The Visual Artists’ News Sheet ISSUE 3 2009 May – June Published by Visual Artists Ireland Ealaíontóirí Radharcacha Éire
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
2
Introduction
May – June 2009
Contents
Introduction
Contents
Welcome to the May / June edition of the Visual Artists News Sheet.
1. Cover Image. Ronan McCrea. School Play. Educate Together School, Castleknock, Dublin 15.
A number of Visual Artists Ireland projects are covered in this issue. Maya Weimer and Jonny McCauly & John Callaghan outline their experiences on last year’s Exercises in Folkatronica – Visual Artists Ireland's annual media production residency award (pg 18). Sara Baume reports on a VAI Supported weekend of live art organised by Performance Collective, held at Catalyst Arts, Belfast, in February (pg 19). Details of the current and next round of the VAI’s professional development training for visual artists workshops can be found on page 34. VAI members are also reminded to register with the Living Artists Archive – a resource for curators and researchers interested in contemporary Irish visual art. The application form and full details are on page 35. In this issue we welcome our second new regular columnist – Chris Fite-Wassilak a writer based in
3. International Column. Yilmaz Dziewior & Angelika Nollert. Limerick in Art. 3. Roundup. Recent exhibitions and projects of note. 4. Column. Seamus Kealy. Biennalism. 5. Column. Michael Burke. Creativity – wha'tha'? 7. News. The latest developments in the arts sector. 10. Profile. Art Parlour. Fiona Fullam profiles the Galway based artist-led initiative 126. 11. International. Another World is Possible. Augustine O’Donoghue and Carol Anne Connolly report on
their experience of curating an exhibiton of Irish art at the ninth World Social forum in Belém, Brazil
(27 January – 1 Feburary 2009).
London, who contributes to Frieze amongst other publications. Yilmaz Dziewior and Angelika Nollert,
12. Art in the Public Realm: Focus. Looks Like Art, Smells Like Teen Spirit. Áine Ivers reports on ‘Reverb; An
the curators of this years’ e v+ a in Limerick, are this editions international columnists – they share their
thoughts on the show and their outlook on contemporary Irish art practice.
13. How is it Made? Art, Life and Zoo Animals. Sara Baume and Barry White in conversation with Fischli
In early June, the latest edition of Printed Project – issue 11, will be distributed to VAI members and outlets across Ireland and abroad. The curator / editor for this edition is Sarat Maharaj, Professor of Art History and Theory at Goldsmiths College and Professor of Visual Art and Knowledge Systems, Lund University, Sweden. Maharaj is a specialist in the work of Marcel Duchamp, James Joyce and Richard Hamilton. He was a co-curator of the Third Guangzhou Triennial (together with Gao Shiming and Johnson Chang) 2008 and a co-curator for Documenta 11, 2002. Entitled ‘Farewell to Post-Colonialism – Querying the Guangzhou Triennial 2008’ the edition is
Exhibition of Youth Arts’ at the Concourse, Dún Laoghaire, 27 February – 11 March 2009. and Weiss, about their exhibition at the Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin.
14. Regional Profile. Visual Arts Resources & Activity in County Fingal.
18. VAI Projects. Exercises in Folkatronica 2008 . Maya Weimer and Jonny McCauly & John Callaghan outline
their experiences on last year's 'Exercises in Folkatronica' – Visual Artists Ireland's Annual media
production residency award.
19. VAI Projects. Actually Living. Sara Baume reports on a VAI supported weekend of live art organised
by Performance Collective, held at Catalyst Arts, Belfast (20 – 26 February).
based on a series of reflections, extensions and musings emerging from and around the triennial. Further
20. Career Development. Critical Mass. Martin Healy talks about recent developments in his art career.
details are included in the advertisement for the issue on the back page.
21. Conference Report. Underscoring Success. Sara Baume Reports on ‘_Unit’ A residency project for
Visual Artists Ireland are privileged to have the opportunity of launching Printed Project at the
Portlaoise town and surrounds (November 2008 – February 2009)
Venice Biennale, in association with Culture Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The launch
22. How is it Made? Everything and Everywhere. Ronan McCrea discusses the thinking and making
event takes place on 5 June, in the garden space of the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
processes behind his comission for Castleknock Educate Together School, Dublin.
exhibitions. It will comprise a discussion event, led by Sarat Maharaj based on the issues raised by
25. Art the Public Realm Roundup. Recent public art commissions, site-specific works, socially engaged
“Farewell to Post-Colonialism”. Full details will shortly be posted on the VAI website and e-bulletin.
Irish visitors to Venice are also very welcome to attend the Slovenian exhibition at Venice – a showing of work by Miha Strukelj, which has been co-curated by Noel Kelly, CEO of Visual Artists Ireland and Alenka Gregoric.
practice and other forms of art outside the gallery.
26. Artists Books. Listings of recently published monographs and artists books.
26. VAI Western Representive. Stepping Out. Aideen Barry, VAI West of Ireland Representative reports on
visual arts activity in Donegal.
27. Opportunities. All the lastest grants, awards, commissions ect.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM
32. Conference Report. Activation. VAI CEO Noel Kelly reports on a gathering of European visual artist representative organizations, organised in December 2009 by Maison des Artistes, Paris.
Name: Address:
33. Project Profile. Exploring Creativity and Technology. Mags Walsh reports on ‘Insight Open’ (17 Jan 2009) a
seminar exploring technology and art practices for young people, held at sligo art gallery.
35. Living Artists Archive. The application form and full details on how to register with the VAI's Living Email:
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39. Problems. The consierge of agony profers some solutions to various art related woes.
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Production Editor / Layout: Jason Oakley; News: Sabina McMahon; Roundup: Niall de Buitlear; Opportunities: Sabina McMahon; Proofing: Anne Henrichson; Invoicing: Bernadette Beecher. Contributors Yilmaz Dziewior & Angelika Nollert, Seamus Kealy, Michael Burke, Fiona Fullam, Augustine O’Donoghue & Carol Anne Connolly, Áine Ivers, Sara Baume & Barry White, Fischli & Weiss, Brian Hegarty, Shane Holland, Niamh Ryan, Sarah O’Neil, Caroline Cowley, Julie Clarke, Deirdre Byrne, Martina Coyle, Maya Weimer, Jonny McCauly & John Callaghan, Sara Baume, Martin Healy, Jason Oakley, Ronan McCrea, Aideen Barry, Noel Kelly, Mags Walsh. Contact
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Aideen Barry. E: aideenbarry@gmail.com
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Artists
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
3
May – June 2009
INTERNATIONAL COLUMN
Roundup
Yilmaz Dziewior & Angelika Nollert
Roundup
Limerick in Art
Aideen Barry
in another time”. ‘Purlieu’ was Niamh McCann’s first solo exhibition at the Green On Red Gallery (19 Feb – 21 Mar). According to the gallery notes the works in the show “spliced urban motifs and natural elements, to create a hybrid cultural wasteland where both the natural and the urbane co-exist”. www.greenonredgallery.com
On at IMMA
model. De Boer’s work comprises recorded and transcribed memories of São Paulo from people who grew up in São Paulo and now live in Europe”. Prior to this show PCP curated ‘Dare To Live Without Limits’ an exhibition of Irish artists’ work at SUB:URBAN Rotterdam, The Netherlands (10 Mar – 29 Mar). The featured artists were Vera Klute, John Lalor, Anita Delaney, Gavin Murphy, Brian Duggan and Michael Fortune. www.pallasprojects.org www.sub.urbanespressobar.nl/show.html
Portraits Willie Doherty Three Potential Endings 2009 (Still)
As part of our research for open e v+a 2009, we asked ourselves some basic questions. Where can you experience Irish art? Are there specific characteristics that define Irish artists? And how can one differentiate art from Ireland to the art of other nations? For sure, there are great Irish institutions like the Irish Museum of Modern
Aideen Barry Vacuuming in a Vacuum
Art; the Hugh Lane Gallery; the Douglas Hyde Gallery; the Project Arts Centre; the Royal Hibernian Academy – and outside of Dublin, the Limerick City Gallery of Art; the Lewis Glucksman Gallery in Cork; The Model Arts & Niland Gallery in Sligo – to mention only a few. And of course in these institutions, amongst exhibitions of international artists there have been some great shows by Irish the Venice Biennale. But we could not recall however, if there had been an exhibition of ‘Irish art’ outside of Ireland that paralleled fashionable exhibitions of –among others – Dutch, Danish or Balkan art. And in addition there has been no Irish movement, which can be compared to the YBA’s for example. But neither of these factors is necessarily a disadvantage – as contemporary Irish art has not been constrained by narrow thematic definitions. Art production takes place in the context of challenging situations, in places where a discourse is developed – and in our view e v+a exemplifies such a place. And the art scene in Ireland has definitely been very much influenced by the now 33-year-old tradition of the exhibition of visual-plus art in Limerick. During its history e v+a has developed from a privately organised artists association, with local meaning, to a highly professional series of exhibitions with an international approach and outlook. A very important step was to open the exhibition to artists who were not from Ireland; and therefore to bring into the Limerick context different individual forms of art production. In order to focus on the idea of specific places for art production, in this case
Aideen Barry. 'hypothetical evolutions of [an] other'. Installation view. Galway Arts Centre.
‘Hypothetical evolutions of [an] other’, Aideen Barry’s exhibition at Galway Arts Centre, (5 Mar – 9 Apr) explored what the press release referred to as “the contemporary gothic”. As the text further outlined, “using Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a starting point, Barry explores the notion of the domestic monster, one we have created ourselves with our obsessive cleaning behaviours, our desire for domestic perfection and the altering of our DNA through the abuse of cleaning chemicals”. www.galwayartscentre.ie
At the Green On Red
Limerick, we wondered if there were similar ideas or an overall theme that could be derived from the proposals made by the artists for this year’s show. It became apparent that a lot of artists were dealing with the situation of Limerick city, as well as other urban situations. We were interested in the dynamic between works considering of the local situation and a wider meta-level focus brought by works addressing other places. Thus the title the put on this years e v+ a – ‘Reading the City’ mirrors the intention of the exhibition to reflect the multiple perceptions of urban space. ‘Reading the City’ explores the validity of creating ‘portraits’ of a city and its inhabitants. The works in the show negotiate in various ways how a city can be read, identified and classified. The artists in their projects comment on how place is generated, transformed and developed through political, economic, cultural and social aspects. How is identity shaped through the place one lives in? How can a city be characterised through architecture, sound, found material and surface traces? Fundamentally these are the key topics, that are approached in broad variety of ways in ‘Reading the City’. There are site specific works – like the curtains from Nevin Aladag installed on the façade of the Hunt Museum; or the installation Eames Studio Limerick by Eamon O’Kane, which refers to the fact, that Charles Eames’s grandfather Henry Eames embarked from County Limerick for America in the mid 1700s. And there are works which deal with the shift from industrial to post-industrial societies, and the impact it has on the environment – as in the installation by Michele Horrigan Nature Obscured by Factory / Factory obscured by Fog. Marjetica Potrc’s wall drawings – entitled The struggle for Spatial Justice –explores the social and political meaning of urban spaces by comparing cities like Belgrade, Pristina and Tirana. Willie Doherty latest work is premiered here at e v+ a – Three Potential Endings which was shot in Dublin, investigates the spatial and socio / political conditions of specific urban locations, by deployed the intervention of the human figure to explore the dynamics of these spaces.
Barrie Cooke John McGahern
‘Elizabeth Peyton Age of Innocence 2007
artists. One can also see Irish art works in broader presentations – for example at
Niamh McCann. Work from ‘Purlieu’ .
The Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, presented ‘One year, six months, two weeks and four days ago’, a solo exhibition by Gerard Byrne (26 Mar – 25 Apr) which featured both photographic and filmic work. As the exhibition notes explained, the show drew on a combination of disparate reference points – “large photographs of newsstands showing now outdated magazine covers; photographs of the reverse of Old Master paintings; a film of two women handling glass and stones with exacting precision, eclectic small photographs that seem to present America
The first exhibition devoted exclusively to the jewellery created by the American artist Alexander Calder opened at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (1 Apr – 21 Jun). ‘Calder Jewellery’ explores the sculptor’s lifelong output of wearable art pieces made for family and friends. Comprising some 100 pieces, including necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings and tiaras from the 1920s to the 1960s, the exhibition is the first in which this aspect of the artist’s practice is explored in depth. Also on show at IMMA is Calder’s BMW art-car, designed in 1975. ‘Exploring A New Donation’, an exhibition celebrating the recent gift of 25 works from the Bank of Ireland Collection to the Irish Museum of Modern Art is currently on show (10 Mar – 27 Sept). The show marks the second major gift by the bank to IMMA in just ten years. ‘Elizabeth Peyton: Reading and Writing’ (1 Apr – 21 Jun) presented around 20 paintings and works on paper, comprising still lives and portraits, with a particular focus on literature and poetry as subject matter. The exhibition was described as “an intensely personal body of work, which confidently places beauty at the centre of contemporary art”. ‘Hughie O’Donoghue: Recent Paintings and Selected Works from the American Ireland Fund Donation’ (3 Mar – 17 May) marks a significant donation to IMMA of 39 works by the artist. At the heart of the donation is a series of paintings on the subject of the Passion, completed over a period of 10 years. www.imma.ie
Pallas Contemporary Projects ‘2 Films by 2 Artists’ at Pallas Contemporary Projects, Dublin, featured Manon De Boer’s Resonating Surfaces and Hito Steyerl’s Lovely Andrea (20 Mar – 19 Apr). As the press release explained, “Steyerl’s film follows the artist as she returns to Japan, where she briefly worked in the 80s as a bondage
The Butler Gallery, Kilkenny, recently hosted an exhibition of the portraits of Barrie Cooke (14 Mar – 26 Apr). In 60 years of painting Cooke has made over 25 portraits of poets, writers and artists, all of whom are his friends. The gathering of images of cultural icons included poets Seamus Heaney, John Montague, Ted Hughes, Núala Ní Dhómhnaill and Leland Bardwell; writers, John McGahern and Dermot Healy; and artists, Dorothy Cross, Camille Souter and Nick Miller. www.butlergallery.com
At the Golden Thread
C Lavelle & A Doran, work from 'Other Logic'
‘The Munter Hitch’ at Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast, (21 Mar – 18 Apr) brought together works by Dan Shipsides and Seamus Harahan. The exhibition presented video works by each artist that blur the lines between documentary filmmaking and visual art. As noted in the press release, “Shipsides and Harahan share a unique relationship with the environment that they occupy and offer the viewer an opportunity to walk/climb into their shoes”. Also recently shown at the Golden Thread was the ‘North Down Art of Regeneration Photographic Exhibition’ (20 Mar – 28 Mar). This exhibition documented the progress of a four year long project – the images ranged from before and after shots of potential sites, removing murals, workshops, site visits
4
Column
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
Roundup
Seamus Kealy Biennalism
“The contemporary politics of emancipation is a politics of inclusion – directed against the exclusion of political and economical minorities”. Boris Groys (1) Months ahead of this summer’s Venice Biennale, there are at least three mentionable projects by artists occupying spaces not provided by national or international cultural bodies. The first involves a boat sailed into the biennale by a Slovenian art group. A float-in tactic will also be realised via Reverse Pedagogy, (www.reversepedagogy.com) a project involving artists and curators who will officially arrive in canoes, and then live together in tents in a Venice apartment, continuing collective enterprise that involves collaboration and disdain for structure and authority (Reverse Pedagogy will later be realised at The Model in Sligo). A third ‘drop-in’ art project is by a veteran at this business, Thierry Geoffroy / Colonel (www.colonel.dk). Colonel’s mode of attack is simply unfashionable and provoking. In 2003, Colonel first journeyed to the Venice Biennale as a makeshift, Peter Sellers-like crusader determined to document the attending media representatives’ viewership (the Biennale was titled ‘The Dictatorship of the Viewer’). Since then, Colonel has dropped into every Venice Biennale, as well as other art or cultural events – from music festivals to art fairs. For Colonel’s fifth visit to Venice, there will be several platforms of activity, the primary action being the format Biennalist. Colonel has organised this activity months in advance, and has attracted artists from around the world to participate in. Responding to the crises of the day, artists of every stripe (their technical ability is irrelevant) turn up and make artwork in ad-hoc spaces, then mount their work for short-lived ‘openings’ in the very national pavilions at the biennale that exclude them. Thus, Biennalists are united under a campaign of disruption, using biennale themes as fuel and fodder. Over 30 artists are currently booked into a nearby camp. Daily they take a boat to the Guardini or Arsenale to penetrate pavilions. In 2007, Daniel Buren agreed to allow Penetration in the Greek pavilion, as did Venezuelan and Egyptian representatives, each slightly differently and all temporarily. Austrian artist VALIE EXPORT is one of few artists this year that have agreed to be penetrated. Colonel’s projects turn inside-out the hierarchies and nationalistic metanarratives that are the central reason for the biennale to exist. The 2007 Istanbul Biennale, for example, was entitled, ‘Optimism in the Age of Global War’, where Colonel and his team organised a series of runs to discuss the theme, its relevance, and its implications, while gasping for breath. “Did a sponsor come up with this theme?” asked one individual. The last Venice Biennale, ‘Think with the Senses – Feel with the Mind: Art in the Present Tense’, was a perfect target for Colonel, where in a series of engagements with the biennale public, the theme was questioned, its origins considered, and its meaning taken literally to the point of irritation. What might appear to most transgress (and thus most aggravate) the protective, nationalistic boundaries upheld by the institutions in the biennales is the assertion by Colonel and his crew that their artwork has some sort of equality with the high-production, often world-famous artists’ work in their representative pavilions. True democracy, as Jacques Raniere reminds us, annoys and inspires great hatred for its virtues. Almost all forms of aesthetic judgment would assert that there is no competition between the work of biennale artists and biennalist artists. But this may be missing the point. As Boris Groys explains, effective contemporary art parses the “socially, culturally, politically, or economically imposed hierarchies of values”(2) – and therefore furthers art’s autonomy. Colonel’s ongoing project – his semi-mad engagements with political activism in an art-world context – may often resemble ‘bad’ art, in that, for the most part, no particular aesthetic of art is excluded. However, denying any form of exclusion stretches Colonel’s activities into a utopic realm. And the perfect place for this artwork’s existence, and their very defining, is within the sparkle of contemporary art world spectacle a la biennale. All Colonel’s activities exist off of these events like parasites – feeding from their structures and hierarchies – in order to both define their raison d’etre and to simultaneously mirror the state of affairs that give rise to them. These projects also give credence to the notion that sometimes impractical or awkward ideas carry disruptive force. While many people deplore the political potential of demonstrations and political organisations, Colonel holds up the everyday and makes gestures that invoke biopolitical potential within the least ‘significant’ of the art world. Colonel’s activities are akin to the scenario of the ‘good communist’ as described by Slovenian writer Slavoj Zizek. The fellow perfectly meets the criteria and follows the ideology of Stalin to the absolute chagrin of the great leader, and to the loss of his own life (3). The biennalists engage the theme and rules of the biennale to the point of structural breakdown and threats from its organisers. What emerges is more than an illustration of power relationships, but the discomfiting, true essence of the art world, which appears as a retrograde, repressive, fattened beast; most visible when its greatest decision-makers gather together. Notes 1. pg 15. Boris Groys Art Power 2008 2. pg 17. Boris Groys Art Power 2008 3. Slavoj Zizek The Parallax View 2006
May – June 2009
Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Co. Mayo in 2008.
2 was ‘Asafo Fate Flags’. This exhibition
www.annquinn.ie www.royalhibernianacademy.com
– organisations whose routes stem several
presented the banners of Asafo ‘companies’ centuries ago as military organisations. As the press release noted, “the simple motifs
What Hiver
on the flags, shared by different companies, are often inspired by proverbs or stories … as
www.gtgallery.org.uk
Ashford Gallery Exhibitions
Anne Quinn Melnik
designs
they
have
extraordinary vitality, energy, and often
C Lavelle & ADoran, work from 'Other Logic'
and the overall involvement and commitment of the communities involved. ‘13 Roland Gardens’ opened at the Golden Thread Gallery’s Project Space, Belfast (5 Mar – 14 Mar). Susan MacWilliams’ piece is based on the infamous ‘R101 séance’ on October 7th 1930, which involved Harry Price and Eileen Garrett. In 13 Roland Gardens Eileen Garrett’s daughter Eileen Coly talks about Garrett’s R101 séance and living above the Harry Price Laboratory at 13 Roland Gardens, London. ‘Other Logic’ was an exhibition of new work by Clodagh Lavelle and Aideen Doran, including sculpture and wall drawing, which ran at Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (5 Feb – 14 Feb). As the press release noted, “Lavelle and Doran share a playful approach to the display and installation of their work, constantly drawing connections and questioning the relationships between image, action, text and objects.”
vernacular
have a wry sense of humour”. www.douglashydegallery.com
OPEN e v+ a 2009 ‘OPEN e v+ a 2009: Reading the City’ is on show in locations throughout Limerick City Centre including Limerick City Gallery of Art, former LSAD Building Georges Quay, Istabraq Hall at City Hall and the Hunt Museum (14 Mar – 24 May). The show featured 36 artists from 14 'What Hiver' installation view. Studio 8. TBG&S.
'What Hiver’ was a gathering of works by 26 invited artists, hosted by Cora Cummins in her project studio in TBG&S, Dublin (19 - 21 March). The show’s title was a punning reference to the juvenile retort ‘what-ever’ and the participating artist were invited to explore “our day-today coping mechanisms for dealing with the weight of world”. The works on show were described as expressing a gamut of positions “from flippancy, humour, escapism, denial and cynicism to acceptance, philosophical reflection, engagement and political action. The exhibiting artists were Niamh O'Malley, Jonathan Hunter, Clodagh Emoe, Edel Campbell, Lynda Devenney. Naomi Sex & Sinead McCann, Kevin Doran, Saoirse Higgins, Aaron Lowry, Liam Sharkey, Mark Cullen,Carly McNuty, Alison Pilkington, Roisin Lewis, Jason Oakley, Fiona McDonald, Gillian Lawler, Anne Kelly, Marcus Oakley, Deirdre Houlihan, Cora Cummins, Beatrice O'Connoll, Jenny Browne, Sam Horler, Wendy Judge www.whathiver.blogspot.com
countries. Maps are available from Limerick City Gallery of Art. This year’s e v+ a curators are Angelika Nollert & Yilmaz Dziewior. They share some of their thoughts on the show on page 3. www.eva.ie
Shows at Kerlin Gallery The Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, recently held a solo exhibition of new work by Dublin based artist Guggi (27 Mar – 25 Apr). The artist presented new paintings that, as the gallery notes explained, marked “a notable departure from the steady evolution of his work since he first exhibited his depictions of common everyday objects in Kerlin Gallery in 1993. His distinctive motifs of bowls and other vessels portrayed with clean, neat lines have transformed through freer outlines giving his paintings more spontaneous, instinctive energy”. Seán Shanahan’s exhibition ‘As If’ was also presented by the Kerlin recently (20 Feb – 21 Mar). Describing the work, Giuseppe Panza explained, “I was drawn by the surfaces’ lack of reflections. The material seemed to absorb the light. An effect of material density; the colour was inside not on the surface; the colour has to penetrate deep inside.” www.kerlin.ie
At the Douglas Hyde The LAB ‘TRESPASS’, Aoife Desmond and Seoidín O’Sullivan’s collaborative art project ran at The LAB, Dublin (5 Mar – 18 Apr). As the press release outlined, this project “investigated and intervened in disused
Work by Michael Wann
Ann Quinn’s solo exhibition ‘Different Silences’ took place at the Ashford Gallery, RHA, Dublin (5 Mar – 26 Mar). The show comprised a collection of ten small-scale paintings that were created following a residency in Andalucía; as well as time spent in Eastern Europe and Donegal. Commenting on the work, Quinn noted, “I am always searching for that enchanting otherworldliness that nature can sometimes bring”. The Ashford Gallery preceded this show with a selection of drawings by Michael Wann entitled ‘Humble Remains’ (6 Feb – 26 Feb). Wann’s exhibition included large-scale compositions completed while on residency at the Cill Riallaig Project, Co. Kerry and the
urban space” with a focus on “issues Work from ‘Asafo Fate Flags’. DHG, Dublin.
The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin (27 Mar – 6 May) recently hosted Peter Fischli and David Weiss’s first Irish solo show. The exhibition featured approximately 400 photographs by the German artists – displayed on tables and on the walls of the gallery. The images were taken in fairgrounds and amusement parks, and the gallery notes drew attention to the “intimate scale and sombre tonality” of the works, and how “the subjects of the photographs are deeply rooted in vernacular western culture: including mythological scenes, fairy tales, animals, landscapes, and spaceships”. Running at the same time in Gallery
around land use and ownership”. The LAB also presented a group show entitled ‘A Silent Year’ (12 Feb – 28 Feb) which featured video work from Gareth Kennedy, Ruth Lyons and Bea McMahon exploring ideas of freedom and constraint. 'A Silent Year’ was produced by Culturstruction who also compiled a chronological library of data, writings, drawings, songs and poems tracing the story of how housing policy, law, greed and romantic ideas have, over time, affected the shape of the built environment in Ireland. http://culturstruction.wordpress.com www.trespass-trespass.blogspot.com www.dublincity.ie
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
5
Roundup Push To Open
Bombhouse Studios, Five Lamps, Dublin.
‘Push To Open’ was the inaugural exhibition at BomBHouse, a new artist studio and exhibition space at the Five Lamps in Dublin 1 (19 Mar – 26 Mar). The show featured painting, sculpture and installation by BomBHouse studio artists Eric Walsh, John Kenny, Sebastian Rohr, William Pontillo, John Mernagh, Nina Holmes and Emma Moore.
Mark Canavan, Mark Case, Keith Connelly, Aaron Eakin, Steven Forbes, Darcie Graham, Chris Heaney, Clemency Hinds, Brian Jeffers, Oliver Jeffers, Rory Jeffers, Colum Kavanagh, Glen Leyburn, John McDermott, Christine McKee, Daniel McKee, Kim Montgomery, Claire Muckian, Chris Murphy, John Murray, Ingrid Neill, Peedy Quinn, Nick Patterson, Chris Preston, Mac Premo, Lynsay Spence, Peter Strain and Ben Willis.
www.thisisnotashop.com
Blackbird Looking ‘At Least Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird’ celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry with an exhibition at The Naughton Gallery, Belfast (1 Apr – 25 Apr). The show featured works by Paul Allen, Mark Black,
Creativity – wha' tha'?
www.anpostcbothsides.ie
Ben Mullen Fear Gets in My Way
Holly Pereiara work from 'Same Same but Different'
Exhibitions at thisisnotashop ‘Fogtíogarburn’ a multimedia installation project by Andréa Stanislav was shown at thisisnotashop, Dublin (20 Mar – 2 Apr). As the press release explained the work began with an “event / video shoot in Smithfield and following that, an exhibition of 3D souvenirs saturated in pink glitter that evoke the ‘ghosts’ of the Smithfield Market in the gallery space”. A video of the event was projected in the gallery’s front window in order to permit “optimum viewing” from the Luas. Also at thisisnotashop, James Merrigan’s solo show ‘Hardware’ (27 Feb – 8 Mar) involved the artist fabricating a site-specific installation that played with the image of a hardware store as a site of possibility. From this fabricated stage, he invited the audience to extract the end, beginning and centre of a potentially hazardous narrative. Wendy Judge’s solo exhibition entitled ‘Works of the World United: More Great Works…’ was shown at thisisnotashop (30 Jan – 12 Feb). The press release explained “Judge's art practice is concerned with the anomalous within the landscape, both in structures on the land and also within the land itself.
Michael Burke
www.naughtongallery.org
www.bombhouse.ie
Wendy Judge ‘Works of the World United: More Great Works…’
relating to their experience of Ireland in 2008. The press release noted, “as the project took off and gathered momentum, it served some participants not only as an artistic outlet, but also as a means of expressing their political, social or cultural opinions”.
