German artist seeking participants to share Midlands bog stories

German artist Katja Striedelmeyer is appealing to people in the Midlands to share their bog stories.

Katja works with a camera and an audio recorder to capture the landscape, sounds and stories of the bogs.

The final work is set to be presented as a media art installation exhibition in Bremen, Germany in May 2025.

"I am interested in any form of relationship people have with the landscape, may it be through work, family or walking their dog," Katja said.

"Peatlands have gone through many changes and they can be one way to mitigate the emission of carbon. How does this challenge interact with culture and traditions?

"My aim is to observe and understand how people’s relationships with peatlands evolve over time."

Speaking about what first caught her interest about peatlands, Katja said it was their ability to perserve things.

"My interest in bogs stems from my fascination for sphagnum mosses. These tiny plants are able to shape the landscape in this specific way and creates the peat, that acts as a storage for many things."

The German artist is visiting Ireland as part of a residency at the Burren College of Art which is funded by the Culture Moves Europe program from the European Union.

If you have a personal connection or history with bogs and peatlands, and you would like to be part of Katja's project, contact katja.striedelmeyer@posteo.de