X-PO 2.77

The X-PO project was set up in order to establish a space for a long-term, public exchange process that could allow for open discourse on notions of “belonging” with/in rural communities in North Clare. It was re-openeded in a rural post office in Kilnaboy, North Clare, in December 2007 with the aim of providing a space for public, collective reflection in order to a review, recall and examine ideas of place, space and beonging in the rural west. By re-activating the post office; a place with a history of being a site of exchange and social contact, the intention was to enable the articulation of community history(ies) from within and without.
The initial programme of context specific events and exhibitions dealt with a number of issues affecting rural communities; relations between locals and newcomers, the impact of tourism on small rural communities and the effects of regulation on agricultural practices and local ecology. These events ran in tandem with social clubs and groups that began to use the space in 2008. The artworks generated a dialogue around the cultural authority of public “exhibitions” and began an process whereby a mapping group and a local history research group used the space to publicly frame and represent alternative accounts of local knowledge which are now available for reference in the X-PO.
The primary objective was that X-PO become a self-sustaining social and cultural space. Public meetings were held with the intention of creating a structure that would actively involve newcomers and locals. Teams were set up in August 2008 and the responsibility for running the space passed to the community. Clubs are active and exhibitions continue to be held in the space though not on a continuous basis. The Mapping and Tracing group run a monthly gathering where different individuals bring specific local knowledge to the table, freely exchanging information on aspects of the area from caves to dry-stone walls, Cillíns and Holy wells.