ColumN
Same Same But Different Holly Pereira’s solo show ‘Same Same But Different’ was presented at the The Muse at 269, London (7 Apr – 26 Apr). The show was the result of a three-month residency in Post-Museum, Little India, and Singapore. According to the press release Pereira’s work investigated “how we create, perceive and maintain identities; cultural, racial and familial”. www.themuseat269.com www.myspace.com/hollypereiraart
Donovan Wylie – work from 'Maze 2007/08'
MAZE 2007/8 Donovan Wylie’s exhibition ‘Maze 2007/8’ at Belfast Exposed (27 Mar – 1 May) presented photographs documenting the demolition of the Maze prison. The show was also the occasion of the launch of Maze, a publication in three volumes, and Scrapbook, an album made in collaboration with Timothy Prus recreating the author’s personal view of the turmoil in Northern Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s. As the press release noted, much of Wylie’s work, “often described as ‘Archaeologies’, has stemmed primarily from the political and social landscape of Northern Ireland”. www.belfastexposed.org
An Post C Both Sides ‘An Post C Both Sides: An Exhibition in Postcards’ ran at the Dublin Civic Offices (30 Mar – 9 Apr), before beginning a nationwide tour to Tralee, Castlebar, Galway and Mullingar during the summer months. An Post launched ‘An Post C Both Sides’ in 2007, inviting people from all over the country to create a postcard
Stone Gallery Exhibitions ‘Wayfaring’ at The Stone Gallery, Dublin, (27 Mar – 25 Apr) presented the work of Aoife Cassidy, Mary A. Fitzgerald, Frances Jung, Ida Mitrani, Jason Rouse and Stephanie Rowe. The press release explained how “through fictional landscapes, stock imagery and film stills the artists freely travel through new and imagined realities”. The previous show, ‘bing bang bong’ (20 Feb – 21 Mar) featured work from four artists: Oisin Byrne, Emma Roche, Liam Ryan and Ben Mullen. As stated in the press release, “all four artists work within the obsessive realm of the handmade.” www.stonegallery.ie
Grin & Bear It ‘Grin & Bear It: Cruel Humour In Art & Life’, at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork, (20 Mar – 5 Jul) is an exhibition of artwork and archival material that explores humour as a way of coping with the adversities of everyday life. The show is curated by Claire Feely and Matt Packer and artists represented in the show include James Beale, Stella Capes, Common Culture, Henry Coombes, Francisco Goya, Catherine Harty, W.K. Haselden, William Hogarth, Friedrich Kunath, Peter Land, Sean Landers, Nevan Lahart, Leo McCann, Harold Offeh, David Sherry, David Shrigley, Stephen Sutcliffe, Bedwyr Williams and Ed Young. www.glucksman.org
Response Room ‘Response Room’ (18 Mar – 18 Apr) was a site specific, multi-disciplinary installation by artists Louise Butler, Clare Henderson, Joe Stanley and Barbara Vasic shown at the Talbot Gallery, Dublin. As the gallery notes explained, “each artist was asked to respond to a line of enquiry that interested them … the purpose of the Response Room was to ask questions about how visual art is made”. www.responseroomblog.blogspot.com www.talbotgallery.com
Drawing Eire The 411 Galleries in association with the Irish Consulate in Shanghai and Culture Ireland presented the exhibition ‘Drawing Eire’ (7 Mar – 13 Mar). This exhibition presented the works of 100 Irish artists in the medium of drawing in two venues: the Times Plaza and the Equatorial Hotel, Shanghai. As the press release explained,
I hadn’t intended harping on about words and definitions again. But there is a word that has been getting a lot of exercise lately – creativity. Thankfully, it is a word that has been around for along time and we all understand what it means – don’t we? The dictionary (1) and the thesaurus (2) both provide fairly allencompassing definitions of ‘creative’ – and it can be all of these things. Many years ago, I spent a month in Africa. As in many parts of the continent, some people in Kenya where I was were very well off, while the majority were not. Necessity being the mother of invention, there was a lot on improvisation. I saw houses in Nairobi’s infamous shantytown of Nathary Valley, roofed with flattened oil drums, others with walls ‘shingled’ with flattened cooking oil tins. Sandals made from the threads of old tires were on sale at all the street markets. Throughout the country, garden fences made primarily of bamboo were popular. Each piece of bamboo was held in place with two four inch round nails. Coke bottle tops were an essential decorative and functional addition – used as washers, nails were driven through the bottle caps to prevent them going too far into the bamboo. Thus for no cost, strength and durability was added to the fence. The 60 watt oil lamp is another example of ‘invention’ or ‘creativity’ that more recently caught my eye. Residents of the barrios in many South American cities depend on them for light; and a craft / recycling industry has developed to provide them. An ordinary tungsten light bulb, blown of course and ready for the dump is disembowelled – and with the addition of some old tin cans and a length of wick, is turned into a mini oil lamp. I gather that these ingenious illuminations have become quite trendy and that designers and craft workers in the developed world are now making them as ‘their’ products. Members of VAI would I imagine for the most part regard themselves as creative – all be it in a somewhat different meaning of the term than the 60 watt oil lamp creators and the bottle top recyclers. Instead we artists probably align our creativity alongside that of designers, architects, poets, writers, composers and others in the ‘arty’ crowd. I started by noting the increased prevalence of the use of the word ‘creativity’. We now have creative accountants and creative footballers. There is nothing actually wrong or incorrect with such uses of the word, but when a word is used in so many different circumstances to mean so many different things, it can become meaningless and confusing. 2009 is ‘European Union Year of Creativity and Innovation’ (http:// create2009.europa.eu/). At EU level and internationally, there is much talk of the ‘creative industries’. Reports are being done and conferences organised – but people are being very creative in avoiding defining what they mean. Some proudly address conferences stating that “we don’t need to bother with definitions”. In some reports the terms ‘cultural industries’ and ‘creative industries’ are so all-embracing that even the usher and the popcorn seller at your local cinema are included as key participants. In one way this is fine, as it makes the sector seem more important to the economists, who advise the bureaucrats who then tell the politician what to do. But we as artists are often omitted from these definitions – we don’t seem to count. KEA (www.keanet.eu) are currently finalising their report The Impact of Culture on Creativity – that is promoting the inclusion of artists within the discussion; and to generally broaden the idea of creativity and innovation to include cultural creativity. Their recent newsletter on the topic can be found at http://www.keanet.eu/news.html On the issue of not counting. When I complete a census form I write ‘sculptor’ under the heading of profession. I don’t know how the CSO deals with that response or what category they shove me into, but I don’t think they provide information of how many sculptors there are working in the country. Our household has been selected to take part in a study or trial census for the CSO. I’ll be making some comments. Notes 1) Creative. [kri:’eItIv]. Adjective. Having the ability or power to create. Characterised by originality of thought or inventiveness; having or showing imagination – a creative mind designed to or tending to stimulate the imagination or invention. Creatively adverb. creativeness – noun. creativity – noun. 2) Creativity, Noun. Cleverness, fertility, imagination, imaginativeness, ingenuity, inspiration, inventiveness, originality, productivity, talent.
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
6 ColumN
Chris Fite-Wassilak Three Scenes
Scene 1: “I’ll burn any nigger, I’ll blow my own brains out and I’ll do the same for you, and you, and him, and I hope you would do the same for me.” He utters these words casually, sitting in a friend’s front room with four other men. The Beatles’ Help! can be heard on the radio in the background. It’s 1965, in Natchez, Mississippi, and the men are planning to create their own active militia in response to what they see as the failure of the non-violent methods of civil rights groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. The scene is from Edward Pincus’s television documentary Black Natchez (1965). The film provides a glimpse into the internal struggles of the civil rights movement in the US, and gestures towards the eminent rise of activist groups like the Black Panthers. Pincus’s film was shown alongside Robert Drew’s The Children Were Watching (1961), a short documentary commissioned by ABC News as part of their TV series Close Up! The film follows an afternoon with one white family in New Orleans who are enduring an angry mob on their front lawn, neighbours protesting the fact that the family have continued to send their children to a nonsegregated school. In the half-empty screening, I am sitting next to my father, a die-hard Beatles fanatic, who in 1961 would have been the same age as the ten year-old boy who has to make his way through the crowd of racist mothers just to come home from school. These films, part of a ‘Civil Rights on Film’ series, are being screened in the Atlanta Cyclorama, a dated, oddity of a museum, whose centrepiece is a 360-degree, 13 metre high painting and diorama of the 1864 battle of Atlanta, a turning point in the American Civil War. The Cyclorama itself has been criticised for its depiction of black involvement in the war; of the hundreds of soldiers in the intricate scene, none of them are of colour, despite blacks having fought on both sides. (1) Scene 2: Sitting alone in Hotel Gallery in London, the film on display focuses on the grey, empty corners of a room, before cautiously beginning to outline a human form: feet, a smile, eyes. This soon gives way to the outlying edges of familiar television footage: the start of an interview, laughter and nervous silence before a broadcast begins, botched answers to be re-staged. This, too, gives way to explicit, more comprehensively media material; press conferences, riots. The voice, however, begins to stray from the image, as the film once again abstracts from the body it portraits with shots of white sky. “A place I principally remember for...,” the narrator starts, then gives up with a resigned, “No.” Duncan Campbell’s esoteric but skilfully assembled Bernadette (2008) is a deliberately awkward sketch of socialist, activist, and Mid-Ulster MP Bernadette Devlin, a composite snapshot and reconstructed memory built from Campbell’s archive raids. Despite the film’s acute handling of documentary construction, my first response is cynical: no one will see this film. Or simply the thirty-odd people who come into the gallery during the exhibit’s duration. Since then, the film has toured incessantly to Edinburgh, New York, picked up an award at Art Basel, and stepped outside the gallery and museum circuit to appear at the 2009 Rotterdam Film Festival. Bernadette has in a few places been noted as a female counter-point to Steve McQueen’s Hunger (2008), and at the same Cannes Film Festival where McQueen collected the Camera D’Or prize from Dennis Hopper, it was announced that a biopic of Devlin was underway, entitled The Roaring Girl. (1) Hunger, however, enjoyed drastically different screening contexts, playing on over seventy-five commercial cinema screens over the period of six weeks on the island, with twenty of those in Northern Ireland. Scene 3: This collection of disparate filmic events is not without some rationale; all the films mentioned here have some level of political content and intent, and all in some way draw on the concept of cinema verité. Both Drew and Pincus were consciously attempting to instil a new, subject-led form of news reporting, and though their attempts influenced documentary and fictional filmmaking, mainstream media still remains relatively unaffected. Campbell’s efforts imply bringing the ‘truth’ of their approach into the editing room, while Hunger employs a more liberal, visceral approach to realism—perhaps more in the Passion of the Christ school of verité, where a physical intensity is meant to add insight to a historical event. Cinema verité was a method of making political points personal, and vice versa, intertwining subjectivity and objectivity. Superimposing all of this, however, are the unresolvable problematics of placement and distribution systems. Each of these events led me to question how the context in which a work is shown bears on its reception—the ways that people are enabled to actually see the work in the first place, and once that has been allowed to happen what impact it might have. The Cyclorama screening acted, for me, as a potent re-appraisal of both the US civil war and civil rights movement, but perhaps not for the dozen or so other people who bothered to come. Were the original television broadcasts more effective? A wider audience doesn’t necessarily mean greater impact or meaning, but it does create simply numerically more possibilities for a work to engage audience members. Attempting to answer these questions would mean spouting generalised platitudes. Cinema verité strove to erase the impossible distance between subject and viewer, but these moments highlight the necessary but ambiguous task of continually analysing the factors that pre-figure and mediate the space that runs between the two. Notes 1) The Cyclorama played no small part in shaping Kara Walker’s panoramic installations, most directly her work Slavery! Slavery! made for the 2002 Sao Paulo Biennale. 2) The film is currently still in progress, despite the efforts of Devlin McAliskey’s lawyers to halt production.
May – June 2009
Roundup “the 411 Galleries challenged Irish artists to return to their roots in the world of drawing, asking them to present to a Chinese audience drawings of what ever they felt represented their current interests in their art practice”.
film-works, site-specific models and a series of drawings. Belfast-based ceramicist Michael Moore exhibited over 20 new ceramic works in ‘Departures’ (5 Feb – 21 Mar).
Gipfelstürmer
www.millenniumcourt.org
www.411galleries.com.cn
Ulrich Vogl. Work from ‘Gipfelstürmer’
Vauney Strahan Moonriver
Mindscapes Vauney Strahan recently exhibited new works at the Crow Gallery, Dublin (16 Apr – 25 Apr). The show was described as exploring “the relationship between mind and matter / man and the universe”; as well as investigating “the dialogue between the conscious and the unconscious”. www.crowgallery.net
Flock ‘Flock’ at Broadstone Gallery & Studios, Dublin, (26 Mar – 28 Mar) was an exhibition by third year fine art students studying at Dublin Institute of Technology. The show was described as a “collaborative project, serving a dual purpose; an experiment in the craft of exhibition making, and a public forum for critical debate on works produced and ideas explored by the students”.
Ulrich Vogl’s exhibition ‘Gipfelstürmer’ was shown at the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin (5 Mar – 28 Mar). According to the press release, in this exhibition the artist focused on “drawing & light, working with shadows, reflections and movement, such as his reverse painting on glass”. Vogl also showed work at Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise (25 Feb – 11 Apr). www.kevinkavanaghgallery.ie www.dunamaise.ie
Bbeyond Documentation ‘Bbeyond Documentation: Performance Art Projects 2001 – 2008’ was presented by University of Ulster Cultural Development (23 Feb – 6 Mar) at the Foyer Gallery in the University of Ulster, Belfast. The exhibition featured a selection of video and photographic documentation, from Bbeyond’s archive, available for its first public viewing.
www.originalprint.ie
Hostile Encounters ‘In Memory of Hostile Encounters’ was a solo show by James Hayes at Limerick Printmakers Gallery, Limerick (6 Mar – 26 Mar). As stated in the press release, “this exhibition dealt with conflict and tension, and the lurking power struggle underpinning our society”. www.limerickprintmakers.com
Michael Fortune
Michael Fortune. My Grandfather was taken by theFairys (Video Still)
Treasa O'Brien. Work from 'The Right to Play'
Aliens and others John Kelly’s solo show ‘Aliens and Others’ was recently shown at the Original Print Gallery, Dublin (12 Mar – 3 Apr). In recent work, Kelly has focused on branding and logos. The gallery notes explained, “the work was concerned about Australian culture, in the larger sense, blindly adopting the criteria of others – prescriptive, doctrinal approaches seemingly adopted with little thought or debate”.
www.tinahely-courthouse.ie
THE RIGHT TO PLAY
http://adp.dit.ie/documents/ashkelon.pdf
John Kelly Nolan's Light
At Courthouse Arts Centre ‘Findings’, an exhibition of photography and prints by Doreen Kennedy recently ran at the Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co Wicklow (22 Mar – 17 Apr). The work explored themes of the external environment, time capture and the process of recording time with the use of single or repeated images. The intention is to record the experience of being in a particular location and the images provide evidence or findings from that environment. Previously, ‘Scenes From the Monoculture’, an exhibition of new work by Tony Gunning (15 Feb – 13 Mar) was on show. Gunning presented observations of a modern Ireland as part of a global monoculture based on conspicuous consumption and aspiration. All of the work in the collection is acrylic on canvas, painted in a realist style from photographic references.
