Faultline
Helle Helsner
Vaults
2 July - 25 July 2026
Artist talk, as part of The Fold Symposium, Saturday 04 July, 3pm
Faultline (n):
A line on a rock surface or the ground that traces a geological fault.
A divisive issue or difference of opinion likely to have serious consequences.
“My practice is built upon deep-seated roots in material ethics, social politics, and extractive practices dating back to prehistoric times. This inquiry has led me to the disused copper mining landscape of Allihies on the Beara Peninsula, where I have spent extensive time responding to the environment through the lens of its industrial history , both prehistoric and historical. Allihies has become a microcosm for my current work, fostering unexpected and lasting relationships with both the local community and the Land. By focusing on my primary material, bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, I have instigated a deeper understanding of its origins, from the unique geology of the place to the complex social politics of the rural community that formed around it. Working through sculpture, drawing, and installation, the exhibition ‘Faultline’represents the distilled culmination of three years of research. By utilizing elements cast, drawn, and collected from this specific landscape, I continue my process of “deep mapping,” presenting the landscape as a complete narrative where individual pieces highlight particular chapters of its story. The title itself originates from a specific copper ore faultline located just below the mountain mine in Allihies—a site of frequent return and contemplation. In this exhibition, the vaults serve as an invitation to engage with matter pertaining to the raw beauty of the landscape. They function as metaphorical mine entrances, allowing the viewer to imagine this specific place while inhabiting it through objects and other storytelling devices.” Helle Helsner, 2026
“My practice explores material ethics through the interplay of line and matter. I am interested in the relationship between extractive practices, the landscape, and the ethics of material use. Drawing on prehistoric technology and storytelling, I examine how my bronze casting furnace can function as a communal firepit—a site from which objects and new material ethics may emerge. Through drawing and sculpture, I view the Land as more than a geological point. I delve into the layers of the human and non-human, the historical and the contemporary, and the seen and the unseen. I refer to my creative process as a ‘deep mapping’ of time and place. The disused mining landscape of Allihies on the Beara Peninsula serves as my microcosm. Fractions and elements of the land are transformed into solid matter through pencil, wax, clay, or metal. Together, a dialogue between line and matter is created that tells a story of Land, memory, and the materials themselves”. Helle Helsner, 2026
Helle Helsner exhibits regularly nationally and internationally. Her specialized bronze casting practice has led to diverse professional collaborations, including projects with archaeologists in Denmark and Ireland, and ritual bronze casting in New Mexico. She has also conducted bronze casting residencies in Irish prisons through the Arts Council of Ireland’s Artist in Residence scheme. Exhibitions include several solo shows, most recently “Core” at the O’Connell Gallery (2025). Recent selected group exhibitions include The Hunt Museum Open Call in Limerick (December 2025) and “Desire Lines,” a two-woman show at the Lavit Gallery (2022) and Ballinglen Art Foundation Gallery (2023), which was accompanied by a publication of the same name. Helsner’s work is represented in various collections, including the Danish State Collection, the Office of Public Works (OPW), and the RTÉ Collection. A lecturer at the Crawford College of Art and Design, she is currently pursuing a PhD at Burren College of Art in Co. Clare, supported by an MTU staff scholarship. She lives and works in West Cork, Ireland.