About

Dr Paula McCloskey is an Associate Professor of Art and Visual Culture. Her research engages with the colonial violence of nation-state borders, environmental justice and issues around maternity and reproductive health. Her art practice is often site-specific and participatory using film, performance, sound, publications and sculpture. Approaching her practice research as a praxis, she engages ‘fictioning’ as a tool to challenge hegemonic imaginaries (such as carbon), as well as an applied way to think and act differently in the pursuit of social justice. She has had solo shows, been included in exhibitions and festivals. She is co-founder, along with Dr Sam Vardy, of the art and spatial research practice ‘a place of their own’ (www.aplaceoftheirown.org) which has received national and international funding awards since 2010.

She is widely published with her academic publications that consider border imperialism and fictioning; climate and fictioning; and maternity and visual art. In 2024 she co-edited a Special Issue of Architecture and Culture (2024), Border-Fictions, which explore her and Dr Sam Vardy’s concept of border-fictioning which emerged from their long-term practice research, the Eile Project. She sits on the College of Health and Humanities Doctoral Research Committee and is a member of the College's Ethics Committee.

Research interests

McCloskey’s supervision expertise aligns with her own research in the visual arts which includes interests in borders, climate, maternity and reproductive health, arts-based research methods and social justice. She has supervised PhDs on:

• AI and Ethics is Art
• Climate and Art
• Heritage and Contemporary Art
• Participatory and Socially Engaged Art
• Fictioning Practices in Art and Design
• Borders and Art

Recent publications

Peer-reviewed Publications

McCloskey, P. and Vardy, S. (2024) ‘Border-Fiction(ing)s in Ireland: Emergence and Potentials of Border-Fiction(ing)s in the Eile Project’, Architecture and Culture, 12(1–2), pp. 17–39. doi: 10.1080/20507828.2025.2526271.

McCloskey, P., Vardy, S. and Hafeda, M. (2024) ‘Editorial: Border Fictions’, Architecture and Culture, 12(1–2), pp. 7–15. doi: 10.1080/20507828.2025.2530869.

McCloskey, P. and Vardy, S. (2024) ‘Eile {Border-Fictioning}’, Architecture and Culture, 12(1–2), pp. 1–4. doi: 10.1080/20507828.2025.2549181.

McCloskey, P., & Vardy, S. 2024, ‘Borders as Fiction Ecologies’, Field: 9 (1) doi: https://doi.org/10.62471/field.145

McCloskey, P. and Vardy, S. 2023. Fragile Cartographies of Border Fictioning. in: Zaman, Q. M. and Hall, G. (ed.) Border Urbanism: Transdisciplinary Perspectives, Switzerland, Springer. Doi 10.1007/978-3-031-06604-7_15

McCloskey, P. 2021, ‘The inhuman Within: Beyond the Biopolitical Intrauterine Imaginary, Studies in Gender and Sexuality. 22 (3) pp 174-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/15240657.2021.1961494

Duffy, C., Hawkes, J., Lovett, L., McCloskey, P., Šimić, L., Svendsen, Z., Townley, A. (2021). FAN Mothers in Our Fragile Social Network against Climate Change. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, 12(2). https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40629

McCloskey, P. and Vardy, S. 2020, ‘Performing Geopower: Resistance and Border- fictioning’, in SCENE (Special Edition: Contemporary Irish Performance) 8(1-2), pp. 195-212.https://doi.org/10.1386/scene_00032_1

McCloskey, P., and Vardy, S., 2020, 'The Material-Discursive Border & Territorial- Apparatuses {The Eile Project}'. Building Material, 23, pp. 1-28. ISBN 9780902345096

McGarry, J. Hinsliff-Smith, K. Evans, C. and McCloskey, P. 2017, ‘The experiences and impact of mistreatment and obstetric violence for women during childbearing: Protocol for a systematic review of qualitative evidence Protocol for a systematic review of qualitative evidence’, JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports. 15(3), 620-627 doi: 10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-002950 

McCloskey, P. 2016, ‘Paula McCloskey’ in Contemporary Mamactivist Artists: A Forum on Maternal Activist Art for the Special Issue: The Everyday Maternal Practice: Activist Structures in Creative Work, Studies in the Maternal. Doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/sim.224

Hogan, S, Baker, C, Cornish, S, McCloskey, P. 2015, ‘Natal Signs: Exploring Pregnancy, Birth and the Transition to Motherhood Using Participatory Arts’, in Burton, N. (ed.) Birth & Its Meaning: Representations of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenting. Canada: Demeter Press. ISBN 9781926452326

