On a research trip to China, in 2024 I came upon an unfamiliar and unexpected scene. At the 108 Pagodas, tourist site, I sat to rest and noticed rabbits in a cage nearby. I wrote a short poem:

two fat bunnies

on a swing

they don’t know

that they live

at a world heritage site

Afterwards I used an app to translate it to simplified Chinese. I then copied this into my book. I used the app again to check if I had written it correctly. The app interpreted it as:

We live, Creating a slack in the world.

I propose to use this residency to develop an evolving, process-driven project exploring this phrase. Language, etymology, and translation are ongoing sources of fascination for me. These interests guide my art-making, allowing me to explore how words and meanings shift across contexts, revealing layers of shared human experience. I will us the library at Cultúrlann and engage in the established conversation circles to translate the phrase and find the origins of them in an attempt to create deeper meaning and to generate live performance work that relates to the notion of slack, the architecture of the space, and the beauty of language.

Bio:

Rebecca Strain is a visual artist based in the north west of Ireland. She holds an MA in Fine Art from Arts University College Bournemouth and a BA (Hons) in Textile Craft from the University of Huddersfield. Her work, which she describes as “Performative Occupations,” explores the intersection of space, time, and action.

Since 2012, Rebecca has been an active member of Bbeyond Derry Branch (BBDB), contributing to weekly collective outdoor performances and fostering community engagement in public art. She is a member of Live Art Ireland and Bbeyond. Her solo exhibitions include Droichead Idir Aoiseanna, Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich 2026, Wrapping Up with Free Starring, Artlink 2016 and Veri Higi Pisrad, Bradford 2010. She has undertaken residencies at Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Live Art Ireland, PS Squared, Belfast, Arts and Trinity Leeds, and Polymer Culture Factory, Estonia.

Rebecca’s performances have been featured in festivals across Europe, including CQAF in Belfast, PODO Festival in Berlin, and Performance Art Bergen in Norway. She is a recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 Agility Award and 2026 Artist Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland.

 www.rebeccastrain.com

 

This residency is in collaboration with Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin and it is produced in the context of HEARTLANDS, Art Arcadia’s nomadic programme of residencies and social practices developed in collaboration with local organisations, businesses, and community groups.

 

Art Arcadia HEARTLANDS is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.