Treasa O’Brien’s recent exhibition ‘The Right to Play’ at Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, (6 Mar – 28 Mar) explored human rights issues affecting young people in Nicaragua. The press release explains how “through a series of photographs and edited video footage, the imagery reflected on the play of power, ethics and aesthetics of representation and audience”. www.triskelart.com
Millennium Court Arts Centre Millennium Court Arts Centre, Armagh, hosted a special opening night celebration and retrospective exhibition for the internationally known artists, The Guerrilla Girls. The exhibition, which presented posters and photographs that document the history of the Guerrilla Girls, coincided with the launch of an allIreland Guerrilla Girl Research Tour. Their tour, which took place during April, took in Belfast, Portadown, Cork, Dublin and Kilkenny. The research project will inform new work, which will be shown at MCAC in October 2009 and the other co-commissioning venues during 2010. Millennium Court Arts Centre also ran two recent exhibitions. ‘Space, Fear and the Multitude’ was a new body of project-based work from Joy Gerrard (5 Feb – 21 Mar) including photography,
Michael Fortune presented a solo show of video works in Tensta Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden (6 Feb – 20 Mar). Fortune’s show inaugurated the newly purpose built space, The Velvet Room. The opening was followed by an in-conversation between the artist and Gallery Director William Easton. www.tenstakonsthall.se www.michaelfortune.ie
Escape Velocity Ivan Twohig’s exhibition ‘Escape Velocity’ at Glór Gallery, Clare, (7 Mar – 28 Mar) featured a mixture of new sculpture and installation works, incorporating fluorescent light, digital origami, modified toys, print, collage and drawing. The press release described the works as addressing “complex issues regarding media, mass culture and the pressures that an ever more commercialized art market places on artists at the early stages of their careers”. Twohig also created a large-scale work for the concourse space at Glór, produced from 300 triangular cardboard units constructed during a ‘Shape Workshop’ with local schoolchildren. http://ivantwohig.com
Eija-Liisa Ahtila Derry-based gallery Void recently exhibited two works by Eija-Liisa Ahtila, The Hour of Prayer and The Present (10 Feb – 21 Mar). The Hour of Prayer consisted of an installation made up of simultaneous DVD-projections with sound, which was shown continuously on four built
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
7
May – June 2009
ROUNDUP adjacent screens in Gallery One. In Gallery Two, The Present was loosely based on interviews Ahtila conducted with a number of women who had developed psychosis at some point in their lives. Also held at Void were two events hosted in collaboration with the Imagine Create 09 Festival and the School of Creative Arts at The University of Ulster. On 3 April, Void hosted a seminar and discussion by Artangel and on 4 April a performance by experimental music artist Scanner. www.derryvoid.com
Exhibitions at Monster Truck
WE THE PEOPLE ‘We The People’, a Context Gallery exhibition at St. Columb’s Hall, Derry, (7 Mar – 25 Mar) featured the work of American artists Carolyn Monastra, Xaviera Simmons and José Ruiz. Curated by Gregory McCartney, the show was the third in a series of exhibitions exploring emerging American artists’ relationship with their country. www.contextgallery.co.uk
State of Grace Catalyst Arts, Belfast, recently presented ‘State of Grace’, an exhibition of work by Ursula Burke (5 Mar – 4 Apr). For the show, Burke produced a body of sculptural and photographic work that was described in the press release as “tactile, witty, and engaging with a wide audience in a debate about the nature of ‘Irishness’ in contemporary terms”. www.catalystarts.org.uk
Symmetry
each of which occupy the spatial content of these compositions.” www.fermanagh.gov.uk
Dense Mouth ‘Dense Mouth’ at Four Gallery, Dublin, (5 Mar – 5 May) was the first international solo show by Lyndsay Mann. As described in the press release, “Mann presented an installation of three works held in conspiratorial conversation across a reduced plane of submissive grey walls. Combined through careful installation, these independent entities assert an open space, which plays host to a series of ongoing dialogues.” www.fourdublin.com
James Coleman The Irish Museum of Modern Art, in collaboration with the Projects Arts Centre, and the Royal Hibernian Academy, held an exhibition by the internationally renowned Irish artist James Coleman across the three Dublin galleries (7 Mar – 26 Apr). Featuring works from the 1970s up to the early 2000s, the exhibition included many works previously not seen in Ireland, including three of Coleman’s most celebrated artworks, Charon (MIT Project), 1989, Seeing for Oneself, 1987 – 88 and Untitled, 1998 – 2002. www.imma.ie
documenting the long-standing tradition of bonfire building by Protestant communities in Belfast. Duncan’s photographs capture bonfires waiting to be set alight, built in preparation for the annual 11th July celebrations.
Monster Truck Gallery and Studios, Dublin, presented ‘The Persistent Grid’, a solo exhibition of new work by Irish artist Niall Flaherty (27 Feb – 2 Mar). Niall’s practice consists of an ongoing inquiry into the modern world and the manner in which its systems replicate themselves within the modern subject. Much of this new work was initiated on a residency in The Mantua Project, Ballinagare, Co. Roscommon, which took place in June 2008. Brian Coldrick’s first solo show, ‘Shrunken Head’ also ran at Monster Truck Gallery & Studios (5 Feb – 17 Feb). As the press release noted, “his longstanding obsession with sloths led him to the world of the shrunken head. This bizarre starting point led to a series of ‘portraits’ of various identities created to represent their original. Be it an alter ego, a stage name or a personification, it’s easier to relate when there’s a handy shrunken head version of the truth.” www.briancoldrick.com www.monstertruck.ie
LONELINESS IN WEST GERMANY Specifically developed for the GoetheInstitut, Dublin, Declan Clarke’s solo exhibition ‘Loneliness in West Germany’ (30 Jan – 28 Mar) curated by Georgina Jackson, referenced the interrelationship between history, politics and culture, engrained in the ideology of the Institut itself. Clarke created two new film works along with a number of interventions in the Goethe-Institut’s reading room, gallery space, library, car park and an upstairs apartment. www.dublin.goethe.org
Black Church Print Studio presented ‘Symmetry’ at the Original Print Gallery, Dublin (13 Feb – 7 Mar). The exhibition brief was centred around the following statement by Paul Valéry: “The universe is built to a plan, the profound symmetry of which is somehow present in the inner structure of our intellect.” The result is a conglomerate of 2 and 3 dimensional works on paper as well as lens-based and textile works. www.print.ie
This Must Be The Place
Old Rain, New Eyes
Martin Finnin Study of a piece of bacon
PERIPHERIES ‘Peripheries’, an exhibition of the work of photographer Paul Seawright from 1986 – 2003 ran at Solstice Arts Centre, Navan (18 Feb – 28 Mar). The exhibition encompassed early political investigations of Northern Ireland such as Police Force. The press release described how “throughout the exhibition there was a subtle documentation of natural and city landscapes, exploring the edges of uninhabited spaces”. www.solsticeartscentre.ie
In Limbo
www.vangardgallery.com The Irish Musuem of Contemporary Art - exterior view.
‘This Must Be The Place’ (28 Mar – 19 Apr) was an exhibition of new work by 10 artist-led collectives at The Irish Museum of Contemporary Art, Dublin, curated by Paul Murnaghan and Sally Timmons. As the press release noted, the show invited artist-led organisations to consider the question “how do we think?” in the form of collaborative artworks. www.imoca.ie
Excursions Finola Neary Russell’s solo exhibition ‘Excursions’ recently ran at The Higher Bridges Gallery, Enniskillen (27 Feb – 31 Mar). As noted in the press release, “the heart of the pieces is a form of expression, shared identity, understanding of the self and others, as well as a personal wish to push boundaries between land and form,
Yourself From The Outside In this third project of the ‘Sounding Out Space’ series at PS2, Belfast, Swedish sculptor Tobias Sternberg worked for 4 weeks on ‘Yourself From The Outside’ (26 Jan – 14 Mar). The press release described how “he constructed an extended, complex architecture of a doorway, tunnel and corridor, which redefines the space and makes the entrance an adventurous experience. His focus was on the entrance, the passage from the outside to the inside, both physically and metaphorically.” www.pssquared.org
Bonfires Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, Dublin, presented ‘Bonfires’, an exhibition by Belfast-based photographer John Duncan (27 Feb – 4 Apr). The exhibition represented a large body of work by Duncan, produced over three years,
Shows at Signal Signal Arts Centre, Bray, recently exhibited a collection of photography work by Rachel Randall (31 Mar – 12 Apr). The work in ‘Light Shadows’ dealt with the fragility and transience of human life through nature. The press release stated “The work explored how we react to light and shade, and the associations that they encompass as well as how the permanence of the photograph can translate our experience into images and record what is momentary, rendering the intangible into something more real.” Other recent shows at Signal Arts Centre include ‘Faoi Bláth’, featuring photography work by Jane Talbot (18 Mar – 29 Mar) and ‘The Palimpsest of Home’, a multi-media exhibition by Angela Anderson (3 Mar – 15 Mar). www.signalartscentre.ie
Mariusz Soltysik – work from 'In Limbo'
Mariusz Soltysik’s first solo show in Dublin ‘In Limbo’ was exhibited at Broadcast Gallery, DIT (13 Feb – 2 Apr). The exhibition was composed of three elements: drawings, sculpture and video. The press release explained, “while each of these elements offered an individual reading, they also conveyed a single thematic unity”. http://broadcast-gallery.blogspot.com
Martin Finnin held a recent solo show at the Vangard Gallery, Cork, entitled ‘Old Rain, New Eyes’ (12 Mar – 4 Apr). The exhibition of new work featured paintings in both oils and watercolours. According to the artist, “the title piece; Old Rain, New Eyes, is fuelled by optimism; it is the seeing of every day events, objects and existence in a completely new way”.
www.oonaghyoung.com
www.templebargallery.com
Work from 'Symmetry' – installation view.
Brian Coldrick Slothie Cravat I
it explains how, “underscored by a subtle sense of humour, Beattie’s vocabulary uses elementary physics and lo-fi aesthetics to illustrate the human desire to categorise and control nature”.
Feeling Scopophilic Áine Macken’s solo exhibition ‘Feeling Scopophilic’ took place in the Greenroom Gallery, located in the Cork Arts Theatre (28 Mar – 11 Apr). The work was described as “operating in the complicated sphere of the ambiguities of contemporary sexuality. It considers the nature of the desirable image from the predominance of internet imagery, the creation of a social networking persona, and the curiosities and ethics of the exhibitionist”. www.ainemacken.com www.greenroomgallerycork.com
Catalyst Members Show at G126 A selection of works from ‘Allotments’, the Catalyst Arts Members’ Show, was shown at G126, Galway as part of the 2nd Annual Members’ Show Exchange (5 Feb – 28 Feb). The press release explained, “these Annual Members Shows provide an opportunity for the two organisations to display the richness and diversity of practice in their respective membership”. The two exhibitions this year ran simultaneously in both galleries. www.126.ie
Grúpat Project Arts Centre, Dublin, presented the first major Irish retrospective of renowned sound art collective Grúpat (10 Feb – 14 Feb). For five days Grúpat took over the Gallery and Cube space in Project Arts Centre to present a showcase of their innovative and experimental approach to sound. The show featured a wide range of works including several newly commissioned pieces. www.project.ie
Tools and Objects David Beattie’s solo show ‘Tools and Objects’ ran at the Oonagh Young Gallery, Dublin recently (30 Jan – 14 Mar). The work focused on mechanical technology and it’s use in replicating natural phenomena. In the press release,
Get into The Roundup ■■ To have your exhibition or
event considered for inclusion
in the round-up section, simply
e-mail text and images to the
editor (jason@visualartists.ie).
■■ Your text details / press release
should include: venue name,
location, dates and a brief
description of the work / event.
Note that ‘hard-copy’ cannot be
accepted due to the volume of
material that needs to be
collated for this section of the
publication. Inclusion is not
guaranteed, but we aim to give
everyone a fair chance.
■■ Our criteria is primarily to
ensure that the roundup
section has a good regional
spread and represents a
diversity of forms of practice,
from a range of artists at all
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■■ Priority is given to events taking
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8
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
NEWS
News ARTS FUNDING & THe BUDGET
Arguing for the Arts
with Model Offsite ‘09 at Model Satellite,
As many have anticipated, the supplementary budget (announced on 7 April 2009), has resulted in cuts to funding of the
Readers might be interested to look up
a 6,000 sqft exhibition space located
cultural sector in the Republic of Ireland. The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism have stated “expenditure in relation to
the report of a recent meeting (11 March
over two floors of Castle House on Castle
the Arts, Culture and Film sector has reduced by €41m from €221m in 2008 to €180m in 2009, a reduction of 18.5%. Within
2009) of the joint committee on arts,
Street, Sligo.
this, the reduction in relation to current expenditure has been 6% while the reduction in relation to capital expenditure has
sport, tourism, community, rural and
Future Model is still seeking
been 42%, owing primarily to the completion of once off major capital projects such as the Wexford Festival Opera House
Gaeltacht affairs. It makes for a
contributions from private donors to aid
and the Gate Theatre extension”.
heartening read in these troubled times.
the funding of the project. Information
The meeting comprised of insightful
on private and corporate donations is
sector have been concentrated into capital expenditure to protect day to day expenditure and ensure venues remain open, job
presentations by Arts Council Chairman
available now on the Model Arts &
losses are minimised and the contribution to cultural tourism enhanced. Pre 2009 commitments in respect of local arts and
Pat Moylan, Arts Council Director Mary
Niland
culture (capital) infrastructure will be honoured. Current funding to the Arts Council, the state agency which develops and
Cloake and Arts Council members Alan
www.modelart.ie/futuremodel.htm
supports the arts in Ireland will be confirmed on the publication of the Revised Estimates”.
Stanford and Phillip King, that make
Further explanation has been offered by Martin Cullen, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism: “The bulk of the cuts in this
Gallery’s
website.
very solid convincing arguments for the
e v+ a colloquies
VAI Representations on the Budget
arts essential place in society and the
The seventh e v+ a colloquies on
Prior to the ROI’s Supplementary Budget, from late February and throughout March, Visual Artists Ireland made
importance of supporting artists and art
contemporary art and culture will be
representations to all Dáil TDs. In addition, VAI met with Mary White TD, a member of the Committee on Arts, Sport,
institutions.
launched on the evening of Friday, 15
Amongst the points made by Pat
May and continue to midday, Sunday 17
requesting that the Tax Exemption Scheme be protected; that the Percent for Art Scheme be legislated for; and for a
Moylan, she asserted that ‘the times
May’ The colloquies consist of a weekend
continuance of support in funding for The Arts Council; as well as the development of a strategic view for the increase of
when the arts might have been seen as a
of informal discussion amongst artists,
support for the arts.
luxury are no more’ and noted that “the
past and present e v+ a curators, specially
arts are the single biggest pursuit in
invited critics, curators, guests, and
Fiscal Status of the Visual Artist in Ireland’. As the letter explained: “during the current economic reality visual artists, like
Ireland, bigger than the GAA and even
others devoted to making sense and
most Irish citizens, find themselves falling further and further down the social scale. We have completed a survey in
bigger than political involvement”.
meaning out of how contemporary art
December 2008 that indicated that 33% of artists earn less than €10,000 in total earnings. A further 34% earn between
Moylan also stressed that “public subsidy
and culture interact. Contact e v+ a at
€10,000 and €25,000. These total earnings are comprised of income from creative work, and part time or casual labour
for the arts derives from the same
087 94 77 042 for information.
earnings. But, as with most sectors of the economy, opportunities for supplementing creative earnings are diminishing.
principle applied to providing a public
Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, in order to focus on a number of specific issues raised in the letter: such as
The letter to TDs also outlined some of the preliminary results of the VAI’s recent survey ‘The Social, Economic and
subsidy for a range of public services.
