Gallery of life in a Kerry village

A community art project in Sneem, Co Kerry, had residents hands-on for a collaboration in which their opinions on various subjects have been turned into an art work by Jochen Gerz.

The locally-based artist photographed 40 locals and asked them what their three wishes would be for the local ghost estate, Ireland and Europe. The resulting imagery and texts are displayed between the north and south squares, creating a 24-hour gallery in the village.

Gerz, who is internationally known for his collaborative works on memory, has lived in Sneem for six years and enjoys the village life. It’s a big change from Paris where he lived most of his life or his native Berlin. “It is challenging,” he admits, “living in a village. They know much more about you than in the city. They want to know and are almost entitled to know, so you cannot hide behind anonymity.”