McCloskey, P. 2013, 'Post-Partum Document and Affect' in Special Edition Maternal Aesthetics: The Surprise of the Real, Studies of the Maternal 5 (1). Doi https://doi.org/10.16995/sim.121

McCloskey, P. 2012, 'Paula McCloskey in Conversation with Mary Kelly' Studies in the Maternal 4. Doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/sim.60

McCloskey, P. 2012, 'The Potentiality of Encounters: A Response to Lisa Baraitser's Maternal Encounters' Studies in Gender and Sexuality 13 (2). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15240657.2012.682908

McCloskey, P. 2011, 'Transformative Birth' Association of Radical Midwives Journal 1(2)

McCloskey, P., (2010) “A cartography of maternity, subjectivity and art-encounters”, Studies in the Maternal 2(1), 1-13. doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/sim.92

Creative Practice Projects and Outputs

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, The 9 Freedoms for the Air, 2024-2025, this comprised of a 9-month art and science research residency as part of Creative Climate Action funded The Air We Share in Galway Ireland. Receiving national attention, this collaborative project involved 11 community creative workshops. Outputs: Large collectively stitched textile, sound installation with artist Gary Stewart, digital prints, events and an exhibition at Galway Art Centre 16/08/25-21/09/25.

Liz Coleman, Paula McCloskey, Sam Vardy, Mairéad Hurley, Spéirscéalta / Stories of the Air, 2021-2024, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded art and science project by Samhail Collective (Dr Paula McCloskey, architect Dr Sam Vardy MTU, Cork, Ireland; physicist Dr Liz Coleman, NUI Galway, Ireland; Science Educator, Dr Mairéad Hurley, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland). We used participatory arts to explore the politics of the air and atmosphere, both locally in Galway and Connemara and globally. Activities included walks, conversations, performances, and creative workshops held across Galway and Connemara between 2021 and 2023 delivered by the Samhail team. 18 separate engagement events, with a total of 557 individuals. Outputs: Bilingual book: Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, (Eds) Spéirscéalta / Stories of the Air, 2024, The University of Galway (122 pages), ISBN: 978-1-911-690-18-4 and Project Film

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Eile {Border-Fictioning}, Exhibition, 30 June- 33 July 2022, Arts Council England funded. The exhibition was an assemblage of elements from the ongoing research in the border in Ireland since 2013. Outputs: Exhibition, installation including films, sculptures, digital print and live performance.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Wet/ Land / Dwellers, 2021-22. Participatory art project commissioned by Arts Catalyst for their prestigious Emergent Ecologies Programme, Arts Council England funded. This project included an array of creative engagement activities performance walks, sound walks, story-telling workshops, building on the work of ‘Myths for a Wetland Imaginary’ (see below) to explore global wetlands, this de-colonial co-inquiry (local people and scientists) in Rotherham and Sheffield, UK. Outputs: Zine: Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy (eds) ‘The Willow’, 2022, (28 pages), ISBN: 978-0-9927776-4-7.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, The Air we Breathe: Sites of Sympoiesis, Architecture at the Edge Festival commission, Ireland, 2020/2 with Science Foundation Ireland and MARiE funding. We used participatory art (local communities/scientists) investigating the politics of air in Galway, Ireland. Activities included walks, conversations, performances, and film workshops held across Galway, Ireland Outputs: Film, performance walk and public-realm sculpture, AV film; Science Foundation Ireland and MARiE fund.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Myths for a Wetlands Imaginary, 2019. Art Catalyst commission and Art Fund funded. We used participatory art (local communities/scientists) exploring global wetlands, this decolonial co-inquiry (local people and scientists). included 3-month residency (Walthamstow Wetlands, London, UK). Outputs: Multi-media installation Winn Gallery London.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Geopower (Spatial Self Organisation Against Injustice), 2019, Arts Catalyst commission. Outputs: Performance walk, curated event and participatory workshop around post- extraction landscape of Orgreave/Treeton (Rotherham/Sheffield, UK).

