Abstract

‘Segura’ was commissioned by Manifesta, The European Biennale of Contemporary Art (€16,000) following an invitation to participate in Manifesta 8 from the Manifesta curator and director of Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum, Basam El Baroni. Manifesta 8 was held in the Murcia/Cartagena region of Spain from 9/10/10 until 9/1/11. ‘Segura’ was shot on location in Murcia in response to the aim of Manifesta 8 to engage with the north-south divide, specifically with Europe's present-day boundaries with northern Africa and its interrelations with the Maghreb region. Given the current international concerns about migration, refugee status, trans-nationalism and the new borders of Europe, both psychological and geographical, the Region of Murcia was a conceptual launching pad for contemporary art projects about how artists respond to these issues within a broader, historical context. After a period of research in Murcia, Doherty identified the river Segura as a location where some of these concerns were painfully manifested. The Segura flood plain is crucial to the agricultural infrastructure and economic health of this region but is under pressure from an increasing demand for fresh water. Many of the illegal immigrants who came from North Africa to Spain seeking employment find themselves homeless under the arches of the motorway bridges that cross the river. The research tests ways to make visible these complex issues through using a hybrid of documentary and more speculative shooting and editing methods and raises questions about the relationship between place, documentary practices and fiction. ‘Segura’ was subsequently included in the one-person exhibition Willie Doherty, Disturbance, Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane from 5/9/11 until 15/1/12.