Talk: Dis-Orienting Bodies - Performing Space 26/02/2026 online

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

Kira O’Reilly + Marie-Pier Boucher
26th February, 2026
5pm UTC

A performance reading
Dis-Orienting Bodies - Performing Space
A performance reading of two voices exploring performance as a mode of planetary attachment and as a method of bodily and spatial dis-orientations. Offering a series of propositions informed by their correspondences across time and space, their dialogue explores a poetics of physicality, mutability, and alterity.

Registration here

Imagining Space Otherwise
Critical perspectives from the arts on space exploration

Imagining Space Otherwise is an international working group focused on the arts' role in shaping outer space's ethics, politics, and cultural imaginaries. Our goal is to produce an arts-centred and science-informed space humanities scholarship that directly contributes to the formation of extraterrestrial epistemologies—modes of knowing that confront the planetary and interplanetary consequences of space exploration. Through public programming, artistic partnerships, and cross-disciplinary scholarship, this work benefits global audiences, especially those currently marginalized in space discourse, by advancing inclusive, critical, and culturally grounded approaches to shaping our planetary and interplanetary futures.
Read more here

Tilt, a proposition, UN Park, Lalitpur. 2025, photocollage

Artist Talk, 29th April 2025, 4-5.30pm, Gallery Mcube, Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

Propositions is an artist talk on the activities of a month long residency at Gallery Mcube in Paatan, Nepal during April 2025. 

It will present  experiments and works at various stages of progress and discuss the processes, concepts and their provenance. The talk will offer some reflections on the works within the context of Patan and wider Kathmandu Valley. 

The residency is funded by a mobility grant from Suomen Kulttuurirahasto

Kira O'Reilly, Tilt series, UN Park, 2025, digital collage

Launch of issue 2 of COMPOST art zine, 6/02/25 London

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

I am delighted to have my work featured in the second issue of COMPOST, The Falls Fell, a short text and image piece.

COMPOST is an independent art publication, conceived and edited by visual artist and graphic designer David Caines and writer, researcher and lecturer in dance and performance studies Mary Kate Connolly.

COMPOST showcases creative work from a wide-ranging network of artists, performers, academics, writers and collectors.

At the launch There will be drinks in the bar/bookshop area (where COMPOST will be sold), films in the adjacent gallery space, a bespoke 'Accidents and Emergencies' setlist, and the evening will be interspersed with some short performances and readings. All welcome!

COMPOST Issue 2: Accidents and Emergencies

Whether by intentional leap or unplanned calamity, falling is an art in itself. Falling. To earth. From grace. In or out of love. Through life. This issue embraces the accidents and emergencies that befall our bodies, by design or surprise. Grounding acts of falling and failing as exhilarating, terrifying companions. No one is promised a soft landing.

Featuring art and writing from:

Amy Sharrocks

Anne Bean

Daniel Oliver

Dannielle Hodson 

David Caines 

Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press 

Guy Maddin 

Kate Lyddon 

Kira O'Reilly 

Laetitia Sadier 

Marcus Cope 

Margarita Zafrilla Olayo 

Martina De Camillis 

Mary Kate Connolly  

moa johansson 

Nando Messias 

National Fairground and Circus Archive 

Ocean Stefan 

Scott McCracken 

Shaun Caton 

Tim Spooner 

Tina Jane Hatton-Gore 

Travis Elborough 

Listen

Menopausal Gym at Bangkok Art Biennale 2024

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

In September 2024 I presented Menopausal Gym, a durational performance art work at National Gallery of Thailand as part of Bangkok Art Biennale 2024 / BAB 2024It will continue to be exhibited as a sculptural installation of objects and video documentation until the end of the biennale on 25th February 2025.

The theme of this 4th edition of the biennale is ‘Nurture Gaia’, as the work was performed for 3 hours per day over 3 days in the heat and humidity of the covered courtyard area of the National Gallery of Thailand, the ambient conditions of weather became a conspicuous albeit invisible collaborator.

Bangkok Art biennale 2024 hosts the work of 76 artists from 39 countries in 11 venues spread across Bangkok. I was one of 4 Irish artists.

If you are visiting of in Bangkok, I encourage you to see what you can of the biennale with it’s extraordinary sitings of works, from historical temple complexes, to contemporary and modern art venues, convention centres and museums, and the newest vast commercial centre of One Bangkok.