CUSTOM HOUSE STUDIOS
there have had a direct effect on the cancelling of part time lecturing contracts. To give some idea of how this directly affects
The arts are a social good which, if left to
Saturday 4 April 2009 saw the official
an artist. Currently, 67% of visual artists earn less than €10,000 per annum from their creative works. A further 24% earn
the marketplace, would not survive or
re-opening of Custom House Studios at
between €10,000 and €25,000. They are therefore dependent on additional supports to make ends meet. We have also found
would do so in a fashion so distorted
the Quay in Westport, Co. Mayo, by Dr.
that 24% have been in household arrears in the year ending 2008. This was at a time when Ireland still had financial stability.
that the public good would not be
Martin Mansergh TD, Minister of State
This situation will obviously worsen as we look to the current economic situation.”
served”. It was also emphasised that the
with responsibility for Arts and the
arts ‘offer value for money for the
OPW. The building that houses Customs
additional statistical findings of the survey ‘The Social, Economic and Fiscal Status of the Visual Artist in Ireland’ to the
investment made’ and likewise that
House Studios had recently undergone
Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for further consideration. Deputy White also
‘most jobs in the arts sector are very
an extensive programme of renovations
undertook to gain clarification for us with regards to how artists, as PAYE and Self Employed workers, can gain access to
modestly paid’ and given the outcomes
that included the building of an
Social Welfare benefit. A general clarification document has been prepared for Social Welfare offices on this matter that is in
also represented ‘very good value for
extension
circulation to Social Welfare Offices. When we receive this information, it will be published on the info~pool section of the
money’. A full transcript of the meeting
exhibition space, improved office space,
VAI’s website.
can be read here:
and internal access between the gallery
One of the primary areas in which an artist can provide an income for themselves is in the area of education. The cuts
Following on from the VAI’s meeting with Mary White TD, the Deputy undertook to bring this information, along with
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate. aspx?F=TOJ20090311.xml&Node=H2#H2
provide
additional
and studios. Custom
Minister’s Response
to
House
Studios
was
In relation to Visual Artists Ireland’s letter to all Dáil TDs, Joe Costello, Labour TD, tabled a question. The response from
FUTURE NILAND PROJECT
originally established in the 1980’s, and
Martin Cullen, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism follows here:
On 8 April was announced that
the studio building which was made
For written answer on Tuesday, 24 March, 2009.
construction work had begun on the
available to the studios by Mayo County
Identical Question(s): Finance Ref No: 11750/09
extensive redevelopment of the Model
Council and Westport Town Council
Arts and Niland Gallery in Sligo. The
has been carefully restored to conserve
project, which has been spearheaded by
its historical architectural features. It
Sligo County Council, will see the Model
now houses 7 studios, a printmaking
REPLY I propose to take questions Nos. 608 and 618 together.
Niland expand in size by over a third in
workshop and a gallery space. The
in the visual arts sector.Many of the funding channels referred to in the correspondence fall within the remit of other
an attempt to realise its potential and
extension was made possible through
Departments and local authorities. In respect of the Per Cent for Arts scheme, work is continuing apace in finalising new
consolidate its position as a flagship
funding from the Social and Community
guidelines for the scheme.
cultural centre in Ireland.
Facilities Capital Scheme 2006, the
I have noted the comments in the correspondence referred to by the Deputies in relation to the challenges facing those
Responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is primarily devolved to the Arts
Through a new flagship entrance
Department of the Environment, Mayo
Council. It is the principle agency through which State funding is channelled to the arts. Under the Arts Act, 2003, the
the new extension of the Future Model
County Council Social and Economic Fund and Mayo County Council.
general functions of the Council include the following:
will deliver high-level incubation spaces
To stimulate public interest in the arts;
for creative industries, a purpose built
The opening event was attended by
To promote knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts;
performance space and artists’ studios.
artists and members of the local
To assist in improving standards in the arts.
Meanwhile the existing building will
community, as well as Cllr. Martin Keane
house a new gallery and exhibition
(Cathaoirleach Westport Town Council),
space, a restaurant and additional
Cllr. Margaret Adams (Chairperson of
education spaces. The contract for the
Custom House Studios Ltd and member
measures introduced in the 2009 budget, all Government Departments and State Agencies are to achieve a range of
project has been awarded to SISK. The
of Mayo County Council and Westport
reductions and savings in 2009, both on pay and non-pay expenditure, and the Arts Council is no exception. These include a
total estimated cost of the project comes
Town Council) and Mayo County
3% reduction in the level of their 2008 pay bill and at least a 50% reduction in their consultancy and advertising budgets.
in at €5 million, €3.5 of which has been
Council Manager Mr. Des Mahon. All
The Arts Council is a statutory independent body, funded by my Department and independent in its day-to-day operations, and I have no role to play in relation to its funding intentions. I refer the Deputies to my reply of 28th January 2009 last to question 41832/08. As I outlined in that reply, under
By any standards however, the Arts Council has seen significant increases in its funding allocation in recent years,
made available to the Model Arts &
spoke of the importance of the arts in
increasing by over 59% from €47.67 million in 2002 to €81.62 million in 2009. These are significant amounts of taxpayers’
Niland Gallery through the Department
Westport, and wished Custom House
money in any context and have effectively transformed the arts, by facilitating increased access to and participation in the
of Arts, Sport and Tourism’s Access
Studios continued success.
full spectrum of art forms through the country. The Government’s sustained support has resulted in a firm foundation to the
grants programme, along with €600,000
arts sector that will assist it in facing future challenges.
from the Borough Council.
This Government is committed to supporting the arts and will continue to fund the Arts Council within available financial resources.
While the Model Arts & Niland Gallery is awaiting completion of the
Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism, Martin Cullen TD
Future Model, scheduled for 2010, their visual arts’ programme is continuing
www.customhousestudios.ie
TBG&S & HIAP RESIDENCY AWARD On Wednesday 1 April 2009 Temple Bar Gallery & Studios in association with HIAP (Helsinki International Artist-inResidence Programme) announced the
9
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
NEWS recipients of the International Residency
provide support and guidance to arts
ACNI INNOVATION AWARDS
the town, the meeting called on the local
Exchange Award 2009. The TBG&S and
organisations and artists working as arts
In early March the Arts Council of
authorities to finalise a plan and
HIAP partnership aims to provide
practitioners, facilitators or tutors
Northern
complete this facility immediately.
support for contemporary Irish artists to
making, recording and using images of
recipients of the First Round of the
The meeting was well attended by
participate on a 3 month residency at
children and young people. It covers
Creative Industry Innovation Fund
the local community, and Mr. Barry
the Cable Factory, Helsinki, and for
such issues as informed consent, the
Awards.
Cowen, Chairperson of Offaly County
Finnish artists to complete a residency
legal context, privacy and publishing
at TBG&S in Dublin.
images on websites.
Ireland
announced
the
Outliving Dracula: Film Versions of
NSF NEW DIRECTOR The Board of the National Sculpture Factory announced the appointment of Mary McCarthy as the next Director of the NSF at the end of February. Ms McCarthy took up her new position with the National Sculpture Factory on 20 March, and Conor Doyle, Chairman of the National Sculpture Factory, said that the Board of the NSF took great pleasure in announcing Ms McCarthy’s appointment as they believe her to be a leading senior arts manager who has both the experience and skill set required to enable the NSF to further deepen and enhance its relationship with artists and policy makers alike. From 2005 to the present Mary McCarthy has worked as Executive Arts Manager at Dublin Docklands, and she has previously held positions as a Programme Director of Cork 2005: European Capital of Culture, Director of the National Sculpture Factory, and as a member of the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s curatorial team. She currently sits on the Board of Culture Ireland, Business to Arts and the Corona Cork Film Festival, and is a member of a European Commission assessment panel for future
Carmilla, and director Conor Horgan
European Capitals of Culture.
The funding awards are worth a
Council, stated that the Department of
total of £283,560 and will be awarded to
Arts, Sport and Tourism have confirmed
‘Solo
Craft NI, NI Music Industry Commission
year’s International Residency Exchange
practitioner code of practice for working
(NIMIC), NI Business Innovation Centre
that the grant of €2million is now
Award are Irish artist Niamh McCann
with children and young people’ is a
(NORIBIC Ltd) and Belfast City Council.
and Finnish artist Antti Leppanen.
code of practice that aims to provide
The first round of the Creative Industry
Niamh McCann lives and works in
support and guidance to artists working
Innovation Fund Awards were targeted
Dublin and is a graduate of Chelsea
with children and young people in a
at sectoral bodies for innovative
College of Art & Design, London. She
solo capacity as practitioners, facilitators
initiatives that aim to develop the
works in a variety of media and recently
or tutors. It is advised that is based on,
knowledge base, infrastructure and
had a solo exhibition at the Green On
and should be read in conjunction with,
human resources within the creative
Red Gallery, Dublin. Antti Leppanen
established good practice guidelines.
sector. The Awards are administered by
REEL ART AWARDS
the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
The Arts Council recently announced
The two artists selected for this
The
second
document
ringfenced for the development of an arts centre in Tullamore until 2010, and that he would personally facilitate progressing the issue with the local ‘Art Centre Group’ members, SPC members and the Department. www.tullamorearts.com
received an MA form the Finnish
Both resources were developed in
Academy of Fine Arts in 2006, and his
consultation with individual artists, arts
Projects that received funding
the recipients of the first Reel Art Awards,
work was recently included in the group
organisations and the Health Service
include NIMIC’s commissioning of a
a scheme operated by the Arts Council
show ‘Premonitions’ in the HIAP Project
Executive: Keeping Safe Information
comprehensive sectoral research study,
in association with Filmbase and the
Room. He lives and works in Helsinki,
and Advice Persons. Both documents are
Craft NI’s creation of best practice
Jameson Dublin International Film
and a solo exhibition of his work will
available from the Arts Council website.
examples for business development and
open in Koh-I-Noor, Copenhagen, in
www.artscouncil.ie/en/publications/standards_and_ guidelines.aspx
Festival. Reel Art Awards were awarded
May 2009.
innovation,
Belfast
City
Council’s participation in SXSW, a key
The third year of the partnership will see Antti Leppanen beginning a residency at TBG&S in July 2009 supported by The Finnish Institute in London, FRAME Finnish Fund for Art Exchange and the Embassy of Finland, Dublin. Niamh McCann will represent TBG&S on the studios programme at HIAP from 1 October to 31 December 2009. Previous artists selected for the award are Sonia Shiel (IRE) and Ulrika Ferm (FIN) in 2007, and Niamh O’Malley (IRE) and Heli Rekula (FIN) in 2008. www.templebargallery.com www.hiap.fi
ACNI RECENT AWARDS In early April the Arts Council of Northern Ireland published a temporary document of updated information on recent awards made under their Annual Support for Organisations Programme (ASOP) Awards 2009/2010 on their website. The update includes a database of funding
creative
provided
through
the
Organisations Programme Awards for the current financial year and a database of funding awards made through all Arts Council of Northern Ireland funding programmes for the previous financial
NEW SPACE IN SLIGO In mid-March Model Arts and Niland Gallery launched a new gallery space in Sligo town, with the opening of ‘Signals in the Dark: Art in the Shadow of War’, an inter-disciplinary project with work by 15 international artists that explores contemporary art’s relationship to war and its representations. The new space, called Model Satellite, is a 6,000 sqft exhibition space located over two floors of Castle House on Castle Street, Sligo. Developed by Kevinsfort Ltd. and originally intended for use as commercial and office space, Model Satellite will provide the Model Arts and Niland Gallery with a new home for its extensive exhibition and film programme until the end of the year while its main centre on The Mall is being redeveloped. The Model Satellite will open weekly from Tuesday to Sunday. The next exhibition to be held at Model Satellite will be the ZKM project ‘Medium Religion’, opening at the end of May 2009. More information on the Model Arts and Niland Gallery redevelopment is available on their website. www.modelart.ie/futuremodel.htm
Support for the Individual Artist Programme (SIAP) funding. The relevant documents may be viewed or downloaded from the ACNI website at: www.artscouncil-ni.org/award/recent/funding.htm
ETHICAL PRACTICE The Arts Council has published additional ethical practice resources for artists and arts organisations working with children and young people. Building on ‘Guidelines for the protection and welfare of children and young people in the arts sector’, the resources have been developed in response to requests from the sector. The first resource, ‘Guidelines for taking and using images of children and young people in the arts sector’ aims to
industry, and the development of an online
presence
for
NORIBIC’s
‘Awakening Creative Entrepreneurism UnConference’ which will take place in March 2009. More information on the Creative Industry Innovation Fund Award winners is available on the ACNI website. www.artscouncil-ni.org
MACKEY FOR RIAA Irish artist Christine Mackey was recently selected to participate in an RIAA (Residencia Internacional de Artistas en Argentina) residency, an international, artist-led programme in Argentina organised by Melina Berkenwald and Graciela Hasper. The RIAA residency programme includes two days of artists’ presentations at the CentroCultural de Espana en Buenos Aires, followed by a two week residency and exhibition held at Ostende - Pinamar. This is the fourth edition of the project which includes artists from Argentina, Peru, Brazil, America, Canada, Sweden, Ecuador, and Spain. Mackey’s participation was funded by Leitrim and Roscommon International TRADE bursary and Cultural Ireland. www.proyectoriaa.org
Martina Durac and Vanessa Gildea for ‘Flight to Freedom’, director Fergus Daly and producer Katherine Waugh for
Beholder, a film that explores the nature and process of contemporary Irish portrait artists and their relationship with their subjects. The Reel Art Awards are designed
CAL FUNDING ENQUIRY The Arts Council of Northern Ireland
opportunity to make imaginative and
has published its written submission to
creative documentaries on artistic
the Committee for Culture, Arts and
themes made for theatrical exhibition
Leisure (CAL) Funding Inquiry on the
and wining films will be premiered at
ACNI website. Working from Stormont,
the Jameson Dublin International Film
CAL scrutinises the work of the
Festival in February 2010. www.artscouncil.ie
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), and is currently conducting a major inquiry into ‘The Funding of the Arts in Northern Ireland’. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland presented oral evidence to the Committee on 26 February 2009. Their written
submission
includes
a
comparative study of the per capita spend on the arts in Northern Ireland compared to other countries in the British Isles from 2003 to 2008/9 and an Northern Ireland comes from and possible additional sources, as well as a comprehensive breakdown of the cultural sectors across which funds received by the ACNI have been distributed from 2003/4 to 2008/9. To read the full report, please visit the News section of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s website. www.artscouncil-ni.org
ARTS AUDIENCES PROJECT The month-long planning phase of the Arts Audiences partnership project between the Arts Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust got underway in early March. The project, directed by Una Carmody of Temple Bar Cultural Trust, will seek to clarify and address issues surrounding audience experience and development in the arts and recognise the importance of arts organisations’ attempts to maximise engagement with, and revenue from, their audiences. The national broadcaster, RTÉ, will participate in the project as associates, with input and expertise in audience research and reach, and assistance as to how audiences are informed about the arts. The guiding principle of the project will be to look at increasing capacity in arts organisations with a view to achieving
demonstrable
gains
in
TULLAMORE ARTS CENTRE
audience engagement and participation,
A public meeting was held on Wednesday
and the project will carry out project
25 March 2009 at 8pm in Hugh Lynch’s,
work illustrating good practice in
Kilbride Street, Tullamore, to highlight
audience development, marketing and
the fact that Offaly County Council had
customer service.
