Watch: Creepy drone references US foreign policy in Inishowen

A still from artist John Beattie's creepy 'A Line of Inquiry' which is set in Dunree. A panel discussion on the work takes place on Sunday (January 24).

Mr Beattie’s work features a ‘drone’ operating in and around Dunree before executing a drawing within the Saldanha galleries at the Fort.

It was produced as part of Artlink 2013’s ‘Resistance and Rebellion’ project.

On Sunday from 2pm programme curator Declan Sheehan will facilitate a discussion between the artist, John Beattie; Col. Declan O’Carroll, Fort Dunree Board Member and well know historian and author; and Prof. Paul Mc Kevitt; who was at Fort Dunree as part of his FCA service in his youth.

According to Artlink: “The project is a provocative development of the artist’s practice, for example at his previous artist residency at the Irish Museum of Modern Art Beattie developed drawing machines where the mechanics of mark making fused with indivdual acts of expression.”

Mr Beattie uses the ‘drone’ to quote the US administration’s ‘there will be no boots on the ground’ regarding operations in the Middle East and Central Asia.

‘Unmanned aerial systems/vehicles’ are already being used here in a variety of contexts.

Last year Agriculture Minsiter Michelle O’Neill acknowledged drones are being used in Northern Ireland to monitor larch trees but could also be used in future to snoop on fraudulent farmers claiming too much in EU farm payments.

And the PSNI have already accessed ‘drone’ filmed footage for a County Londonderry investigation, according to Sky Watch Civil Air Patrol.

Sunday’s event is free. RSVP to [email protected] by 4pm Friday (January 24).