Renèe Helèna Browne

Renèe Helèna Browne’s work for TULCA comprises four new vocal soundscapes that form part of an ongoing oral archiving project of Urania, a little-known journal which was privately published from 1916 to 1940.

Urania’s main editors were Irish poet and activist Eva Gore-Booth, English activist Esther Roper, and English lawyer Irene Clyde. Through Urania, the editors formed an informal network of 250 subscribers. The journal foregrounded fluidity as an ideal model of gender and sexuality, and each issue produced began with the statement, “There are no ‘men’ or ‘women’ in Urania.”

The publication, a black-inked A3-folded newsprint, featured a mosaic of texts ranging from reprinted articles from newspapers around the world to editorial commentaries and poetry — all of which gave readers an alternative political and cultural basis of expression on androgyny and love. These texts are currently archived at both the Glasgow Women’s Library and the London School of Economics.

Rebuilding Urania: Episode One is made up of four aural contributions by different speakers invited by the artist to read an article from Urania. Following each reading is a personal response or reflection by each contributor, opening up new discussions on this radical historical journal.

Renèe Helèna Browne is an Irish artist based between Glasgow and Donegal. Browne makes vocal soundscapes, essay films and angsty drawings. They are 2021-2023 Talbot Rice Resident Artist with ECA at the University of Edinburgh and 2021 Sunset Kino Award winner for their film ‘Daddy’s Boy’ with the Salzburger Kunstverein. Browne is currently developing work for presentation with Dublin Digital Radio, Project Arts Centre, Lux Scotland, PAKT with David Dale Gallery, and CCA Glasgow. They are supported by the Arts Council of Ireland Visual Arts Bursary 2021.

Image: Rebuilding Urania: Episode One 2021. Four track audio work on MP3 players, wall paint, vinyl and chairs. Photo: Ros Kavanagh