Angela Bartram and Paula McCloskey, Otherlings, 2019, Co-Curated Exhibition, Art Core, Derby, UK.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Eile/Lobster’, 2019, Film screening at Otherlings Exhibition, Artcore, Derby, UK.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, 'Insensible', 2019, Film screening at Is There a Future? Art on Reproduction, the Ecological Crisis and Our Future, Ugly Duck, London, UK.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘The Territories of Eile’, 2018, Film screening, Departure Lounge Festival, Derby, UK, July 2019.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Borders: The Eile Project, 2019, Creative workshop on ‘a place of their own’ Mansions of the Future, Lincoln, InDialogue, 20th Nov 2019.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Kin-Entanglement, 2018-2019, Participatory performance 'Lab' at The Social Art Summit, Sheffield and at Tate Exchange, London.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Territories of Eile’, 2018, Film screening: an exhibition of experimental moving images in Manifest Dismantling at Boston Cyberarts, USA co-curated by Mobius artists El Putnam and Margaret Bellafiore.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Territories of Eile’, 2018, Film screening, The Cave, Uni of Leeds.

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy 'Becoming-Animal’, 2016, Film screening. Royal College of Art, UK, 2016.

Paula McCloskey, Group Exhibition: ‘Drawing Through Maternal Subjectivity’ 2009-2010, 2016: She Art of Now, Chapel Walk Gallery, Sheffield, UK.

Paula McCloskey, Maternal Encounter Series, 2010, Ink drawing on Paper, Natal Signs, Derby Enterprise Centre, Derby, UK, 2015.

Paula McCloskey, Maternal Encounter, 2010, Ink drawing on Paper, Birth Shock – The Circle, Sheffield, UK. 2014.

Paula McCloskey, Maternal Encounter, 2010, Ink drawing on Paper, Maternal Subjectivity and Art: Artsmill Gallery Hebden Bridge, UK, 2014.

Paula McCloskey, Maternal Encounter, 2010, Ink drawing on Paper, The Start and End of Life, University of Salford, UK, 2013.
Other Creative Publications

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, (Eds) Spéirscéalta / Stories of the Air, 2024, The University of Galway (122 pages), ISBN: 978-1-911-690-18-4

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy (eds) The Willow Zine, 2022, (28 pages), ISBN: 978-0-9927776-4-7

McCloskey, P. 2018, ‘A Place of Their Own’, Multivoices in Research: Orlek, J. Ed., East Street Arts

McCloskey, P. 2016, 'Lay of the Land: Landscape and Other Stories', Victoria Lucas, Artist Catalogue. Invited to write about the artist’s work

McCloskey, P. 2015, 'Art and the Maternal: An Ongoing Relation' M/Voices, April

McCloskey, P. 2010 `Maternal Matters: The Political Aesthetic of Lena Šimic #263;' Arts Council Catalogue

Films

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Eile / Bog, 2022 HD Film with audio, 5’56”

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Eile / Lobster, 2019 HD Film with audio, 11’27”

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Myths for a Wetland Imaginary, 2019, HD Film with audio, 3’55”

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Insensible, 2019, HD Film with audio, 9’36”

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Territories of Eile, 2017, HD Film with audio, 3’55”

Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Becoming Animal, 2016, HD Film with audio, 8’’39”

Membership of professional bodies

• Advisory Panel Member, M/other Voices Foundation: Research into maternity and art, Rotterdam, 2014 – ongoing
• Associate Fellowship Higher Education Academy

