WATERMARK featured the work of four artists, and formed part of the programme of events celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. Curatorial research and practice on this project involved the development of an overarching curatorial theme, the commissioning of three artists (David Lilburn, Aaron Lawless and Fiona Hallinan) working within a range of visual media in order to reflect, explore and expand on the presence and history of the Academy, and the practical management of the installation and position of the work in situ. Playwright Helena Enright was also commissioned to produce a piece of writing for the catalogue. The work of these artists was contextualised in a curatorial essay for the show, and through the accompanying catalogue. A display of archival material from the Academy's history also accompanied the show, which was launched by Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, with a reading by Professor Meg Harper and a performance by the Cantoral vocal ensemble.
The research work in curatorial practice includes the engagement with the exhibition proposal and commission, creative engagement with themes emerging, the development of a conceptual frame for the exhibition, the commissioning of artists who will appropriately engage with and extend the curator's conceptualisation of the conceptual frame, the development of associated exhibition publications (including further commissions for contributions), the writing of exhibition text in an expressive (as opposed to academic) registers, and the development of launch and outreach events in order to effectively communicate and disseminate the results of the curatorial and artistic work carried out.