Audible

(A play called by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage to make a change from the play that was called in the huddle).

A sound/video portrait of the University of Limerick Vikings American Football Team by Sean Taylor

In 2020 Sean Taylor set out on a quest to develop a socially engaged art project in collaboration with members of the both the University of Limerick Vikings American Football Team and the University of Limerick Cheerleading Club, entitled Audible.

At the beginning of March 2020 Ireland began enforcing social distancing and restrictions in numbers of gatherings to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Audible project had to respond to a series of challenges and inconsistencies through recurrent lockdowns, social distancing, disease control restrictions and other health related guidance’s, as the artist sought to re-imagine socially engaged art in the reality of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

After several setbacks (including the disbandment of the University of Limerick Cheerleading Club), two creative outcomes were eventually realised by the artist. A sound/video portrait of the UL Vikings American Football Team was commissioned, where team members were asked to hold a pose for a one-hour duration.  The completed portrait is interspersed with a series of short audio recordings from the teams training sessions and league games (once Covid-19 restrictions were lifted).

Throughout this time the artist maintained a diary of the project, and this chronicle became the inspiration for the publication ‘Art in a Time of Covid, Re-imagining the Audible Socially Engaged Art Project in A Time of Crisis (2020-2023)’.

The journal shares perspectives of the journey of this project in the reality of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The text of the publication combines three dialogical and informational sources, the documentation of both national and international key moments/events during the pandemic (January 1st, 2020, to May 2023). The second text source contains email and online correspondences with the artist, his communities of interest and funders in relation to the development of the project. The third captures changes and decisions made by the artist in collaboration with the University of Limerick Vikings American Football Team and funders, to finally realise the project in 2023.

The Audible sound/video portrait and accompanying publication was launched on Tuesday March 5th, 2024, in the University of Limerick. The sound/video portrait of the University of Limerick Vikings American Football Team will be on permanent display in the University of Limerick Sports Arena. A limited edition (250 signed copies) of the Audible publication is available to purchase through this website. https://www.seantaylor.ie/contact

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Audible was made possible through the steadfast belief of Patricia Moriarty, University of Limerick Arts Officer; Pippa Little, Limerick City and County Council Arts Office; Liam Ryan, djBono, Darragh O’Callaghan and the University of Limerick Vikings American Football Team. Thanks also to UL Cheerleading Club; Ollie Phillips; UL Photographic Society and everyone who worked on the project for their support and patience.