Comments following Anamnesis Exhibition at University Maternity Hospital Limerick, September 2014
“Marie, you have brought such beautiful calmness and serenity to our hospital through the Amulet exhibition; it is the most moving experience I have witnessed. Thank you.”
“Beautiful to listen to. Gives us an opportunity to reflect; truly listen.”
“Dear Marie, I really feel very strongly about the work. Thank you for bringing this into the Mat (hospital), I feel the healing effect will be felt for many years to come.”
“This is an inspiring, beautiful experience, full of emotion – makes real the deep sense of loss in such a sensitive manner. Thank you, well done.”
“It is so important to allow healthcare workers understand the feelings and emotions of bereavement. Thank you.”
“An excellent insight into our world. Your life changes forever when you bury your child. On the outside you may seem the same – inside you see the world differently. A moving and emotional experience to hear other mothers stories, and to be able to relate to them.”
“Dear Marie, I really feel I will be a better Midwife, with more empathy and more understanding of how people feel when they have lost their baby. Thank you so much.”
“A beautiful concept, so heart wrenching yet oddly soothing to hear the meaning behind the pictures. Thank you for sharing this with me.”
“Absolutely amazing. Thank you for bringing this to Limerick.”
“Beautiful presentation of a very difficult topic. Well done.”
“Moving, emotional, beautiful and inspiring … It made me cry, it made me smile, and made me think”
“Great to get the opportunity to see and hear the stories. Excellent work.”
“Very moving and thought provoking.”
“I am in awe of what you have achieved. Keep going with this type of work – it is very necessary. We still have a lot of silence and secrecy in this country.”
“A time to pause, a time to reflect, a time to remember.”
“Wonderful experience. A beautiful presentation.”
“It’s very brave to talk openly about such painful memories.”
“It was excellent to see an insight from the parents.”
“Very powerful and emotional. A wonderful exhibition.”
“Honest and open.”
“Lovely exhibition. Very sad but true to the heart.”
“Sad yet uplifting story.”
“Highlights the importance of the memories that families leave the hospital with, very moving.”
“The loss of any baby and its severity can never be under-estimated. The project re-iterates how important it is in our role as midwives to give every woman, her partner and family, the dignity, space, respect etc that they deserve in their time of loss. A fantastic work of art; it will aid in helping many grieving parents. Well done, I’m so glad you brought it to the University Maternity Hospital Limerick.”
“A male perspective would also be invaluable.”
“It was like I was sitting there, face to face, listening to the woman.”
“What a beautiful project. In all the hurt and grief, this project has helped so many families and close friends move forward… It is so thoughtfully presented, so beautifully done.”
“I thought it was lovely to hear how some women in their stories were now able to see the positive and remember their little babies in a positive light.”
“Listening to these women’s stories and the positive outcome they have had, having their Amulet to focus their love and loving gestures on their babies, has been very moving. Without this piece of work, the significance of this precious talisman could be overlooked in the grieving process. It makes sense to have a physical item represent this time, but mores the sacredness of this items has been re-enforced for me through the exhibit.”
“We must be better in the workplace, in every place, in acknowledging if a Mom’s baby dies, and in particularly with the Dad’s too. But what is it that stops us?. There are no formal rituals – if someone dies I can get information online of the removal or the mass, if a baby dies, it may not be like that. We have got to get out there and be of support to bereaved parents; but people are afraid of their own pain. The Amulet is fantastic for that reason. We are better off now, because of this artwork. There is something very special now, out there, public (the artwork), and as a result of this work, educating us, we will be, hopefully, better able to care for, and care about, Mothers and Fathers.”
” I am thrilled and honored to be here tonight. We congratulate you Marie, we are honored that you have come here to us and we wish you well; what you have produced is a tremendous work of art, and of great comfort for all of us. Well done Marie”
“This exhibition is about making infant bereavement visible … a dis-enfranchised group”
Comments following Anamnesis Exhibition at Galway Arts Centre, August 2014
“An exhibition of art that explores an immensely meaningful and worthwhile subject. Nothing like I’ve seen before.”
“Profoundly moving.”
“Beautiful, tender, touching work. Gorgeously presented down to the last detail. Once I started listening, I had to listen to each one, somehow the integrity and vulnerability of the work demanded that each woman’s story and sharing be listened to and heard.”
“The most moving thing I have experienced in my life.”
“Very authentic.”
“I am the oldest of two. This made me think about the older sibling my parents didn’t get to have.”
“An emotional and challenging experience. Really beautiful.”
“Thought provoking exhibition on infant loss, very touching and genuine. It’s even disturbing an eerie at times – wow. I would love to attend a similar exhibition seen from men’s perspective and/or in the context of an older child. Keep up the good work.”
“This is a beautiful, honest and raw exhibition.”
“It is good that we are not forgotten in our grieving days.”
“Exquisite and tender. A deeply moving portrayal of the suffering of loss and longing – so much part of human life (and death).”
“Beautiful exhibition that has given me lots to think about.”
“Beautiful and though provoking. An honor to silent Mothers everywhere.”
“ Working with you on the Amulet has been an adventure, a challenging journey and a privileged space. Thank you for your frankness and honesty and for the beautiful space this Amulet now holds to honor our children’s lives.”
Comments following Anamnesis Exhibition at The Index Gallery, Waterford Central Library | April/May 2013
“About bloody time that an inclusive multidisciplinary piece like this has reached the library, the simplicity and extremely careful thought out nature of it is wonderful – bravo.”
“Fabulous idea and concept for the voiceless.”
“Very moving and powerful exhibition. Loved it.”
“Living Loving Loosing + learning to laugh and love again.”
“I feel very silly at the moment crying after 34 years after loosing my little boy Gregory … Thankyou you approached the subject very well.”
“What an important exhibition.”
“It was very moving. I lost my little boy 3 years ago. Its nice to have something to remind us …”
“Lovely idea. Lost a couple of babies, stays with you always.”
“What an exhibition. So full of courage and integrity. Really reminded me of my brother who lives for 2 days over 45 years ago and I never saw. Thankyou all for sharing and helping me honour my brother. I was 7 at the time.”
Comments following Anamnesis Exhibition at Sirius Arts Centre, Cork | March/April 2013
“An exhibition of art that explores an immensely meaningful and worthwhile subject. Nothing like I’ve seen before.”
“Thank you. One doesn’t feel so alone.”
“An extraordinary exhibition created by an extraordinary artist.”
“Powerful stuff.”
“A very intimate and personal experience listening and looking at the photographs/images. I love the look and feel of the materials – it works well with the poignant subject matter. I hope many people can experience the exhibition and it tours nationally and beyond. Thankyou to all for your courage in sharing.”
“The stories are moving and honest. Brave women. Marie show great warmth and compassion.”
“It leaves a lot for me to ponder on my journey home … such a poignant, emotive project.”
“Or me it brought back the loss of our child, which I had forgot, thinking what that child would have been like now. This exhibition is long overdue.”
“Such a powerful show.”
“Hopefully women will be able to grieve and speak openly as a result of this work.”
“Very moving and comforting.”
“I am from South Korea. Here is beautiful memory for me”.