SAMHLA. Gàidhlig n. masc. / sãũLə/ pl. ‑ichean

— English, meaning: 1. figure, sign, symbol 2. shape, form 3. allegory, metaphor 4. likeness, (re)semblance, simile 5. example 6. apparition, vision (spiritual)

Samhla (ATLAS Arts) was a research and exhibition project which took place across 5 locations in Skye and included a day of talks, walks, an outdoor installation, indoor exhibition, new moving image work and publication. For full details and thanks visit https://atlasarts.org.uk/programme/projects/samhla

Samhla installation 3/3, Staffin Dinosaur Museum, Isle of Skye

(private Vimeo link – please email me for access)

Moving image work featuring fossil samples scanned whilst on short term loan from Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre, Staffin Dinosaur Museum, and Dr Elsa Panciroli. These include an ammonite, small vertebrate, turtle carapace, and a sample yet to be identified. 3D print (on supports) of the void areas of ammonite fossil generated from scanning.

The video work soundscape includes ‘Uamh an Òir’ (Cave of Gold), a Gaelic song describing the legend of a piper who, along with his faithful dog enters the Cave of Gold never to return. In some versions of the story, the pipers’ music can be heard coming from the ground, gradually getting fainter. His dog emerges from the cave hairless, most likely after encountering the cave’s fearsome guardian – a green faery hound. Uamh an Òir is arranged and performed by Caleb Wilson, recorded by Richy Carey at èist sound, Cinnseaborg, set amongst a soundscape composed by both artists. Also included are excerpts from ‘Salagrana’, a composition by Sel Freund, made in response to the ammonite scan footage using a prepared piano for Samhla, 2024. These sound accompaniments were developed from the ‘Echo-onCE’ workshop with Lauren Gault, Dr Katharine Earnshaw and The School of Plural Futures, 2024.

XCT scanning performed by the National Research Facility for Lab X-ray CT (NXCT) at the µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre, University of Southampton, through the UK Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant EP/T02593X/ 1

With thanks to Dr Fernando Alvarez-Borges, Maria Stagno Navarra, Bethany Harding, Ehsan Nazemi, University of Southampton

Scanning also performed at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow with thanks to Dr Kate Dobson, Matt Divers and Philip Salter.

Gaelic translation by Alasdair Campbell
Uamh an Òir – arranged and performed by Caleb Wilson. Recorded by Richy Carey.
Mac-talla – composed by Richy Carey and Caleb Wilson. Recorded by Richy Carey.
Salagrana – composed and recorded by Sel Freund.

Quotes in order of appearance:
Ausonius, Epigrams on Various Matters (XXXII.—To a Painting of Echo)
Ovid, Metamorphoses
Òran Mòr MhicLeòid’, in A. L. Gillies, Songs of Gaelic Scotland
Virgil, Georgics (1.493-497), Gaelic translation by Alasdair Campbell, English translation Peter Fallon
Anne-Emmanuelle Berger and Rachel Gabara, The Latest Word from Echo

Video editing by Nat McGowan.

Samhla is an exhibition of new sculpture and events across a range of indoor and outdoor spaces – at Glendale, Romesdal and Staffin – it brings together objects, texts and materials to be held in the hand, encountered through walking, licked by animals, and expanded through publication and discussion.

Working with many different people whose work tells stories about land – archaeologists, palaeontologists, folklorists, classicists, geologists and soil researchers – the project brings together references that speak about how Skye’s landscape has been controlled, valued, changed or understood across expansive time periods.

Samhla grows from Lauren’s longstanding interest in the stakes of landscape decisions. With issues of how land is accessed and ​‘renewed’ of ongoing and huge relevance in Skye, Lauren’s work opens up conversations through materials – using objects as prompts to think about echoes, patterns, and relationships between places, and to tune in to different voices.