Kira O’Reilly, Menopause Gym, Bangkok Art Biennale 2024

Image courtesy Bangkok Art Biennale. Photo by Seni Chunhacha

Thank you to:
Bangkok Art Biennale 2024
The National Musuem of Thailand
Culture Ireland
Frame Contemporary Art Finland
Taike Arts Promotion Centre Finland

The House With the Ocean View - an invitation from Marina Abramovic

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

In May this year I was invited by Marina Abramovic to re-perform her extraordinary and challenging work, The House with the Ocean View which was originally performed by her in 2002 at Sean Kelly Gallery.

There will be three iterations of the 12 day continuous performance as part of the remarkable exhibition, Marina Abramovic at Royal Academy of Art 23rd September - 1st January 2024.

The work will be re-performed by:

Elke Luyten 5th –16th October

Myself, 21st November - 2nd December

Amanda Coogan, 6th –17th December

Look out for updates about my thoughts and preparation for this extraordinary and very special performance on my blog here on my website (first post) and instagram

Amanda Coogan, myself, Marina Abramovic and Elke Luyten at Royal Academy on 19th September 2023
Photograph by Todd Eckert


Opening 13th April, Zagreb: How to Look at Natures? – Art and the capitalocene

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

Curated by Ivana Filip and Suzana Marjanić, the exhibition How to Look at Natures? – Art and the capitalocene opens at HDLU Hrvatsko Drustvo Likovnih Umjetnika, Zagreb on 13th April.

The group show presents works by: Maša Bajc, Alex Brajković, Nikolina Butorac, Tanja Dabo, Charlotte Dumas, Darko Fritz, Igor Grubić, Nenad Jalšovec, Lisa Jevbratt, Gustafsson & Haapoja, Olga F. Koroleva, Zvjezdana Jembrih, Alen Novoselec, Erez Nevi Pana, Olly & Suzi, Ivana Ožetski, Ana Ratković Sobota, Davor Sanvincenti, Nives Sertić, Pinar Yoldas, Vjeran Vukašinović, Otchuda Say and myself.

My work being presented is Arachnid – Tick Sensing (2021), with Antye Greie-Ripatti (AGF), explores human/tick transspecies encounters. It is an audio work conceived to be listened to by one person via headphone, whilst sitting on a rocking chair.

A review of Arachnid – Tick Sensing written by Yvonne Billmore is here


sKu-mNyé workshop 16th April: Lions

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

I am teaching another workshop in sKu-mNyé, Dzogchen psycho-physical exercises from the Aro gTér.

Suitable for beginners and those with experience.
Sunday 16th April

10.30 - 13.30

Lions

What is sKu-mNyé?

sKu-mNyé (pronounced koo mnyay). is a cycle of Dzogchen psycho-physical exercises

sKu-mNyé means ‘massage of the energy body’. The ‘energy body’ is called the rTsa rLung system. rTsa rLung is a system unique to the Vajrayana tradition of Tibet. The rTsa rLung system is made up of ‘nerves,’ called rTsa, and the currents of energy they carry, called rLung.

During this workshop we will look at exercises from the Lions section, from the first 35 of 111 exercises

These range from comparatively gentle and accessible exercises to ones that are more challenging.

I will introduce a combination of these, and we will look at ways of breaking up the harder ones and how to work towards accomplishing them.

The active exercise part of sKu-mNyé is always practiced with a prone medication posture, alternating active movements with phases of medication. I will give some explanation of this so that you have the beginnings of a practice you can explore at home.

Donations are requested to cover studio rent, suggested minimum €10

How to book:

For more information and to register, contact Tsül'dzin: kira_oreilly@hotmail.com

For more about sKu-mNyé read:

'Primal Energy Exercises of Tibetan Dzogchen', an interview with Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen

The lion painting is by Naljorma Thrin-lé Chatral, one of the Aro gTér Lineage Thangka painters.

Strange Duets - with Rachel Zerihan

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

Rachel Zerihan’s bench marking book The Cultural Politics of One-to-One Performance, Strange Duets was published by Palgrave McMillan in late 2022.

It’s a great many years ago now that Rachel first approached me to interview me about my work with her enquiringly gentle persistence. Insightful and canny, her writing and scholarly companionship has always added valuable dimensions to the reading of my work. Something I do not say lightly, or, for that matter frequently about writing on my work . I am delighted that as well as finding fruition in journals, her writing is finally presented in this publication.

