symbolic of nature, the sea and the lives of the fisherman and Islanders.
At IMMA, Vicuña’s quipu installation becomes a monumental meditation on survival and transformation. Her work suggests the urgent need for collective action in the face of global crises, transforming the ancient quipu into a vessel for contemporary ecological and political discourse.
Sound and poetry are integral to Vicuña’s artistic language. For Reverse Migration, the artist will create a collaborative vocal work with a local performer, presenting an a cappella piece that embodies the oral traditions of indigenous cultures. Vicuña’s soundscapes resonate with her visual works, blending spoken word, chanting, and natural sounds into immersive experiences that traverse cultural and temporal boundaries.
Her improvisatory performances transform poetry into a participatory act, echoing the fluid and non-linear structure of her quipus. Vicuña Explores sound as a binding thread between people and histories, mirroring the themes of interconnection and fragility found throughout her practice.
Vicuña’s precarious poetic practice is inseparable from her visual and sonic explorations. Her fragmented, metaphor-rich verses reflect themes of displacement, environmental destruction, and cultural survival. Her poetry, like her quipus, invites an active engagement, weaving a narrative that is as evocative as it is open-ended.
Through her innovative synthesis of visual art, sound, and poetry, Cecilia Vicuña offers a deeply moving reflection on the interwoven histories of humanity and nature. Reverse Migration, a Poetic Journey challenges us to listen to silenced voices, honour ancient wisdom, and reimagine our relationship with the earth in a time of urgent transformation.
An artists’ book, Mapping the Silence, by Cecilia Viuña and James O’Hern, has been co-published by IMMA and Distance No Object to mark the exhibition and will be available to purchase from the IMMA Shop.