What and Why
The Museum of Loss and Renewal is an art project that stimulates people to take time in which to generate and share thoughts, feelings and ideas. This happens through its residency programmes, and publishing activities.
The Individual Residency Programme Italy, Group Residency Programme Italy and Group Residency Programme Orkney provide space and contexts for making and sharing.
It is nurtured by artist, curator, educator and publisher Tracy Mackenna, with Associates Steve Dutton (art, curating, academia), Esméemilja Mackenna (art, ecology, disability, accessibilty), Giovanna MacKenna (Poet in Residence 2025), Fernanda Aránguiz M. (art, curating, publishing), Hilary Nicoll (archives, collections, object-memory) and Sanne Vermij (community, production, sustainability).
Since 2017, more than 300 residents have been welcomed, hosted, mentored and supported. Each is now a part of The Museum of Loss and Renewal.
Rather than being a museum in the traditional sense that accumulates ‘stuff’, The Museum of Loss and Renewal is a growing collection of experiences that are regularly shared through the activities of its curator, associates, collaborators, partners and residents, and is a vehicle that enables the consideration of how to lead a more balanced life.
The Museum of Loss and Renewal started in 2011 as a series of exhibitions with embedded interdisciplinary public symposia, artists’ publications and learning situations. It came into being in a period when Tracy worked with Edwin Janssen. Personal and societal attitudes towards end of life situations and issues were addressed through artistic approaches. Funding from The Wellcome Trust global charitable foundation that ‘… wants everyone to benefit from science’s potential to improve health and save lives’ supported initial work and lead to working with Scotland’s Highland Hospice, that provides free services to those in need, works in partnership with local communities and supports professional and unpaid carers.
The Museum of Loss and Renewal is a member of Res Artis, Scottish Contemporary Art Network etc.
At The Museum of Loss and Renewal Publishing you can see a deep love of material, design and the relationships between image, text and language in printed matter, multiples and artists’ books.