The Lost Children

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Artist Name(s)	Marie Brett
Artwork title	The Lost Children
Context/Background	St Finbarr's Hospital laundry and Ireland's social history informed the artwork The Lost Children which was created by Marie Brett during a visual arts in health project called Memory Dress. Inspired after a meeting with the hospital's seamstress and seeing her sewn dresses for the still-born babies, Brett initiated the Memory Dress project which ran over an eight month period, and was part of Triskel Art Centre's artistic programme based at St Finbarr's Hospital.
Description	The artwork The Lost Children responds to a particular hospital's landscape with its embedded social memory and intimate recollections relating to the site's laundry. Over time, staff, patients and visitors revealed memories of unmarried pregnant girls brought to the laundry by shamed families, and of babies taken secretly at birth and given or sold to new parents. Cherished memories of children loved and lost but not forgotten. The artwork was created by Marie Brett in response to these shared memories.
Mediation	The Irish Examiner, review, 30 March, 2007
Biographies	Marie Brett is based in County Cork. Her practice spans video, sculpture and installation, as well as participatory public art and in-context projects. Her work has been presented in exhibitions and events nationally and internationally and her sculpture is held in numerous public collections throughout Ireland and the UK. She holds an MA and a 1st class BA honours from Goldsmith's College, London University.
Commission Type	Other
Commissioner Name	Health Service Executive, Southern Region and Triskel Arts Centre
Project commission dates	July 31, 2006 - March 1, 2007
Public Presentation dates	March 28, 2007 - March 25, 2007
Partners	Triskel Arts Centre Health Service Executive, Southern Region
Artform	Visual Arts
Art Practice	Arts and health
Funded By	The Arts Council,Other
Budget Range	0 - 10000 euro
Project commission start date	31/07/2006
Project commission end date	01/03/2007
Location	St Finbarr's Hospital, Cork (installation) Triskel Arts Centre (exhibition)
County	Cork
Town	Cork
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Content contributor(s)	Marie Brett
Relationship to project	Artist
Public engagement	Patients, staff and visitors to St Finbarr's Hospital, Cork
Associated professionals / Specialists involved	Marie Brett, Artist Charlotte Donovan, Hospital Artist-in-Residence