This monograph is the first study to critically examine works of performance made for an audience of one. Despite being a prolific feature of the performance scene since the turn of the millennium, critical writing about this area of contemporary practice remains scarce. This book proposes a genealogy of the curious relationship between solo performer and lone spectator through lineages in the histories of live art, visual art and theatre practices. Drawing on one-to-one performances by artists including Marilyn Arsem, Oreet Ashery, Franko B, Rosana Cade, Jess Dobkin, Karen Finley, David Hoyle, Adrian Howells, Kira O’Reilly, Barbara T Smith and Julie Tolentino, Rachel Zerihan produces research that is both affective and critical. This performance analysis proposes four frameworks through which to examine the significance and challenge of this work: cathartic, social, explicit and economic. One-to-one performance is proposed as a rich portal for examining the cultural politics of contemporary society. The book will appeal to students and scholars from performance studies, theatre, visual art and cultural studies.

Palgrave Macmillan London 2022


Interview: On Eco Ethics and the Inherent Uncertainty of the Future.

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

Last autumn Liucija Dervinytė interviewed me during a visit to Alt Lab, SODAS 2123 in Vilnius, where I as invited to give a workshop on making winogradsky columns called, Making the Invisible World of Microorganisms Visible

The interview, titled: On Eco Ethics and the Inherent Uncertainty of the Future. An Interview with the Artist Kira O'Reilly is here.

During the weekend we made a winogradsky columns tutorial which is here.

‘Winogradsky Column Workshop – Making the Invisible World Of Microorganisms Visible’ with Kira O’Reilly at SODAS 2123. Photo: Gerda Krutaja

Metabolic Arts Gathering announcement

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

I was thrilled today to see the announcement of the Metabolic Arts Gathering go live today, an initiative curated by Hannah Star Rogers and Adam Bencard of which I am one of the selected artists. The rest of the group includes Kathy High and Hege Tapio, artists I have known from the filed of bioart for some time, and also Baum & Leahy, Cooking Sections and Adam Dickinson - information and links on them all in the Metabolic Arts Gathering page. It’s a great line up of people with whom I am looking forward to spending time this year at the remarkable Medical Museion, Copenhagen.

#SaveSymbioticA - how you can help

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

As you no doubt know, The University of Western Australia has started a process to shut SymbioticA down, SymbioticA has until the end of October to make a case as to why it should continue. 



Kathy High, Jennifer Willet and myself, all former residents at SymbioticA began a petition and social media campaign to #SaveSymbioticA and to convince UWA to continue their support. 

We need to keep SymbioticA and its manifold impact in the publica gaze, so we are turning to you for your help. 



We are asking former residents, students, colleagues and associates to consider posting on any social media channels about their SymbioticA related projects as a way to demonstrate the extent and impact of its influence, what it has facilitated and enabled, and continued its relevance. A love letter to SymbioticA perhaps.

Any other projects, associations, outcomes  that you feel are as a consequence of your working relationships to SymbioticA are also welcome, be it your lab, a conference, a workshop etc. It can be direct, it can be tangential.



Use the hashtag #SaveSymbioticA

Tag @symbioticA 



We’re trying to demonstrate the benefits for UWA to continue its relations with its  symbiont - SymbioticA

If you have not done so already, send letters of support by 28th October

Sign our petition https://www.change.org/SaveSymbioticA

Spread the word. 



THANK YOU for all of your help, at any volume in any capacity, it ALL helps

Read SymbioticA’s latest statement here

The Cosmic Dance, by Stephen Ellcock

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

It arrived, ‘image alchemist’ Stephen Ellcock’s extraordinarily rich Thames & Hudson publication, The Cosmic Dance, A Visual Journey from Microcosm to Macrocosm, ‘finding patterns and pathways in a chaotic universe’. Read more here.

Residency in Vilnius, Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association at SODAS 2123

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

For the duration of February 2022 I am in Vilnius, hosted at SODAS 2123 by the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association.

I am working on some small drawings and other experiments, all loosely connected to my Menopausal Gym project. One of the really valuable aspects is occasionally meeting other artists and makers here in SODAS and Vilnius and simply being in this beautiful city.

