Aftershocks: The Sensory Afterlives of Violence
Centre for Heritage supported the development and public presentation of Aftershocks: The Sensory Afterlives of Violence, an exhibition and associated research programme held at Belfast School of Art, Ulster University, from 7 April to 13 May 2026.
About the project
by James Craig
The funding provided by the Centre for Heritage supported the development and public presentation of Aftershocks: The Sensory Afterlives of Violence, an exhibition and associated research programme held at Belfast School of Art, Ulster University, from 7 April to 13 May 2026. I curated the exhibition which brought together artists and researchers whose work examines the continuing sensory and embodied consequences of political violence, with a particular focus on difficult heritage, contested memory and the legacies of the Northern Irish Troubles.
The funding was primarily used to purchase and support the equipment and materials necessary to present the work publicly and to an appropriate professional standard. This included audio equipment, headphones, media playback devices, display materials, and printing. These resources were particularly important because several works in the exhibition relied upon sound and moving images. The funding therefore enabled the project to move beyond an initial research or curatorial proposal to an accessible public exhibition.
The exhibition included work by Saud Baloch, Conflict Textiles, James Craig, Allan Hughes, Cahal McLaughlin, Mairead McClean, Killian O’Dohertaigh, Louise Purbrick and Gail Ritchie. Together, the works explored how violence persists through bodily memory, domestic objects, landscapes, recordings, textiles, architectural spaces and acts of drawing. Rather than treating heritage as a fixed historical account, the core emphasis of the exhibition was to highlight how sensory and bodily trauma persists when it has not been properly dealt with.
The funding supported public-facing engagements surrounding the exhibition, with a reception that took place on 23rd April and an attendance of around 50 people. Each exhibitor gave a short description of their work in relation to the theme. This was followed by a public seminar on 6th May in response to the exhibition. The seminar included talks from Dr. Adrian Grant, Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, and Prof. Élise Féron, all from Ulster University, and included discussions on the remnants of violence in the built environment; the importance of thinking about bodies in violent contexts; and the role of theatre in portraying violence against women in conflict zones. A short article by Allan Leonard provides further detail on the seminar themes: ‘The violence is continuing’: scholars examine embodied memory of conflict – Slugger O'Toole.
The project strengthened relationships between Newcastle University, Belfast School of Art, Ulster University and INCORE, while also building upon work developed through the AHRC-funded Sensing the Troubles project which started through an AHRC networking grant just after Covid-19. The exhibition represents a culmination of the various network meetings and projects that have happened over the last 5 years and has created a visible platform for practice-based heritage research. Updates shared through social media and other online platforms also helped the project reach audiences that were unable to attend the exhibition in person.
The next stage of the work will involve developing publications and further exhibitions emerging from the project. I intend to explore opportunities to present aspects of Aftershocks in additional venues and to develop writing on the exhibition’s curatorial methodology, particularly its emphasis on sensory experience and material resonance. The outcomes of the project will also inform my ongoing research into drawing, difficult heritage and post-conflict memory, including my forthcoming monograph, These Troubled Drawings (Bloomsbury 2028).
