‘The Tower’, is a new work by artist Jesse Jones, and the third exhibition in the Magdalene Series at Rua Red, curated by Maolíosa Boyle opened at Rua Red on the 27th of May.
Based on the writings of medieval female Christian mystics, ‘The Tower’ explores the women who were burned as heretics even before the first witch trials in the 15th century. For this new work Jones collaborates with Rua Red dancers in residence Junk Ensemble, and a cast which includes actors Olwen Fouéré, Naomi Moonveld-Nkosi and a young choir of performers. ‘The Tower’ turns to the figure of the mystic and the heretic and asks: ‘Who came before the witches?’. By delving into the lost knowledge of women’s devotional and ecstatic visions such Hildegarde af Bingen, Marguerite Porete and Mechthild of Magdeburg, Jones evokes these shared unconscious imaginaries and their radical potential.
Jesse Jones’ new film installation is the second part in a trilogy beginning with ‘Tremble Tremble’, which was commissioned for the Irish Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. “In Europe, they say, ‘We are the great-great granddaughters of the women you tried to kill in the witch trials,’ and in Ireland, we say ‘We are the the daughters and granddaughters of the women you tried to incarcerate and surpress”– Jesse Jones
Featuring: Olwen Fouéré, Emily Kilkenny Roddy, Naomi Moonveld-Nkosi, Ava Richards, Síofra Kildee-Doolan, Rosie Phipps O’Neill, Amy Sheil, Aedín Ferguson, Saoirse McSharry, and Blathnaid Doyle Fox.
Pictured: Naomi Moonveld-Nkosi for The Tower by Jesse Jones. Photography by Marion Bergin.
