Jess Kav is a member of The Dirty Laundry Collective which consists of artists Kate Finegan, Alison Lowry and Laura Sheeran.

The collective’s first work named “Venous Returns” was commissioned by the National Museum Ireland as an artistic response to the official Mother and Baby Homes Report.

This report that misrepresents and diminishes the abuse afflicted on the women and children who endured such institutions , Venous Returns explors intergenerational trauma, female rage and bodily autonomy.

In these musical compositions Kav explored extended vocal techniques, melancholic harmonies, large vocal layering, claustrophobic soundscapes and pushing against both the top and the bottom boundaries of her vocal range.

She was guided by Laura Sheeran, director of “Venous Returns” and soundscape mentor Dr Isaac Gibson. This was a personally challenging work, touching on her own intergenerational trauma but the process provided catharsis and community.

“Venous Returns” was filmed on site in Clarke’s Square of the National Museum, using both cardioid and ambisonic mics to capture the spacial tensions between the small enclaves and the wide military square’s booming reverberations, providing an opportunity to exhibit the work as both a film viewing and immersive sonic experience.