Emma Houlihan
Ireland
Emma Houlihan’s practice is influenced by urban exploration and the spatial dynamics of building and cities. Without resorting to a Utopian agenda or a superficial critique of cities and their institutions, her work reimagines notions of urban space and the interactions that take place there. Her current body of work explores free-running or parkour. The ultimate aim of parkour is to cross physical thresholds and to extend the possibilities of urban conduct. Parkour questions our conception of built space. Via parkour, the city, designed by architects, regulated by city councils and police, and used by millions of people, comes together as the idea of the city.
In her video, Everywhere is a Playground, parkour becomes a means to reimagine Limerick as the city begins a radical process of regeneration. Everywhere is a Playground also seeks to investigate how boundaries define us and attempts to map new ways of traversing them.
(Text: too early for vacation catalogue, 2008)
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