Many of the works explore human-canine histories, with these relationships often being very telling about wider social conditions, and how people connect with the land around them. Exploring records of dogs and wolves in place names, mythology, archival records, and fossil finds – the exhibition includes reworked sheep worrying signs, ghostly images of dogs and owners and possible location of a wolf pit.

In Glendale, where 19th Century factors banned dog ownership to manage tenants’ use of the land, Samhla begins with an event at Glendale Community Hall – exploring ways of tuning in to place, time and history. The event includes discussion with specially made objects, analysis of the underlying soil and a walk around nearby Fàsach with archaeologist Giacomo Savani. 

Continuing in Romesdal – a series of sculptures and text works weave up the hill to the site of a (possible) old wolf pit near Lòn Madragil. Open for a week thereafter, on Saturday the exhibition will open with discussion on the histories of the area, as well as invitations to listen to the land in different ways.

At Staffin Dinosaur Museum, a new moving image work sits alongside the rich catalogue of museum objects, exploring Skye’s palaeontological history and its close links with crofting knowledge and local mythology. Small ​‘voided’ replica fossils are also exhibited, made by 3D printing CT scans of rocks to reveal the hidden artefact within – without extracting it from its source. The film comprises shots from the CT scanning process, accompanied by sound made by members of The School of Plural Futures – who worked with Lauren and Classicist Dr Katharine Earnshaw to explore the myth of echo in Gàidhlig and Classical texts. These works, in these surroundings, pay homage to events and conversations that took place during the research and making of the show – which discussed how materials often leave (or are stolen from) the Highlands for interpretation away from their local and cultural context.

Finally, in Kilmuir and Stenscholl Church in Staffin, an indoor exhibition brings together sculptures exploring different material histories, including mineral lick bucket sculptures, casts of an infamous Raasay agricultural artefact (an upended turtle sandpit blown over to the island 20 years ago and now used for feeding), printed fossil voids and braided dog leash/​ropes.

At the end of the exhibition the works will be gathered back in and variously repurposed, absorbed or returned to the landscape and its users.

Samhla ultimately examines how land and landscape is quantified and the many ways it is voiced – in signage, through folklore, place name history, through animals, people, fossils and material from different industries. By bringing us together in places we can walk through and experience collectively – and in light of the speculation on land continually happening around us – Lauren’s work opens a space to connect with histories underfoot, revealing places and materials where memories are held, and where voices echo.

Supported by Creative Scotland and The Henry Moore Foundation

Other / in-kind:
Rumenco
University of Strathclyde
XCT scanning was performed by the National Research Facility for Lab X-ray CT (NXCT) at the µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre, University of Southampton, through the UK Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant EP/T02593X/ 1.
SEM imaging by Dr. Bianca Cavazzin and PhD student Heloisa Dickinson

Photography by Ruth Clark

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Ann an 2022, dh’iarr ATLAS is Tuath – pròiseact cultarach fo stiùir Sheumais Oliver, stèidhichte aig 11 Am Fàsach ann an Gleann Dail, a tha a’ coimhead air an dàimh eadar diofar thìrean agus àiteachan – air Lauren Gault tadhal air an Fhàsach agus smaoineachadh mun cheist: “Nam biodh guth aig an tìr agus nam biodh tu ag èisteachd rithe gus tuigse fhaighinn oirre, ciamar a fhreagradh tu i?”

Thòisich Lauren air pròiseact rannsachaidh mar fhreagairt dhan cheist sin, le iomadh guth is neach-taice a’ cur ris an obair, agus bhathar a’ smaoineachadh air an tìr san Fhàsach, agus na ceanglaichean eachdraidheil, cultarach, poilitigeach agus dualchasach a th’ aice ri àiteachan eile.

’S e a th’ ann an Samhla, taisbeanadh le ìomhaighean snaighte ùra agus tachartasan ann an diofar àiteachan a-staigh agus a-muigh – ann an Gleann Dail, Ròmasdal agus Stafainn – a tha a’ dèanamh cruinneachadh air nithean sònraichte, teacsaichean agus stuthan as urrainn dhuibh a thogail nur làimh, a chì sibh air chuairt, a dh’fhaodas ainmhidhean imlich, agus air an tèid togail ri ùine tro stuthan foillsichte is còmhradh. 