€2million in ACCESS Funding allocated
Information on the project will be
for the development of an arts centre by
updated as it progresses on the Arts
the end of 2009. Collectively representing
Council website.
the community and artistic interests in
www.nationalsculpturefactory.com
and producer Martha O’Neill for The
to provide film artists with an
examination of where arts funding in
year 2008/2009, including Project, Public Art, Re-imaging Communities and
US forum for the international media
to director Sé Merry Doyle and producers
From Public to Private? Business to Arts & Deloitte recently published The Private Investment in Arts & Culture Survey Report. The report provides analysis of private investment across a wide range of art forms and private investment types. In relation to the report Business to Arts have stated that the report will provide “arts & cultural organisations, businesses, foundations, trusts and Government with information to aid understanding of the financial landscape of the sector and will help to inform future arts and cultural investment strategies. The report can be downloaded from the Business to Arts website – www.businesstoarts.ie New Home for G126 126, Galway’s first artist-run gallery, has relocated. After a long search, the contemporary exhibition space is pleased to announce their new address at Queen Street, Galway. Nearly facing closure a few months ago, the venue has secured a city centre location near the docks. This was only possible with the financial support of the Galway City Arts Office. After a two month hiatus they re-openined on 2 May with an exhibition of new work by Dublinbased artist Fergus Byrne. The new location is almost double the size of their previous one in Ballybane Industrial Estate. Future shows include: Frank Koolen (Netherlands) for the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover, Kelly Richardson (Canada) for the Galway Film Fleadh, Hank Willis Thomas (New York) for the Galway Arts Festival and an exchange of young Irish and American artists with the Californian artist-run gallery Blankspace. www.126.ie
www.artscouncil.ie
10
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Profile
Art Parlour
Fiona Fullam profiles the Galway based artist-led initiative 126
Dan Monks Some days you’re the pigeon, some days you’re the statue. Performance, Spanish Arch, Galway. September 2008.
Jeremy Ehling Sacred and Profane – shown at G126 April 2008.
'I’ve become a Magpie' Cian McConn solo show, installation view at G126. December 2008.
Opening night of group show 'U Complete Me' at G126 Aug 2007.
In 2005 Ben Geoghegan and Austin Ivers set up 126 , an artist-led project and gallery space in Galway, on the artist-led / collective model of Transmission in Glasgow (2) and Catalyst in Belfast (3). Initially showing from the living room of their residence, Ben and Austin had a strong vision of what this might become. The name '126' was simply derived from the number of the house where Geoghegan and Ivers were living at the time. The ethos of the project was then and as it is now, to provide a space run democratically by artists for artists; to initiate dialogue and the exchange of ideas; to provide support and a platform for work to be shown in Galway, –which might not be represented by commercial galleries or other art institutions. Further aims are also listed on their website – these include “encouraging critical discourse (around art) in Ireland”, “presenting diverse programming – ranging from established to emerging artists, from international to local practitioners and from conventional to new medias” and “to initiate projects outside of the gallery”. At 126, in its first incarnation in the front room of their house in Laurel Park, Galway, Ben and Austin curated six shows – which were all very well received. Their very first opening night saw guests eating cake and sipping tea. From the outset a convivial atmosphere and a spirit of generosity prevailed. In September 2006, Maeve Mulrennan, Visual Arts Officer at Galway Arts Centre, invited 126 to curate a show at the arts centre – resulting in ‘126 Presents’ a show curated by Ben and Austin, comprising works by all the artists who had thus far exhibited at 126. The exhibition was a compendium show; it included the work of 20 artists, including Nevan Lehart, Tom Molloy, Beth O’Halloran, Mark O’Kelly and Blaise Drummond. The opening night was in part a celebration – with music and a boat party on the Corrib Princess – of how far 126 had come, as they were now about to move into a new venue. This was a very optimistic time for the arts in Galway – Engage Arts Studios, Lorg and ENSO had all come into being in 2004 and the Ard Bia Gallery was also operating at that time. Shortly after the run of ‘126 Presents’ in November 2006, 126 moved into a space at Ballybane Industrial Estate, just outside Galway city, which comprised of a 450 square foot gallery space and office. 126 thus became G126 for a while – and this locale was its home until the end of February 2009, when it (1)
was decided to move to a more central location in the city. And last November 2008 the name was changed back to 126 to represent the continuity of the project. At the time of going to print, 126 are in negotiations with a view to finding suitable long-term space. The structure of 126 is run by a six-member board. The members of the present board are Dave Callan, Alwyn Revill, Grainne McHale, Simon Fleming, Lilian Ingram and Jim Ricks is chairperson. The board, who all work on a voluntary basis, manage the day-to-day running of the gallery – each member curating or project-managing at least one show during the year. The board aims to change every two years, with some overlap – so that 126 evolves naturally under the influence of each successive committee. Alongside the board is an advisory board or committee, which includes the founding members, Ben (who stepped down from the main board at the beginning of 2008), Austin and Megs Morley, who was also formerly on the board. The board and advisory board members meet regularly once a month; and there have been two Annual General Meetings, where the membership is invited to give feedback. This involves a big time commitment from the board members, but as Dave Callan says, “It does keep you busy, but invigorated and involved”. The board receives its mandate from its membership, which was approximately 130 in December 2008; and decisions are made democratically from an artistic rather than an economic point of view. Membership is not restricted to Galway, on the contrary, 126 welcomes potential members from all over Ireland, provided that they support the aims of the project. There is an annual members’ show, in which any member who wishes to show one piece of work, can do so. As the membership grows however, this may no longer be possible – it is likely that the annual show will be selected in some way. Membership costs just €20 (€10 students /unwaged) and is renewable on an annual basis. Apart from the members show, other benefits include a listing of website links; the use of 126’s mailing list; and general support by 126 for its members’ activities. In terms of funding, 126 has had its difficulties. There have been times in its short history where the project was under real threat. Membership fees provide a small income, which goes directly into the general running of the gallery. A programming grant was provided by The Arts Council for 2008 and again for this year. Galway City Arts
Office has promised some core funding – specifically a start-up fund – to enable 126 to move into the city. 126 have also found alternative ways to raise funds. For example, last year they auctioned a painting by Blaise Drummond. Also when 126 presents projects as part of a larger initiatives – such as The Galway Arts Festival – it received some additional funding from such host organisations. However, in its early years especially, 126 subsisted on goodwill and support in-kind. Ballybane Industrial Estate is situated outside the city centre and was therefore always unlikely to attract people in off the street and for an outsider, it could be difficult to find. It was nonetheless, despite its location, a great space. When 126 was moving into the space in 2006, the landlady was happy to go along with the suggestions of the board at that time, so the gallery space has among other things, walls which are plastered right down to the floor. The first exhibition at the Ballybane venue showed work by Miriam and Benjamin de Burca (who was working at Catalyst at that time) as part of the Tulca programme – and the last show, which closed on 21 February, was the Catalyst Members’ show. So a link between the two spaces – 126 and Catalyst, has endured. For the last two years 126 and Catalyst have had an exchange of their members’ shows. This year they were shown simultaneously in February in Galway and Belfast. Members of Catalyst also travelled to Galway to the closing party for the space on 21st February, which was aptly called ‘The Ballybane of my Existence Party’. Exchanges with other artist-led spaces is something 126 is keen to continue and extend. Specifically 126 is looking to forge links with similar groups and projects, which are equally committed to a serious programming – but don’t necessarily have to share the same model of operations as 126. For example, links are currently being developed with Pallas Studios in Dublin. Brian Duggan and Mark Cullen of Pallas showed work at 126 last year – and in May this year Pallas will host a 126 show. An exchange is also being planned with Monster Truck in Dublin – the idea being to devise a project that reflects on each other’s style curating. 126 has also cultivated international relationships. Last year, 126 showed the work of New York based Austrian artist Rainer Ganahl, as part of the Galway Arts Festival. Also in 2008, Jim Ricks (who is originally from Oakland, California), the current chairperson, curated a show at 126 of work by artists from the San Francisco Bay Area. This connection is being further developed, as this year 126 will show a group of Irish artists at Blank Space, San Francisco. The exhibition, titled ‘How do you know?’ has been organised on an open-submission basis; and was widely advertised earlier in the year. 126 is also involved in various other projects. Megs Morley’s project The Artist-led Archive was recently housed at 126 (4). 126 artists were represented in ‘This must be the place’ an exhibition curated by Paul Murnaghan and Sally Timmons focusing on 10 Irish artist-led collectives at IMOCA (5) in Dublin (27 March – 19 April). 126’s contribution comprised of a collaborative work created by the six current board members. 126 has also had a long-term involvement in off-site activities in and around Galway. These have included ‘Weather Permitting’ an evening of video, sound and performance held in Headford Oct 2007; performance, temporary installations and a week of performance and workshops with Dan Monks, in association with Galway Culture Night 2008; a Live @ 8 evening of video and live art in March this year; and for the Galway Arts Festival 2009, 126 will be presenting the work of Hank Willis Thomas. There is no doubt that 126 is establishing partnerships and exchanges both nationally and internationally. They are bringing international artists to Galway and looking to do ambitious programming of national significance. As Jim Ricks says, “We’re getting experience, becoming more confident with what we can do”. Overall, 126 have built a strong platform for contemporary arts practice – and profiles visual artists, both emerging and established. Over its relatively short history 126 has demonstrated tenacity and the capacity to realise its aims. This innovative and generous project deserves to be supported and is to be wished continued success as it moves into the next phase of its development. Fiona Fullam Notes 1. www.g126.eu 2. www.transmissiongallery.org Transmission was set up in 1983 by graduates from Glasgow School of Art who were dissatisfied with the lack of exhibition spaces and opportunities for young artists in Glasgow. The gallery is managed by a voluntary committee of six people. Each member of the committee serves for up to two years and is then replaced. Transmission evolves under the influence of each successive committee member and continues to draw in a young peer group as active participants. 3. www.catalystarts.org.uk Catalyst Arts was formed 15 years ago in response to what was seen as a cultural vacuum. It is Belfast’s primary artist-led organisation. In accordance with its constitution it is run by unpaid volunteers, and seeks to adopt a poly-vocal strategy towards the promotion of contemporary art practices by large selection of artists and projects from the widest possible range of disciplines. 4. www.theartistledarchive.com 5 www.imoca.ie
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
11
May – June 2009
International
Another World is Possible
Augustine O’Donoghue and Carol Anne Connolly report on their experience of curating an exhibiton of Irish art at the ninth World Social forum in Belém, Brazil (27 January – 1 feburary 2009).
Public discussion on the global economic crisis – featuring the five Latin American presidents.
Visitors at the ‘Is Feidír an Domhain Eile a Chruthú’ stall at the WSF, Belem, Brazil.
In 2005 we attended the fifth World Social Forum, as part of a National College of Art and Design staff and student research trip. This visit had a huge impact on the work of all the students that attended; and for some of us it was a landmark point in the development and direction of our work. Having had such positive experience, we were keen to get involved in this event again at some point in the future; especially as we both shared an interest in socially engaged art practices – in other words, the kind of art that as Bertolt Brecht put it, “is not a mirror to reflect reality but a hammer with which to shape it”. (1) The first World Social Forum (WSF), held in January 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, took place at a time when the country was experiencing a huge social transformation. The roots of the WSF stem from an innovative participatory budgeting programme introduced by the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers’ Party) in Porto Alegre. (2) This initiative brought institutions and local citizens together in open assemblies, in order to discuss and decide upon appropriate uses for funding in the city. From its inception the WSF was concerned to further such conceptions of participatory democracy and to offer “an opened space – plural, diverse, non-governmental and non-partisan – that stimulates the decentralised debate, reflection … and alliances among movements and organisations engaged in concrete actions towards a more solidarity, democratic and fair world”. (3) The WSF was also motivated by a desire to bring together antiglobalisation movements, in order to plan, discuss, and share ideas. Up until the foundation of the WSF, most gatherings by anti-globalisation movements had been in the form of oppositional protests – specifically in relation to events such as the World Trade Organisation and G8 summits etc. Each year, the WSF is scheduled to take place simultaneously with the annual World Economic Forum meetings held in Davos, Switzerland. In Davos the leaders of the richest nations meet with representatives of the top 1000 global enterprises. The WSF aims to act as an oppositional force – a place where individuals and groups can develop alternatives to free market globalisation. Brazil is a country where culture and politics have had long history of interaction – through various art forms and contexts. One of the more recent examples of this is the work of Augusto Boal, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, theatre director, writer and founder of ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’. (4) While working as a city councillor in Rio de Janeiro, Boal developed ‘legislative theatre’ as an attempt to use the dramatic form within a political system, to create a truer form of democracy. Boal, encouraged citizens to articulate their concerns by developing plays, that are then presented to local and then wider audiences. To date twenty new laws have been passed in this way – illustrating the huge possibilities in participatory art forms in engagement with the political process. The 2009 World Social Forum took place in the Brazilian city of Belém, located in the Amazon rainforest, between 27 January and 1 February. It attracted over number 133,000 attendees, the majority coming from Latin America. Over the course of this event, thousands of meetings, debates, workshops, exhibitions and performances took place from morning until night. Our interest in the 2009 WSF was focused on a number of key questions. What ideas, strategies and inspiration can be gained from social movements in the development of socially engaged art practice and vice versa. Is socially engaged art practice part of a movement in the wider spectrum of social change? And can the World Social Forum act as an important international platform for artists whose work is socially engaged as an alternative to the global art fairs and biennials? We were specifically motivated to bring an Irish artists exhibition to this years WSF, in order to interact with an international audience
that was politically and socially engaged in processes of resistance. The exhibition we curated took its name from WSF’s dictum – ‘Is Feidír an Domhain Eile a Chruthú’ (Another World Is Possible)’. The show was presented in a pavilion at the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (UFRA) Universidade Federal Rural de Amazonia. ‘Is Feidír an Domhain Eile a Chruthú’ featured a diverse range of works by Mark Clare, Pauline Cummins, Jessie Jones, Paula Geraghty, The Rialto Women’s History Project, Pat Corcoran, Glenn Loughran, Donnacha O’ Brien, Kim Bartley, Treasa O’Brien, Lisa Marie Johnson and Dominic Thorpe. In conjunction with NCAD a ‘stall’ was organised as part of the show, that presented information on the artists, along with documentation of various socially engaged and community based projects by staff and students in NCAD. The stall and exhibition was self-funded. The NCAD group provided assistance in carrying over boxes and crates of artwork and equipment (5) and operating the stall. The NCAD students, were accompanied by Professor Brian Maguire who was leading a third-year research trip to the WSF. The Hedge School Project by Glenn Loughran, a PhD researcher at NCAD was among the works presented on the stall (6). Loughran’s participatory art project was developed through the construction of a series of ‘context schools’ working with different communities in various sites throughout Ireland. With so many experiments in various forms of participatory democracy and education across Latin America, Loughran’s work found an eager audience. Another work presented at the stall was Women With Balls a film by The Rialto Women’s History Project – a group based in Fatima Mansions, Dublin, where the community are often stigmatized by association to crime and drug abuse. Women With Balls is based on the idea of education for transformation. For the women, the film was an opportunity to explore how a community can recover from exclusion by telling their own story in a creative way. The film is heavily influenced by the theories of Brazilian educationist Paulo Freire, as outlined in his influential text The Pedagogy of the Oppressed (7). We hadn’t counted on the stall being so popular; and at times the amount of people enquiring about the work was overwhelming. It was refreshing to see people’s enthusiasm for new concepts and ways of working. The WSF took place in two university campuses adjacent to each other. But navigation from one campus to the other was at times challenging, as the infrastructure of Belém was put under strain by the massive influx of visitors. Sometimes though, getting lost or delayed, led to some unexpected discoveries. The members of the NCAD contingent pursued their various interests; a thus diverse range of art, politics, culture, alternative media and education networks were experienced. Brian Maguire and the NCAD students also participated in and contributed to many lively meetings and informal discussions – and several Irish students took part in national radio and television interviews, as journalists were keen to get a European perspective. One of the highlights was the opportunity to attend a public discussion on the global economic crisis featuring the five Latin American presidents – Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Rafael Correa (Ecuador) and Fernando Lugo (Paraguay). This public meeting took place in a large hangar. People queued for hours for an opportunity to hear the talk. The atmosphere was electric both inside and out. People sang, danced and chanted with passion. The contrast is striking, if one is to imagine how a meeting of European heads of state would be organised. Being cheeky Irish opportunists, we managed to get into the VIP area for the talk. It’s not every day one gets to hear such iconic political
The ‘Is Feidír an Domhain Eile a Chruthú’ stall at the WSF, Belem, Brazil.
