Burden of the Tide

Performance Art - Talamh Land Art Festival, Cooper Coast, Ireland

Burden of the Tide
Nature Art Installation & Performance Art Project                                                                                             
Location: Talamh Land Art Festival, Kilmurrin Beach, Copper Coast, Ireland 
Photo: Erika Nagy | Edited by Sandor Nagy
On the rugged shores of Kilmurrin Beach, I laid three canvases across the sand, dragging them behind me as I moved along the shoreline. Each canvas, tethered to my body, was heavy with stones, a symbolic weight representing the burdens we carry through life - problems, memories, regrets.
With each step, the canvases resisted, dragging against the earth, and leaving marks in the wet sand. The physical exertion of pulling them became an act of endurance, symbolizing the struggle to carry our burdens forward. The canvases, soaked and heavy, embodied the way problems accumulate, sticking to us, shaping our journey, and sometimes hindering our progress. As I moved, the surrounding landscape - waves crashing, wind howling - became a reminder of nature’s indifferent force. The sea washed over the dragged canvases, occasionally lightening their load only to make them heavier again with each retreat.

The performance was a cyclical meditation on the relationship between burden and release, the tension between holding on and letting go, and the ways in which life’s struggles both define us and shape our path. The work, tied to the earth and the sea, highlights the inevitability of carrying our troubles but also suggests that, like the tide, they can be both fleeting and eternal, always changing form but never truly disappearing.
Thank You to the Organizers of Talamh Festival
As an invited artist, I am deeply grateful to the organizers of the Talamh Festival for the opportunity to present Burden of the Tide at Kilmurrin Beach, Copper Coast. The stunning landscape and powerful forces of nature provided the perfect backdrop for this work, allowing me to explore themes of struggle and release. 
Thank you for creating such a meaningful space for art to connect with the land and for your support throughout the process.
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