Tha am pròiseact seo air tighinn gu bith mar thoradh air obair le iomadh neach as urrainn sgeulachdan na tìre innse tron obair aca – arc-eòlaichean,  paleo-onteòlaichean, eòlaichean beul-aithris, eòlaichean clasaigeachd, geòlaichean agus luchd-rannsachaidh ùire – agus sa phròiseact thathar a’ coimhead air mar a bhite a’ cumail rian air, a’ cur luach ann, a’ toirt atharraichean air agus a’ tuigsinn tìr an Eilein Sgitheanaich thar iomadh linn.

Tha Samhla air tighinn gu bith mar thoradh air an ùidh a tha air a bhith aig Lauren o chionn fhada ann am buaidh nan co-dhùnaidhean a nithear mu chruth na tìre agus mun tìr. Tha cùisean co-cheangailte ris mar a chleachdas daoine an tìr agus mar a ghabhas a ‘h-ath-nuadhachadh’ anabarrach cudromach san Eilean Sgitheanach san latha an-diugh, agus tha obair Lauren a’ dùsgadh deasbad is còmhradh tro na stuthan a chleachd i – agus tha i a’ cleachdadh nithean gus ar piobrachadh gu bhith a’ smaoineachadh air coitcheannas, pàtranan, agus ceanglaichean eadar àiteachan, agus gus feart a thoirt air diofar ghuthan.

Le tòrr dhen obair thathar a’ beachdachadh air eachdraidh daonna is nan con, agus gu tric tha an dàimh a bh’ ann eatarra ag innse tòrr dhuinn mun chomann-shòisealta aig an àm, agus mu na dòighean san robh daoine ceangailte ris an tìr a bha timcheall orra. Thathar a’ rannsachadh fianais air coin is madaidhean-allaidh a gheibhear ann an ainmean-àite, miotas-eòlas, clàran-eachdraidh, agus fosailean – san taisbeanadh gheibhear soidhnichean, air an ath-dhealbh, le rabhaidhean mu bhith a’ leigeil le coin a dhol air feadh nan caorach, ìomhaighean samhlach de choin is na maighstirean is bana-mhaighstirean aca, àiteachan far an robh sluic ann gus madaidhean-allaidh a ghlacadh, agus iomadh nì eile.

Chuir na bàillidhean casg air daoine bho bhith a’ cumail chon ann an Gleann Dail san 19mh linn gus rian a chumail air mar a bha an luchd-gabhail a’ dèanamh feum dhen talamh. Tha Samhla a’ tòiseachadh le tachartas aig Talla Coimhearsnachd Ghleann Dail – far am bithear a’ meòrachadh air mar a nithear ceangal ri àiteachan, tìm agus eachdraidh. Mar phàirt dhen tachartas bidh cothrom còmhraidh ann agus nithean sònraichte a chaidh a dhèanamh, bithear a’ beachdachadh air an ùir is geòlas, bidh biadh ann, agus cothrom air cuairt air an Fhàsach còmhla ris an arc-eòlaiche Giacomo Savani. Cuideachd, thèid mapa-treòrachaidh fhoillseachadh sa bheil buidheachas, iomraidhean, ìomhaighean agus brathan-conaltraidh bho thòrr de na daoine a chuidich le Samhla.

Ann an Ròmasdal – tha sreath de dh’ìomhaighean snaighte agus ealain-teacsa gur toirt suas an cnoc gu làrach far an robh, math dh’fhaodte, sloc mhadaidhean-allaidh bho shean faisg air Lòn Madragil. Thèid an taisbeanadh fhosgladh Disathairne le còmhradh mu eachdraidh na sgìre, agus bidh e fosgailte airson seachdain às dèidh sin, agus bithear a’ brosnachadh dhaoine gu bhith ag èisteachd ris an tìr ann an diofar dhòighean.