figures as Chavez and Morales discussing the global economic crisis, condemning capitalist countries like the USA; discussing 21st century socialism and the proposition of a Latin American-wide revolution. To hear such revolutionary ideas being discussed by heads of states was extremely inspiring in contrast to the dominant capitalist ideology we are accustomed to in the West. The following night, the excitement in the air had not dissipated; and we screened The Revolution Will Not Be Televised a documentary by Irish filmmakers Donnacha O’Brien and Kim Bartley, about 2005 American-backed coup against Chavez government in Venezuela. According to Nicolas Bourriaud, the role of artworks “is no longer to form imaginary and utopian realities, but to actually be ways of living and models of action within the existing real, whatever the scale chosen by the artists” (8). ‘Is Feidír an Domhain Eile a Chruthú’ was a small experiment testing this proposition within the vast arena and possibilities offered by the WSF – one that we hope ourselves and other Irish artists can build on in the future. Through our participation at the forum, we got an invitation by the organisers of the Bangladeshi Social Forum to exhibit at their forum. We look forward to what potential this might hold. It is both progressive and visionary on the part of NCAD that it undertook such important research trip – the potential benefit for students and participants at the Forum is far reaching. At the time of writing this article, students and staff who went to the trip to the WSF in Kenya (9) in 2007 are putting the final preparations for an international conference on ‘Art with Africa’ (10) to be held in NCAD. The conference will bring together a wide range of experiences of art, culture and politics from an Irish and African perspective, its part of a wider project being developed with two community groups NCAD established links with at the forum. These initiatives take art education from the institute into the wider world and sets standard and models for other institutes and organisations to learn from. More than anything the WSF was an educational experience on a monumental scale. It was inspiring to be part of an event alongside thousands of activists, trade unionists, NGOs, students, academics and indigenous people at the forefront of various struggles, sharing experiences, debating ideas, developing new models, and creating networks of solidarity with communities across the globe. The sense of energy and common purpose experienced as a participant at the forum stays with you. The task now is to take the energy and ideas back into our work and struggles, in our own communities in Ireland – Is Feidír an Domhain Eile a Chruthú … another world is possible. Augustine O’Donoghue and Carol Anne Connolly Augustine O’Donoghue is an artist and activist based in Dublin, she is co founder of the Progressive Film Club. Carol Anne Connolly is an artist based in Roscommon, where she has run Mantua Project since 2006. Both artists have collaborated on a number of projects since 2007.
Notes 1. Peter Howard Selz, Visual Politics in California and Beyond, University of California Press, 2006, p.30 2. The PT party is the title of the Brazilian Workers party – the ruling party in Brazil. Its leader, Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, is the president of the country. 3. www.forumsocialmundial.org.br 4 . Without the cooperation of the NCAD group the exhibition would have not been possible. Also all artists contributed their work for free. 5. www.theatreoftheoppressed.org 6. http://hedgeschool08.com 7. Paulo Freire. (Trans) Myra Bergman Ramos. Pedagogy of the Oppressed Continuum; 2000 (30th anniversary edition) 8. Nicolas Bourriaud, Relational Aesthetics, Les presses du reel, 2002, p13. 9.The seventh World Social Forum was held in Nairobi, Kenya in January 2007. 10. artwithafrica.wordpress.com. A report on the conference will be published in the July / August edition of the Visual Artists News Sheet.
12
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Art in the public realm: focus
Looks Like Art, Smells Like Teen Spirit Áine Ivers reports on ‘Reverb; An Exhibition of Youth Arts’ at the Concourse, Dún Laoghaire, 27 feb – 11 March 2009. (1)
'Shanganagh Garden Project' Video installation. Photo: Claire Behan.
outside of her usual social circle. Youth worker Simon Bolger initially had concerns about the place of youth work projects within the Concourse exhibition. However, Bolger ultimately felt that the exhibition was a success and that the young people gained fresh insight into their work when they saw it “glossed and carefully positioned in a place of cultural relevance”. Stephanie Monahan saw the role of the curator in a very positive
'Reverb' exhibition at the Concourse. Installation view. Photo: Claire Behan.
light. She noted that as the youth groups had given so much to their Sitting in a darkened room, I am watching a series of short video
last century, from De Valera to Ahern. We placed the audio inside the
projects, it was only fitting that an experienced professional – a
films. The floor is strewn with popcorn remnants that glow in the
machine and left it on a constant loop. Essentially it’s an installation
curator – was charged with representing their work in the public
darkness of the black interior, evidence that a group of young people
piece which is symbolic of past being consumed by present and
context of an exhibition. She loved the way the show looked and
has visited the space before me. Film after film appear on the screen; a
future.” This work incorporated contemporary art-making processes
pointed out that young people don’t have the knowledge or experience
short film about text message bullying is followed by one about a girl
into youth arts.
to achieve that kind of professional quality. Monaghan’s positivity
into witchcraft. The sound quality varies between, and even within,
While The Hungry Ghost Project represented something of an
films. Many are tense, only a few incorporate humour; alcohol features
‘exhibition ready’ artwork, other projects were more mediated or
frequently. Other themes include issues around self-empowerment,
curated in terms of their presentation in the show. For example The
responsibility and control over one’s life. Many of the characters on
Graphic Novel Project was heavily produced for exhibition. The
the screen are prepared to act aggressively to secure their social
Shanganagh Garden Project was another work that required curatorial
standing.
production. Claire Behan represented this ongoing gardening project
involved. It was also a demonstration of partnership between the DLR
This cinematic presentation of youth film was one element of
involving young people in the Shanganagh area, by installing a large,
Arts Office the local youth services. And beyond this, it revealed the
‘Reverb; An Exhibition of Youth Arts’, a showcase exhibition of works
raised, grass-covered square in the gallery, with a birch sapling planted
potential for the decompartementalisation of youth arts, and the
from youth arts projects that had taken place took in the Dundrum-
at its centre, coupled with video footage of the actual garden.
scope for youth arts’ incorporation of contemporary arts practices
underlined the potential for curatorial practices to merge in interesting ways with youth arts. Indeed one can speculate, that had the time constraints for this project not been so tight as they were, that the participants could have been involved in the curatorial process. ‘Reverb’ was a celebration of the creativity of the young people
Rathdown region of Dún Laoghaire. The showcase ran for two weeks
The evident ‘production’ of some of the elements of the exhibition
in the Concourse in Dún Laoghaire County Hall (27 Feb – 11 March).
prompted questions about the role of the curator in collaborative
The idea for the exhibition emerged from a feedback process between
projects. However, Behan found that her curatorial concerns fused
Visiting ‘Reverb’ led me to think about the need for the wider
the Education and Community Co-ordinator with Dún Laoghaire-
well with her experience as a youth arts practitioner and the practical
public to engage young people’s creativity. Many serious themes were
Rathdown Arts Office, Máire Davey, and youth workers from the local
requirements of project management. Specifically, Behan was excited
raised in ‘Reverb’, such as bullying, violence, irresponsibility, loneliness
Youth Arts Awareness Programme. This is a partnership programme
by the opportunity to explore ways to introduce visual coherency
and exclusion. Adults can often loath revisiting the angst of
between Dundrum-Rathdown Youth Service, DLR Arts Office and DLR
between the range of works that emerged from the various youth art
teenagehood, perhaps finding it clichéd and uncomfortable – I
Community Development Section, supported by the National Youth
projects – while staying true to the central ethos of youth arts.
definitely squirmed and cringed as, while watching the youth films, I
such as performance, film-making, video and sound-editing, assemblage, curation (and perhaps exhibition report writing!). (2)
Council of Ireland. They identified a need to show the works that had
From my viewing of the show, I was struck by the differences
was reminded of my own teenage angst! The youth workers who led
emerged from the youth arts projects. The Arts Office decided to
between the spaces in which the short films were shot and the space
these projects looked far beyond this. They managed to devise spaces
oversee and fund the exhibition. Davey invited Claire Behan to come
of the Concourse. Many of the spaces in the films – both exteriors and
where they could engage with the angsty spectres that adults prefer to
on board as curator, choosing Behan for her experience in both
interiors – stood in stark contrast to the clean-lined, well maintained
leave lurking in the moody shadows of their teens.
curatorial and youth arts practices.
public space of the exhibition venue. ‘Reverb’ gave the young people of
The project organisers and workers gave young people a space to
the region access to a space of higher quality, than those often provided
explore their creative energies. And these are energies that can,
for youth arts activity.
amongst other things, tap into some of our most basic fears, such as
Behan drew together works of varied media to produce a playful and thoughtful show. Another project exhibited in the show was a series of graphic novels made by young people from Columbanus
Moreover, the young people were given a sense of ownership of
the fear of exclusion – and, without apology or pretension reveal the
Parish area. The novels were presented in a perspex-topped, tilted
public space – one day during the show Máire Davey found young
power those fears have over society. Through engaging with youth
display cabinet, each open on one page. In order to give the viewer
people sneaking crisps into the video room to munch on as they
arts, we can see society’s workings reflected in the ideas and thoughts
access to their contents, Behan had a still image taken of each page of
watched the films. Davey had to explain to the young visitors, that
of young people. The young people on these projects particularly
each graphic novel and these were presented as looped DVD slideshows
they did not need to hide their snacks, as this was their exhibition and
benefited by having their worked placed in a respected public venue.
on five combi-TVs – the result was a kind of ‘installational field’ of
they could visit it as they wished. Thus the exhibition functioned as an
Such projects can hold reciprocal benefits for the audience, should
drawn stories.
invitation to young people to exercise their right to inhabit public
youth arts be valued in the context of the wider community.
Another striking work in the show was The Hungry Ghost Project: The Harmonium. This comprised a white harmonium that stood
space, whilst highlighting for the audience the qualities of the more marginal spaces that young people often frequent.
Áine Ivers
strongly in the space, gently emitting soft whispering sounds. Simon
This exhibition also raised questions about ‘ownership’. Although
Bolger, a youth worker on the project, described the work in these
the young people were only minimally involved in the exhibitions
terms; “…the idea came about to use the [harmonium] as a way of
translation and representation or projects they had participated in, a
representing the Ireland of the past which was being forgotten amid
sense of pride and ownership was reported in the conversations I had
the furious noise of the Celtic Tiger. Our young men’s group rebuilt the
with people involved in the exhibition. One young person I chatted
organ, cleaned and painted it to give it a modern look, a soundtrack
with, Stephanie Monahan, spoke of how the project and the subsequent
Notes 1. To research this article I talked to four people who were involved in this exhibition; Claire Behan, the curator, Simon Bolger, a youth worker with an arts background who was involved in some of the projects exhibited in the show, Máire Davey, Education and Community Co-ordinator with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Arts Office and Stephanie Monahan, a young person who participated in some of the projects that were exhibited. 2. Another interesting event involving young people that took place recently in Dublin was ‘Change?’, a collaborative project between Dylan Haskins, The Office Of Public Works Artists’ Collective, Sorcha McKenna, and a number of transition year students. Coming from an activist arts rather than youth arts background, it too showed the potency of the
was then mixed down comprising of famous voices and sounds of the
exhibition had given her an opportunity to engage with many people
decompartmentalisation of young people’s creative work. (http://changedublin.blogspot.com)
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
13
May – June 2009
How is it Made? selection as well as the final painting. BW: Has advancing technology impacted on your practice over the decades – the internet, for example? DW: I have a computer now, but only for the past couple of months. I can send and receive emails. I watch how other people, particularly my 16 year-old son, spend so much time with the internet, how they communicate. It is a culture that is completely unknown to me. PF: When I need it for things, then I use it. If I need certain information then I go to the Internet, where before I would go to the telephone or a book. If I am going to the mountains and have to know the avalanche situation, then I look it up on the internet. I do also buy a lot of music Fischli/Weiss, 'Fotografias', 2004/5/9. Installation view. Courtesy DHG Dublin. Photo: Rory Moore.
Fischli/Weiss, image from 'Fotografias', 2004/5/9. Courtesy Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zürich; Sprüth Magers Berlin London; Matthew Marks Gallery, New York.
online. DW: It’s so easy to get lost. You can be interested in everything and you can have information on everything immediately. Especially now that even cell phones go directly to Google! PF: A friend of ours, he was travelling recently, and staying in a nice hotel. He sent us this message telling all about the exotic providence of the mattress on his bed – he had just been lying there, googling it on his cell phone! Yesterday I sent him a message from the hotel in Dublin to say that before I go to bed, I google my mattress! SB: You mentioned buying music, do you find that other art forms, such as music, cinema, books, etc – have been and continue to be important to your practice?
Fischli/Weiss, image from 'Fotografias', 2004/5/9. Courtesy Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zürich; Sprüth Magers Berlin London; Matthew Marks Gallery, New York.
Fischli/Weiss, image from 'Fotografias', 2004/5/9. Courtesy Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zürich; Sprüth Magers Berlin London; Matthew Marks Gallery, New York.
PF: Our generation grew up in the sixties, at a time when the influence
Art, Life and Zoo Animals
coming from music, films, literature, etc. was very clear and very
SARA BAUME & BARRY WHITE IN CONVERSATION WITH FISCHLI & WEISS.
lasagne! Lots of experiences from lots of different directions building
A few hours before the opening of Peter Fischli & David Weiss’s first
narrative, just different fields and themes.
DW: Like cooking. Like mixing things together.
DW: You have to find if there is a better or best way of making a line.
PF: But I think that when you talk with all artists, it’s the same. There
This work does not have a beginning, does not need a beginning.
aren’t many artists that just look at art.
have agreed to let us publish an interview for the Visual Artists News
SB: Laid out in this way, the show really draws the viewer in and
BW: I have always been curious about the role that science potentially
Sheet from a casual conversation, and for almost an hour Fischli &
unfolds. From upstairs all you can see is black rectangles on white, then
plays in your work. In Switzerland, there is the CERN facility in
Weiss chat enthusiastically about the universe, art, life and zoo
downstairs they become photographs, then scenes, and closer still you
Geneva, which has been making headlines around the world in recent
animals.
can sometimes decipher the bolts and seams and reflections that make
months.
solo exhibition in Ireland, the artists are sitting in a patch of sunlight downstairs in the Douglas Hyde Gallery, surrounded by 378 of their photographs of wolves, witches, waves, woods and warthogs. They
Barry White: I’m always very interested in the physical nature of the
them surfaces.
strong. We were both affected as much by this as by anything that was happening in visual art at the same time. It has always been a bit like a up layers.