Archive video material of early performance works now online

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

An opportune moment of delving into a storage box, and it’s contents of hard drives made for a discovery of edited video footage of some of my earliest performance works, documentation that I had forgotten I had. Some years ago, prior to moving to Helsinki I digitised edited footage from VHS. I have put four of these works on my vimeo channel, and will follow with more.

The works are:
Recollections, 1998, in collaboration with Bryony Watson
Bad Humours /Affected, 1998
13, 1999, in collaboration with Irina Padva,
Work in progress for Unknowing, 1999

I’ve long resisted putting this work online when requested. I will write about them more but for the time being short commentaries can be read on them and they can be viewed on my vimeo profile

I versus Us versus I, a review of TICK ACTs by Yvonne Billmore in No Niin Magazine

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

Helsinki based curator Yvonne Billmore has written a review of her experience of TICK ACTs, the small two day exhibition of works by Laura Beloff and I, with Antye Greie, shown in SOLU Space, the project space of the Bioart Society here in Helsinki.

Yvonne’s review stages her thinking with the art works as companions to her own forming and shaping as audience and active co-conspirator. No Niin Magazine ‘an independent online monthly magazine at the cusp of art, criticality and love’, has hit the ground with a passion and a fury seem an apt platform for this writing.

Having ones work written about valuable, facilitating all kinds of subsequent audience to the initial showing and presentation, of course it is through a lens - that of the writer, editors and platform which further shape and influence these mediated receptions. Thus one sees at least at least partially how the work enters into dialogues through publishing. TICK ACTs, presented in the spring in Helsinki was particularly poorly attended, perhaps the influence of the pandemic associated caution or maybe the disgust attendant with the subject matter of the punkki - ‘the unloved other’ imbued with dread and fears of the possibility of pathogenic infection that accompany its increasing ubiquity. Therefore I am especially grateful for the efforts of both the author and No Niin in featuring our work.

TICK ACT at Ectopia, Lisbon, 17 - 30th June, 2021

Added on by Kira O'Reilly.

Finally, works from TICK ACT have been included in the Biofriction exhibition at Ectopia, Lisbon, including our TICK TALKs and Laura Beloffs Tick Terrarium.

From the Facebook event page:

The exhibition BIOFRICTION, hosted by Marta de Menezes and curated by the Biofriction partners, opens in a new cultural space in Lisbon, on the 16th of June, at 6pm.

It can be visited between the 17th and 30th of June, at Ectopia – Rua José Sobral Cid, N.16, in Lisbon, between 10am and 3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and in July by appointment (contact number: 919193108).

The exhibition is the culmination of a collaborative project supported by Creative Europe that involved institutions in four countries. This project explored transdisciplinary artistic practices involving themes related to marginalization and exclusion. The title refers to a point in a surface of friction between biology, biotechnology, fiction and art. In this bio-friction, the emancipatory potential of biotechnology through artistic practices is explored with special attention. The artworks include a variety of biomaterials and a marked role of the artist-activist. These projects were mostly developed during artistic residencies in the different participating countries, under conditions influenced by contingency measures against Covid-19.

The artworks on display are especially diverse: Joel Ong (Canada), during his residence in Portugal, created a project where he investigated the cloud microbiome and its own DNA, in a work that crosses climate change and biotechnology; Simona Deaconescu ( Romenia) and Vanessa Goodman (Canada) created an artwork that explores the movement and the relationship of our body with the bacteria that reside in us; Mayra Gomez (México) has a work centered on botany and social activism; Adriana Knouf (United States of America) reflects on feminism and estrogen as an essential hormone of women; Laura Beloff (Finland) and Kira O’Reilly (Ireland) had a series of conversations with different experts, concerning ticks as vectors of multiple pathogens; Christina Gruber (Austria) seeks to transform common field sampling practices trough bioacoustics and sound recordings; Vanesa Lorenzo (Switzerland) conceived biocompatible prosthesis, which challenge the concept of ornament, symbiose, gender and species; Kinlab (Italy) perceived the women’s body around three stage of life: adolescence, fertility and menopause; and also the four Braiding Friction work groups that created diverse content about curatorial challenges during the times of the pandemic.

The Biofriction exhibition is hosted by Marta de Menezes and curated by the Biofriction partners, presented by Cultivamos Cultura in partnership with the other European Biofriction network members (Hangar, Kapelica and Solu/Bas).