‘New Sites-New Fields’ is an ongoing arts and landscape research project developed at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton, North Leitrim, Ireland.

The project explores the processes by which ‘landscape’ is transformed and understood historically and in the present whilst developing new models of arts practice that engage with its social and ecological concerns.

This first edition of New Sites-New Fields invited twelve artists from Ireland to embark on a research led arts project focusing on the natural and human landscapes of County Leitrim.

Artists chose a range of sites reflecting their particular interests and interpreted these in response to a number of themes set by the curator as well as through discussions with specialists and local communities.

The culmination of their work was an exhibition at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre in October 2008 as well as a number of site-specific interventions across the region.

Specialists from the fields of archaeology, ecology, cultural geography, vernacular and communication studies, local history, conservation, paleoglaciology, land surveyance, nature studies, cartography and engineering contributed to the artists research.

“New Sites- New Fields I” would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Arts Council, Green Box and Leitrim County Council.