THE LATEST FROM THE ARTS SECTOR

Array Nominated for Turner Prize 2021 Array Collective is a group of Belfast-based artists who create collaborative actions in response to issues affecting Northern Ireland. Their work encompasses performances, protests, exhibitions and events. The Turner Prize 2021 jury commended the way Array Collective fuse seriousness with humour, and address contemporary issues using ancient folk imagery. Recent projects include public artworks in support of the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland, challenging legislative discrimination of the queer community, and participation in the group exhibition ‘Jerwood Collaborate!’ in London.

Other shortlisted arts groups include London-based collective, Black Obsidian Sound System; London-based duo, Cooking Sections; Cardiff-based project, Gentle/ Radical; and Project Art Works, a collective of neurodiverse artists and makers based in Hastings.

One of the world’s best-known prizes for the visual arts, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. Established in 1984, the prize is named after the radical British painter JMW Turner (1775-1851). The Turner Prize winner is awarded £25,000 with £10,000 going to each of the others shortlisted.

The members of the Turner Prize 2021 jury are Aaron Cezar, Director, Delfina Foundation; Kim McAleese, Programme Director, Grand Union; Russell Tovey, Actor; and Zoé Whitley, Director, Chisenhale Gallery. The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, Director, Tate Britain.

Turner Prize 2021 is supported by the AKO Foundation, with additional support from The John Browne Charitable Trust and Lance Uggla.

Array Collective and Friends, The North is Now (one week after decriminalisation), 2020; photograph by Simon Mills, courtesy Array and Tate Press Office

Basic Income Guarantee Pilot Scheme VAI welcomes the announcement that a Basic Income Guarantee pilot scheme for artists will be part of the government’s recovery plan. Speaking following the Cabinet meeting on 1 June, Catherine Martin TD said that she was delighted to confirm that in the National Economic Recovery Plan announced that day, she has secured a commitment for Government to prioritise a Basic Income guarantee pilot scheme for artists.

Minister Martin said: “This was the number one recommendation from artists and the sector through the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce Report – Life Worth Living. It is an unprecedented move and the pilot scheme will involve a significant number of artists.”

She added: “We recognise that bold steps are necessary for our invaluable and much treasured arts community to come back stronger than ever before. I will therefore develop a proposal for the Basic Income guarantee pilot scheme by July, working with my Cabinet colleague Minister Heather Humphreys in the Department of Social Protection”.

The Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) sets out a framework for recovery as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERP pays particular attention to sectors most impacted, such as tourism and hospitality, live events and the arts, and will help kick start the recovery.

Minister Martin added: “This plan presented today goes a long way to meeting the commitments we made in the Programme for Government and in charting a path to recovery from the challenge of COVID-19. Crucially, the Plan specifically recognises the unique challenges that have been faced by sectors such as Tourism, the Events sector, Gaeltacht, Sports, Arts and Culture and Media, and sets out a package of supports that are being put into place to safeguard and stimulate these sectors.”

VAI look forward to seeing detailed plans for the roll out of the pilot scheme and to continuing our advocacy work in this area.

Turner Prize Shortlist Announced In early May, Tate Britain announced the shortlist for Turner Prize 2021: Array Collective, Black Obsidian Sound System, Cooking Sections, Gentle/Radical, and Project Art Works. An exhibition of their work will be held at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry from 29 September 2021 to 12 January 2022 as part of the UK City of Culture 2021 celebrations. The winner will be announced on 1 December 2021 at an award ceremony at Coventry Cathedral broadcast on the BBC.

This is the first time a Turner Prize jury has selected a shortlist consisting entirely of artist collectives. All the nominees work closely and continuously with communities across the breadth of the UK to inspire social change through art. The collaborative practices selected for this year’s shortlist also reflect the solidarity and community demonstrated in response to the pandemic.

Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and Chair of the Turner Prize jury, said: “One of the great joys of the Turner Prize is the way it captures and reflects the mood of the moment in contemporary British art. After a year of lockdowns when very few artists have been able to exhibit publicly, the jury has selected five outstanding collectives whose work has not only continued through the pandemic but become even more relevant as a result.”

Francis Nielsen, Cultural & Creative Director of Culture Coventry, said: “We are incredibly excited to work with the five collectives to present their work at the Herbert as part of UK City of Culture 2021. We pride ourselves on our socially engaged programme, rooted in and relevant to our local communities – something echoed by the practice of each collective. This selection of artists and the timing of this Turner Prize presents us with the opportunity to do something truly exceptional.”

