LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER SHOWS SPIKE ISLAND THROUGH A NEW LENS IN SAMPLE-STUDIOS’ LATEST EXHIBITION

Sample-Studios in partnership with Spike Island and Sirius Arts Centre are delighted to present No One Thought Of Sleep, a solo exhibition by visual artist Barbara Diener, recipient of the Spike Island Summer Residency 2025. During the residency, Barbara spent time researching and responding to Spike Island’s fascinating history as a former monastery, barracks and prison. The resulting work will open in Sample-Studios Gallery, The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, Fitzgerald’s Park, from 1-3pm on October 10th with opening remarks from Dorota Gubbins, Curator of Spike Island.

No One Thought Of Sleep will bring the histories, memories, and stories found in Spike Island’s unique buildings and atmospheric surroundings to life through a combination of photography, film, sculpture, and sound. The exhibition title itself brings visitors into the Island’s turbulent past – a quote from Karl Spindler, Captain of the ship The Aud, who recalled passing through Spike Island on a stormy, foggy, night during a covert voyage to aid in the 1916 Easter Rising. This and other stories will unfold through an immersive, multi-sensory exhibition presenting viewers with insights into areas of the island that are inaccessible to visitors. Barbara’s photographs capture the buildings that lay off the beaten track, forgotten by time, while her resin sculptures recreate the shoreline that isolates Spike Island from the mainland. 

Having relocated to Cork from the US in 2023 to take up the position of Photographic Collections Librarian in UCC, Barbara was delighted at the opportunity to use her own lens to capture and interpret a piece of local history: “Spike Island encapsulates many of my ongoing interests, from covert military operations to the man-made structures that have now been taken over by natural elements. The residency has been an incredible opportunity to explore parts of the island off-limits to the public during regular tours. In these abandoned spaces I used my camera to respond to the eeriness of the locale and I kept revisiting the shores surrounding the island. The water symbolises the only route of escape from the island, yet it carries its own unpredictable dangers, creating a tension between confinement and freedom.”

Dorota Gubbins, Curator at Spike Island, states: “Each artist-in-residence brings something new, discovering Spike Island in their own way and uncovering fresh perspectives. Engaging with both place and archives, their practices intersect and spark connections that uncover layers of history, memory and imagination. Seen through the artists’ eyes, museum collections come alive again: no longer static artefacts, but active participants in unfolding stories. This ongoing dialogue between past and present opens room for reinterpretation and invites us to experience familiar histories differently. For me, watching how each artist reshapes these histories has been a reminder of the island’s ability to inspire new ways of seeing.”

Artistic Director of Sample-Studios, Aoibhie McCarthy, offers further context for this work “Spike Island Summer Residency award was established between Sample-Studios and Spike Island in 2021, creating annual artist residencies for its artist members. To date, 8 artists have completed residencies and exhibited their work in what is now an annual exhibition in The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion in Fitzgerald’s Park, Cork City. The purpose of the award is for participants to create new artwork responding to the fascinating history and beauty of Spike Island, a renowned heritage site.” 

During the residency, Barbara benefited from support provided by Sirius Arts Centre through access to their artist apartments and expert mentorship from Director Miguel Amado. Miguel comments: “Sirius Arts Centre has consistently focused on supporting artists in creating new work that relates to the history of Cork Harbour, and this initiative is central to that mission. Barbara effectively highlights the connection between the people and the place of Spike Island, bringing attention to hidden architectural details and stories that reshape the public’s perception of this iconic landmark. Additionally, Barbara introduces a layer of archival references and techniques in her imagery that challenges conventional views on the storytelling potential of photography. This exhibition represents a significant advancement in this initiative and establishes a renewed understanding of Spike Island.”