Miriam de Búrca Noblesse Oblige

Noblesse Oblige, a nineteenth-century French expression, refers to the obligation of the upper classes to perform duties that the disadvantaged could not.

In a contemporary context, Miriam de Búrca uses this title to highlight the responsibility of those born into privilege to examine the lineage of their social and economic advantage over others, calling them to action to restore balance.

Noblesse Oblige features works exploring the legacies of ecological and imperial invasion. A series of drawings about burial sites in Ireland designated for those considered ‘unsuitable’ for consecrated ground are illustrated together with glass works made using an historic artform of etching into gilded gold leaf, depicting contemporary landscapes devastated by ecological disasters and recently toppled imperial statues.

Texts written by the artist raise questions about our need, as individuals and nations, to confront the consequences of unhindered institutional power that is now more destructive than ever.

Publisher: Cristea Roberts Gallery
Published 2024