Fiona McDonald
Fiona McDonald
Bio: Fiona McDonald is a Dublin-based interdisciplinary artist operating at the intersection of art, science, and technology. Using sculpture, installation, coding, and data, her work explores environmental themes like bog restoration, carbon flux, and ecological fragility. She often collaborates with scientists to visualise ecological data, such as in her exhibition Inhale Exhale (2026). She holds a BSc in Biological Chemistry from University of Ulster a BA & MA in Fine Art from NCAD & a MSc in Multimedia Systems TCD. She is a current Artist in Residence AIR at RHA Gallery Studios and recipient of Arts Council of Ireland Project Award 2023.
Title: Inhale Exhale - Cloud Chambers fluxing performance
Project Description: The work is an onsite and gallery-based, data-driven performance exploring greenhouse gas emissions from rewetted peatland ecosystems. Floating and ground chambers measure CO₂ flux from water and peatland ecology, transmitting live data via a LoRa network to performers who respond in real time. In the gallery, a transparent chamber houses a living sphagnum moss ecosystem under grow lights, actively sequestering carbon dioxide. Performers unfold rectangles of origami cloth of white, transparent black, and dark black over the chamber, referencing climate-science protocols for simulating cloud cover and calculating carbon balance. Alongside this, the artist experiments with weaving Typha latifolia leaves harvested from the site, integrating local plant material into the work’s sculptural and performative language.
