Memory Dress

Documentation of the Memory Dress project at St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork.

‘All hospitals are suffused with the whispering echoes of human agonies and joys. Whilst St.
Finbarr’s holds these timeless memories within its walls it also holds a special place in the
hearts and minds of the people of Cork. It is the site of the former workhouse and throughout
its lifetime has seen innumerable births and deaths.

As artists, we initiated a process whereby individuals associated with St. Finbarr’s Hospital
could share the memories of special moments or special people in their lives by creating
“dressworks”. Dress is a potent cultural symbol; a mundane and unobtrusive part of everyday
life yet also integrally part of special occasions and memorable rites of passage. Everyone has
items of clothing they remember – their own or others. We wanted to examine individual and
collective memory associated with dress.’