Qualifications

PhD Art, Maternal and Matrixial Encounters, University of Sheffield, 2014

Recent conferences

Conferences Paper Presentations

• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, Performing Fiction-Ecologies as Co-Inquiries, University of Derby, UK, 12 November, 2025.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Towards a decolonial counter-cartography of the Border-Busters, Ireland, 68-98’, Architectural Humanities Research Association International Symposium, Regions, Loughborough University, 11-13 November 2021.
• Paula McCloskey ‘The non/inhuman within: Beyond the Biopolitical Intrauterine Imaginary’, Frontiers of Humanity and Beyond: Towards new Critical Understandings of Borders Conference, CHAM – Centre for the Humanities of NOVA FCSH, Lisbon Portugal, 21-23 July 2021
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy ‘Eile Project - Geopower and the Border in Ireland’, The Line Crossed Us Conference, University of Lethbridge, Canada, 10-11 June 2021
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy ‘Geopower: Resistance and Border-fictioning’, Vibrant Practices Symposium, University of Leeds,  16-17 April 2021
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy ‘Border-fictioning’, Art in the Anthropocene, International Conference in Trinity College Dublin, 7-9 June 2019.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy ‘Border Fields, Spatial Apparatuses’, Eile Project, Field Conditions Conference, Architecture Association, Dublin, Ireland June 2019.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy ‘Eile Project’, Urbanism at Borders, Interdisciplinary Global Research Network, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, September 2019.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy (Im)possible Complicities / Conference and Screening Programme, Berlin. http://www.tesserae.eu/project/impossible-complicities/ Joint presentation in collaboration with Architecture Sans Frontiers and Studio Polpo, 4 May 2019.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy ‘The Territories of Eile’, The Audiovisual Body Symposium, University of Huddersfield, 9-12 June 2018
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy ‘Becoming-Animal' Performance. ‘Gender Generation’ at the Royal College of Art. 8-9 September 2016.
• Paula McCloskey ‘Artificial intelligence, art and affect: Exploring the matrixial possibilities in Micha Cárdenas Becoming-Dragon and Lise Autogena and Joshua Portway, Black Shoals Stock Market Planetarium’ Subrealism: A Series of Events on the Work of Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger, 8-11 October 2014, National University of Ireland Maynooth.
• Paula McCloskey, ‘Visual Culture and the Maternal., “Mum’s the Word”, conference, De Montfort University, Leicester, organised by the MaMSIE network (Mapping Maternal Subjectivities, Identities and Ethics), 4 January 2009
• Paula McCloskey, Art and Maternal Encounters’, (M)other Trouble Conference, Birkbeck, London organised by the MaMSIE network (Mapping Maternal Subjectivities, Identities and Ethics) 10 May 2009

Invited Speaker

• Paula McCloskey, ‘Speculative Ecologies’, at Oppositions and Intersections Research Seminar Series, Cork Centre for Architectural Education, Cork, Ireland, 26 February 2024.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Eile (Border-Fictioning): Matter and the Co-existence of Difference’, at Matter Out of Place - Creative Inquiry Forum, School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, 24 November, 2023. 
• Paula McCloskey, ‘A place of their own: Art, Activism, Research’ Arts, Activism and Sustainability Bauman Institute, Leeds 27 April 2022.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘The Eile Project: Fiction and the Border in Ireland’ Crossing the line: contested borders and bounded space in Ireland’ , University College London (UCL) Institute of Advanced Studies online festival ‘Alternative Epistemologies. 4 May 2022.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Rural Imaginaries’ Artist Roundtable, Art Core, Derby, UK, 8 January, 2022.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Border Fictioning and Counter Cartographies of Border Towns’ The Border and Irish Towns, Talking Towns policy seminar, University College Dublin (UCD) Centre for Irish Towns and UCD Earth Institute, 3 March 2022.
• Paula McCloskey, ‘A place of their own: Ethics and Aesthetics’, Arts, Activism and Human Rights, Leicester Human Rights, Arts and Film Festival, 9 December 2021.
• Paula McCloskey, ‘Stopping the Fucking Wheel’ at Missing Mothers Conference, Bolton Uni, in association with Desperate Art Wives. International Discussion In discussion: Paula McCloskey (A Place of Their Own, UK); Martina Mullaney (Enemies of Good art, UK), Amy Dignam (Desperate Artwives, UK), , Lesly Deschler Canossi and Zoraida Lopez-Diago (Women Picturing Revolution, US), Ruchika Wason Singh (AMMAA, India) 22-23 April 2021.
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘Myths for A Wetland Imaginary’, Work in Progress, NN Contemporary, Northampton, UK, 27 June 2020. 
• Paula McCloskey and Sam Vardy, ‘a place of their own’, Transitional Landscapes: Collective learning and cross media practices, Bloc Artspace, Sheffield, organized by Depart. of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield, UK, 9 April 2020.
• Paula McCloskey: ‘The Artists Journey', Transmissions, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, 12 March 2018.
• Paula McCloskey, 'Reflections on Belongings and Becomings; Art, Maternity and Family Activism', Airspace Gallery Stoke, Stoke, UK, 20 May 2017. 
• Paula McCloskey, 'a place of their own: Art and the Family as a Place of Radical Imagination', Multivoices in Research: Co-Interpreting Art and Architecture, East Street Arts, Leeds 4 May 2017.

Experience in industry

McCloskey has experience of working in contemporary art organisations, such as Site Gallery Sheffield where she worked as Participation Lead from 2016-2018.

In the media

McCloskey is a regular public speaker on borders and art and climate change and art both in the UK and Ireland and her work has appeared in national press, such as the Irish Times.

Teaching responsibilities

McCloskey convenes and lectures on UG and PG contemporary art modules.