An Excavation consists of a new body of work derived from Brennan’s long-term research project The Goods (2018–ongoing). Carried out in collaboration with forensic archaeologist Dr Christos Tsirogiannis, this multi-disciplinary project takes an in-depth look at the international traffic in looted antiquities.
Central to the exhibition is a major new film commission (An Excavation, 2022), documenting a forensic investigation into a crate of looted antiquities discovered at Geneva Freeport in 2014. This exhibition will also launch Illicit Antiquities Network, an ambitious digital project developed throughout Brennan’s fellowship. Taking the form of an online archive, the work maps the circulation of artefacts within the illicit network from looters and smugglers to auction houses and museums.
Maeve Brennan is an artist and filmmaker based in London, and was appointed to the Stanley Picker Fellowships at Kingston University in 2019. Working with moving image, installation, sculpture and printed matter, her practice explores the political and historical resonance of material and place. Brennan is currently participating in British Art Show 9 and was a recipient of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award 2021. Solo exhibitions include Chisenhale Gallery, London; The Whitworth, University of Manchester; Spike Island, Bristol; Mother’s Tankstation, Dublin; Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art in Turku, Finland; Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria and OUTPOST, Norwich. Her films have been screened internationally at festivals including International Film Festival Rotterdam, Sheffield Doc Fest and FILMADRID (Official Competition 2018). Brennan was a fellow of Home Workspace Program, Ashkal Alwan, Beirut (2013 -14) and was the recipient of the Jerwood/FVU Award 2018.