Venice Architecture Biennale in 2021 The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. launched Ireland’s Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale on Thursday 20 May 2021. This year Ireland is represented by Annex, a multi-disciplinary research and design collective, comprised of a core team of architects, artists, and urbanists who are presenting an exhibition, titled ‘Entanglement’, which addresses how our everyday lives have become increasingly entangled with data technologies.

Launching the opening of the exhibition online, Minister Martin said:

“I congratulate Annex on this innovative and cutting edge exhibition which I know has been delivered in particularly challenging circumstances. The Venice Biennale remains the world’s most important international platform for presenting and discussing architecture. Since 2000, the Irish pavilion has showcased the range and vigour of Ireland’s diverse architectural culture and this year Ireland’s creative talents have delivered a special project with global resonance which I know will have wide reaching impacts.”

Ireland at Venice is an initiative of Culture Ireland in partnership with the Arts Council and the commitment to support and fund Ireland’s presence at the Venice Architecture Biennale enables Irish architects to achieve international exposure in line with the Government’s commitment to promote Ireland’s creative strengths globally.

Annex’s exhibition, situated in the Arsenale in Venice, responds to the overall theme How will we live together? set by Hashim Sarkis, the curator of Venice Architecture Biennale 2021.

‘Entanglement’ addresses the human, environmental and cultural impacts of communication technologies by highlighting the materiality of our digital age. The pavilion presents Ireland’s central place in the pan-national evolution of data infrastructure while reflecting the fact that historically Ireland has played a significant role in the story of data infrastructure. This dates back to 1858, when the world’s first transatlantic telecommunication cable landed at Valentia Island, off the south-west coast of Ireland. Extending from Newfoundland in Canada, the cable rendered the remote 11km-long island as the most connected node in a global telecommunications network.

‘Entanglement’ will be open as part of The Venice Architecture Biennale until 21 November 2021 and viewers can also engage with the exhibition through a dedicated website (entanglement.annex.ie) and Culture Ireland’s YouTube channel. On its return from Venice, ‘Entanglement’ will tour in Ireland in 2022, thus ensuring that Irish audiences can see the exhibition first-hand.

Creating Time Awards 2020/21 Winner of The Voice UK, Andrea Begley, is one of 11 d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists to be awarded £1,000 by a new grant programme run by the University of Atypical.

The Creating Time Awards is the first in a series of grant programmes funded by Unlimited and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to support Northern Ireland’s d/Deaf and disabled artists to develop their work and enable them to reach new audiences.

Awards were made to artists in the following disciplines: Dance, Literature and Language Arts, Drama and Theatre, Music and Opera, Visual Arts, Film, TV and Combined Arts. The next programme, the Chris Ledger Legacy awards, opened in May and is named after the former CEO of University of Atypical, who sadly passed away in the summer of 2020.

New Neon Commission at NSF The National Sculpture Factory (NSF) in association with Cork Midsummer Festival have commissioned a new public artwork by artist Eimear Walshe, entitled The Land for the People.

For the second year running, the National Sculpture Factory has commissioned a new public artwork for the Cork Midsummer Festival in the form of a neon artwork which will hang on the front facade of the NSF building. This year they have commissioned Walshe to create a new work which was publicly launched on the evening of the summer solstice, Monday 21 June, at 11pm. The illumination of this artwork was live streamed from the venue on Instagram TV and we can continue to watch it light up the darkness of our evenings right through to the winter solstice on Tuesday 21 December.

The Land for the People draws on Walshe’s research in nineteenth and early twentieth century land contestation in Ireland, and its significance in the contemporary era. The project comprises of a temporary neon sculpture and an interactive publication based on nineteenth century political pamphlets. The project is the latest in a series of works by Walshe which aim to re-imagine land ownership and land use in Ireland.

Eimear Walshe is an artist, writer, and educator from Longford. Their practice is based on research in fiscal and sexual economies and histories, working to reconcile the aesthetics, values and tastes of their queer and rural subjectivity in the production of sculpture, publishing, performances, and lectures. Walshe lives and works in county Longford. Recent projects and presentations include a Platform Commission for the 39th EVA International; ‘The Department of Sexual Revolution Studies’, Van Abbemuseum / Design Academy Eindhoven (2018); ‘Miraculous Thirst: How to get off in days of deprivation’, curated by Daniel Bermingham, Galway Arts Centre (2018); and ‘Separatist Tendencies for The Deviant Programme’, Van Abbemuseum (2017)