Tha ìomhaigheachd ghluasadach ùr ann an Taigh-tasgaidh nan Dìneasaran ann an Stafainn – air a suidheachadh am measg cruinneachadh an taigh-tasgaidh – a tha a’ coimhead air eachdraidh phaleo-onteòlach an Eilein Sgitheanaich agus na dlùth-cheanglaichean eadar sin agus eòlas nan croitearan agus miotas-eòlas ionadail. Thathar cuideachd a’ taisbeanadh mhac-samhail de dh’fhosailean ‘voided’, dèante le clò-bhualadh 3D stèidhichte air dealbhan CT de na clachan gus sealltainn dè tha nam broinn gun a bhith a’ toirt an fhosail às. Sa film chithear dealbhan dhen phròiseas gus dealbhan CT a dhèanamh, agus cluinnear clàraidhean-fuaime a rinn buill Sgoil nan Saoghal Ùra Iomarra – a dh’obraich còmhla ri Lauren is an Eòlaiche-clasaigeachd an Dr Katharine Earnshaw gus coimhead air eachdraidh is sgeulachdan co-cheangailte ri mac-talla ann an teacsaichean Gàidhlig is Clasaigeach. Tha an obair seo, suidhichte far a bheil i, a’ togail air tachartasan is còmhraidhean a bha a’ dol air adhart an lùib an rannsachaidh is na h-obrach gus an taisbeanadh ullachadh – far an robhar a’ bruidhinn air mar a bhios stuthan gu tric gan toirt air falbh (no gan goid) bhon Ghàidhealtachd gus rannsachadh is mìneachadh a dhèanamh orra fad air falbh bhon sgìre is cultar dham buin iad.

Mu dheireadh, tha taisbeanadh a-staigh, ann an Cille Mhoire agus Eaglais Steinnseal ann an Stafainn, a’ sealltainn ealain-shnaighte stèidhichte air eachdraidh stuthail, leithid ìomhaighean snaighte de bhucaidean beathachaidh (‘mineral lick’) airson bheathaichean, ìomhaighean-cumte de phìos acainn àiteachais ainmeil bho Ratharsair (sloc-gainmhich air cruth turtair a chaidh a shiabadh dhen eilean leis a’ ghaoith o chionn 20 bliadhna agus a bhithear a’ cleachdadh airson biadhadh a-nis), agus ‘voids’ clò-bhuailte de dh’fhosailean agus iallan/ròpannan pleatach airson chon.

Aig deireadh an taisbeanaidh, thèid an obair-ealain ath-chruinneachadh agus a chur gu feum as ùr no a thilleadh dhan tìr agus do na daoine a bha ga cleachdadh. 

Aig a’ cheann thall, le Samhla, thathar a’ coimhead air mar a tha an tìr agus cruth na tìre air an tuigsinn, mar a nithear aithris orra agus air sgeul na tìre – ann an soidhnichean, tro bheul-aithris, eachdraidh nan ainmean-àite, tro bheathaichean, daoine, fosailean agus stuthan bho dhiofar ghnìomhachasan. Le bhith gar toirt còmhla ann an àiteachan far an coisich sinn agus far am fairich is ionnsaich sinn còmhla – agus sinn beò aig àm nuair a bhios daoine a’ sìor lorg dhòighean gus brath a ghabhail air luach an fhearainn – tha obair Lauren a’ toirt cothrom dhuinn ceangal a dhèanamh ris an eachdraidh a tha fo ar casan, agus i a’ cur àiteachan is stuthan fo ar comhair sa bheil cuimhneachan air an gleidheadh, agus às an cluinn sinn mac-talla nan guthan bho chian. 

Cumaibh oirbh a’ leughadh gus tuilleadh fios fhaighinn air na diofar dhaoine a tha air a bhith an sàs sa phròiseact ealain-shnaighte seo.

Translation by Alasdair Campbell