A crater in the Irish countryside

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Hi all,

What a pleasure it is to land in your inbox today.

In our last post, we spoke to Fabien Vallérian, the man who marries contemporary art with champagne. If you’re interested in reading about how he scouts for artists to collaborate with, you can find out in his Q&A here.

Speaking of champagne, and in a very convenient segue, do you know who can drink? The Irish.

It’s St Patrick’s Day and we’ve been thinking about how the Emerald Isle sits within the global art ecosystem. Ireland doesn’t always appear in the grand narrative of art history, but it’s doing its utmost to change that trajectory.

In today’s letter: James Turrell’s Irish landmark, how Ireland’s art ecosystem is shifting and why American money, new wealth and state support could reshape its future.

Tucked into the countryside of West Cork, at Liss Ard Estate, just outside Skibbereen, sits Irish Sky Garden, a monumental land artwork by contemporary artist James Turrell.

Turrell is best known for using light as his primary material. Over the past five decades he has built rooms, chambers and vast earthworks that alter the way we perceive the sky. Irish Sky Garden is one of his rare permanent, outdoor works, and what makes it even more remarkable is the unusual story of how it came to be.