DW: This is certainly something that I am interested in, but from afar.
works themselves, how they exist and their lives. I get especially
PF: The situation here is perfect. Upstairs it’s abstract, you think you
I have read interviews with the directors and such things. I have heard
excited about good packaging materials, and the Swiss make
are seeing something else. Then you come down and make a
very fearful accounts that they will create this black hole and we will
particularly exquisite crates.
discovery!
all disappear into it!
Peter Fischli: We have an assistant that is also like this! Whenever we
BW: Is it important to you to make work that is inviting or accessible,
PF: I just read a science fiction novel based around it. In the moment
start a new work, he immediately thinks about the crates. Sometimes
particularly to people who are outside of the art world?
that they are doing this black hole experiment, something goes wrong,
when we ship a piece, we get a lot of compliments for the nice crates!
PF: Yes and No.
David Weiss: We had a show in Cairo, a long time ago, and they showed the crates as well, because they hadn’t seen anything quite like them before!
and time freezes. There are this group of people that are not frozen and they have to walk through Switzerland, where it is always 11.30am,
DW: We never made a decision to make work that everybody has to
where the sun is always shining and the coffee is always warm. It was
understand. With The Way Things Go, for example, we never thought
a nice book!
about how we were going to make it appeal to everyone. We just liked
SB: I travelled through Switzerland once, on a train through the Alps,
Sara Baume: Fotografias (2004/5/9) has been presented in a number of
the way it happened in the studio.
different places on a number of occasions over the past few years. Do
PF: When we did the Tate retrospective in 2006, it was clear that the
country, but more than anything I remember a bear pit right in the
spectacular things and the humorous things got the most attention.
middle of Berne.
you make changes to the installation, the presentation, or even the artwork itself each time you show it? PF: We certainly have a tendency to install or interpret things anew. DW: The way we made Fotografias was by going to all these places – fairgrounds and amusement parks, etc – to take the pictures. Then we brought them back to the studio, laid them out, discussed them, and made a selection. PF: The piece itself, the artwork, has a clear form. There are groups of six, like you see on the walls, 18 in total. Then a year after initially
There is certainly a popular level. And everybody likes to be popular, to be loved. But if I feel that the work is reduced, then I am uncomfortable with it. This work, Fotografias, was also in the Tate retrospective, but it didn’t stand a chance against the others. There were too many nice flowers, so many other more attractive or popular things! DW: There is nothing wrong with humour. But normally we laugh because there is a gap between two things, which will not fit together, and you can read quite deeply into that.
taking the pictures, we went back and looked at all the material again.
PF: The problem with humorous artwork is if people think that the
It seemed so sad that we had started with this criteria of kicking out all
joke is all there is, and there is actually much, much more.
of the stupid images! We decided to make a documentation of
SB: How important is it for you now to make things yourselves, by
everything, just for ourselves and not necessarily as an artwork, and we made all these sheets with different themes, be it fairytales, or whatever, but not really strict. BW: In terms of layout, the tables are scattered about the gallery at
hand, from scratch? You mentioned having an assistant. PF: We have two assistants and they do a lot of the carving of things, the polyurethane.
stopping in a few major cities. It was a beautiful and interesting
DW: This is a controversial tradition. They have been there for many years, but they have to give the bears hideouts now, so they don’t have to see the people. PF: This is the new thing with zoos. You don’t see the animals any more, you have to wait until they come out of their hideouts. You see a lot of people looking for the animals, but you don’t see any actual animals! The conversation meanders into bog bodies, drizzle, ghosts and Irish pubs. It concludes when Weiss declares an intention to take a trip out to the sea before their gallery talk later on, and Fischli agrees wholeheartedly, requesting recommendations and directions. So, two iconic and well-travelled artists from a small, landlocked country in the middle of Europe struck out for the Forty Foot swimming area in Sandycove, Co Dublin with the same zest and gusto for an afternoon of ocean, as they have demonstrated for decades
random, where normally this kind of work has been positioned in
DW: They are very good, they are getting better than we are!
through a language of sculpture, text, film, photography and thought
straight lines.
PF: They’ve been doing it now for years. Normally, they carve and paint
uniquely and distinctively their own.
PF: With Visible World (1986-2001) the first variation of the piece was
the objects white. We do the finish. Maybe when they are carving
as a video, so when we came to show it in photographs we put it on tables to follow the same narrative. With Fotografias there is no
things, we will observe and make changes. We go to thrift shops to find appropriate objects, and it is very important that we make this initial
14
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Regional Profile
Visual Arts Resources & Activity in County Fingal Railway Studios
Location Location
Draíocht
Shane Holland Bio Diversity (detail) Malahide Castle. A studio space at Railway Studios, Balbriggan.
Railway Studios – exterior view.
Railway studios (formerly Renegade studios) is an artist led space on Railway Street, Balbriggan, north county Dublin. The studios were initiated around 1995 / 1996 as a companion space to the now defunct Sunlight Studios and has housed numerous artists ever since. The building itself operated from 1790 till 1980 (with a connecting bridge to the former Sunlight studios) as the Smyth & Co. Hosiery. It was famed by the fact that Queen Victoria would only wear stockings produced there and it was also immortalised in a felt pen sketch by L.S Lowry entitled Hosiery and Factory which incidentally was bought by a local Balbriggan business man for €67,000. Currently the studios house six artists – while the space itself consists of two larger and three smaller partitioned spaces and one separate adjoining space. I first had a studio here from around 1996 / 1997, which I travelled from Dublin. Now some years later (and after a move to Drogheda), I find myself back once again. Not much has changed in the intervening years. It’s still quite a ramshackle affair – it can be drafty and damp, with peeling walls and the toilet and sink facilities are temperamental – ie it is the authentic artist’s garret! For all its bad points it has stood the test of time and served numerous artists well over the years. It has 24 hour access, and offer secure space; and most important of all it has always been a relatively cheap space to rent. Each artist uses the space differently; and one could quite easily work in the space for several days without running into a fellow artist. While the artists in the studios tend to work independently of each other, I have exhibited in group shows with Leonard Sexton at the Seahorse Gallery in Ballbriggan (www.seahorse.ie). The Seahorse Gallery is run by local businessman Des Hamilton; and it serves as a showcase space and meeting point for the array of artists furrowing away in the local and surrounding area. Thomas Brezing, Elizebeth Comerford, Leonard Sexton, Murielle Cellis, David Newton have all shown there. Although I have a studio space in the Railway studios, I am in fact a Drogheda based artist (it is two train stops away) so my knowledge of the north Dublin visual arts activities and resources are limited, save for artists I know from the area or my showing at the Seahorse gallery. Brian Hegarty
I moved out of my Dublin premises on North Great George’s Street three years ago, to live in Skerries and set up my new studio in Duleek in Meath. It was a seismic decision and a serious life readjustment. But it had been necessary due to the sale of my rented studio to developers; and my own need for more working and living space. However, in essence I was moving to an area that I had known as a kid, from visiting the seaside in Skerries and my workplace was not far from my original home in Meath. So in some ways this was a homecoming. In other ways it was a lesson in reality, in that the readjustment would take time. In Fingal I was informed of the 1000 yard stare; or how the blow-ins never get a ‘full-in’ in the community. However, I have to say that this is not the case now, particularly as my kids are attending local schools. The experience of being an artist is often an insular one. However, I am fortunate to have a working team, with whom I’ve worked on various projects, which vary from public sculptural work to lighting installations – from Ireland, the UK, Europe and the Middle East. This team has mutated through phases and one of my greatest challenges was to bring in new talent and train a new crew in relation to my approach, quality, design and execution. This has not been easy and is still a work in progress. The same applies to living in a new community, where some may be sceptical towards newcomers. So far my only experience of working on public art in the Fingal area has come through a collaborative project with the NGO Coast Watch, for the production of a monument to biodiversity marking the enlargement of the EU in 2006. The work was located in Malahide Castle and the project involved collaboration between Karin Dubsky of Coastwatch, an Army Colonel, an artist, an engineer and the parks department of Fingal Co Council. This project entailed a multitude of funding intricacies, which have still not yet been fully resolved. I was happy to provide the technical and installation knowledge on the project; however I now have learned that a tight crew is much more conducive to a clean result than working with many fringe players. My main conclusion is that having moved out of Dublin, the essentials of location are not that important once you have broadband access and a good website. For example, I recently travelled to Dubai on a promotional trip, to give a presentation along with three other Irish companies working in the fields of sculptural design, glass and furniture – we got the following reaction from a Dubai based design manager “We are working on the Intercontinental Hotel London, that will be good for you as you guys are based in the UK”. Location, location – whatever! I think that the most crucial factors for any working artist, wherever they are based is to keep working; let people know your story; make connections wherever you can; learn the local history; find people you want to work and play with; find space in which you can think; keep the paperwork simple – and keep faith – the work will come! Shane Holland
Draíocht – exhibition space. (Installation view, work by Orla Whelan)
local artists and community groups. Draíocht’s current programme includes an exhibition stemming from that ideal of cross collaboration. Artists Brian Maguire and Michael McLoughlin have produced a body of work in conjunction with, and in response to, a group of participants from a programme run by the Coolmine Therapeutic Community. This project, which spanned over two years and will culminate in an exhibition by all involved parties this coming July, embodies Draíocht’s aims to attract and work with internationally and nationally acclaimed artists, to find ways to interact with and develop relations with the local and wider community and to present our audience with a programme that will engage and stimulate. Another core aim in Draíocht’s policy involves Draíocht – exterior view of main gallery space.
Since opening in 2001 Draíocht in Blanchardstown has reached right to the heart of the people it serves – in Dublin 15 and its environs – to provide stimulating and accessible arts programming. Over 50,000 people a year attend performance events and in addition thousands more attend our two exhibition galleries. For a suburban arts centre, Draíocht’s profile on the national visual arts scene is highly regarded. The fact that Draíocht is a multifaceted arts centre plays a major role in the success of our visual arts programme. Due to the nature and design of the building everyone who comes to Draíocht is exposed to exhibitions in the large and spacious glass fronted Ground Floor Gallery and local school groups are regular attendees of
national
and
international
exhibitions,
complimented by artists workshops and talks. Since the recent departure of Draíocht’s Visual Arts Officer Carissa Farrell (to Visual in Carlow), Draíocht has a newly established selection committee for programming and administrative duties come under the remit of the newly established role of Visual Arts Administrator. Over the years Farrell devised and created a visual arts programme which is a credit to Draíocht, staying loyal to the core principals of Draíocht’s over all programme. She was instrumental in establishing the high standard in programming Draíocht has built its hugely respected visual arts reputation on. One of the core issues surrounding the establishment of such a visual arts programme is to create a programme of work that is not only perceived within the visual arts community as successful, but also has relevance within the local community. This involves attracting and programming “museum quality” shows whilst still finding ways of including
supporting and nurturing both emerging and local talent. This is has been achieved in recent years with the now annual exhibition ‘Amharc Fhine Gall’, a collaborative project with Fingal County Council Art Office. The exhibition originated with a showcase of work of contemporary artists, followed in 2005 by a celebration of local craft artists living in Fingal, and has developed over the last number of years into a show case for recent art graduates from Fingal. Support to artists continues through Draíocht’s artist in residency scheme. Draíocht’s bright, spacious and self-contained studio currently offers residencies periods of up to six months. The studio residency is designed to buy time and space for artists to develop their practice in a comfortable, practical and supportive environment. This policy combined with the gallery exhibition programme encourages
research
and
innovation
in
contemporary art by giving artists the opportunity to make and show new work. Draíocht’s current artist-in-residence, Mark Clare, is also planning a solo show in our Ground Floor Gallery in 2010. Draíocht aims to continue to develop a visual arts programme that serves the needs of our surrounding community and continues to engage a wider audience whilst maintaining and developing our reputation in the arts sector. Draíocht is generously funded by Fingal County Council with additional funding provided by The Arts Council. Draíocht also has a loyal Network of Friends who contribute annually to the company. Niamh Ryan Visual Arts Administrator Draíocht
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
15
May – June 2009
Regional Profile
Public Art
Fingal Arts Office
Youth & Education
Fingal Public Art Commission
Participants in Fingal artist in residence school’s scheme.
Fingal Public Art Commission
‘Light Up Fingal’: Public Art, Youth & Education Programme
Since his appointment in 1994 as County Arts Officer, Rory O’Byrne has developed an arts infrastructure in Fingal to meet the needs of the ever-growing population. In 2006 the population of Fingal reached 239,992 with a growth rate of over 22%, making it the fastest growing county in modern times. The average age of people living Fingal is 32 giving it the youngest population of any county in the state. To meet these demands, the Arts Office has grown in strength with the appointment in 2005 of Sarah O’Neill / Deputy Arts Officer, Caroline Cowley / Public Art Co-ordinator and Julie Clarke / Youth & Education Officer. Having four permanent members of staff, each with their area of specialty has allowed us to focus on the long-term objectives in delivering a coherent and integrated arts infrastructure embedded into the lives of the people of Fingal. With the 2003 Arts Act it became mandatory that local authorities were required to write and implement an Arts Plan for their administrative areas. 2006 saw the publication of the first Arts Development Plan 2206-2010 for Fingal. When we began to plan for our Fingal Arts Development Plan, there were two options open to us, one was to advertise and commission arts consultants to write our Plan, as had many other local authorities before us, or secondly, write it ourselves. After much discussion we decided that we were best placed, and most qualified, to take the task on in house. The plan was the result of a year’s in-depth consultation with a broad range of cultural groups, individuals, and arts organisation, both at local and national level. The aim in writing the plan was to identify the strengths of cultural activity within the county, and place it within a greater Dublin and national context. Fifty-five recommendations were made on a broad range of cultural issues, and set out time periods for achieving these goals. The majority of recommendations set out have been met, within their time frame. Those that remain incomplete are connected to capital projects, such as provision of studio space for professional artists. In 2007 the Arts Office carried out a feasibility study into the provision of professional artist studio space in the county. Resulting from the finding it was identified that there is a real need for affordable studio
provision for artists working and living in the Fingal area. We are now involved in cross-departmental discussions with the Council identifying EU and other funding opportunities. As part of Fingal County Council’s Arts Plan 2006-2010, the Council committed to: ‘Develop an Arts Office identity, to brand and market profile of arts activity in Fingal’. A key tool for the dissemination of this information is the website – www.fingalarts.ie. A new website will launch in the spring. Ultimately the Arts Office’s ambition is to position the site as central to our activities and how we work and communicate in the digital arena. In a department with significant visual resources it would seem essential that any online presentation appropriately reflects the type and content of our activities. In our continued commitment to professional artists Fingal County Council in partnership with the Tyrone Guthrie Centre is offering four special bursary awards for professional artists in Fingal. These awards are offered to enhance the development of four specific arts disciplines: visual arts; dance; music; literature. The successful applicants will have the opportunity to spend two weeks in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Monaghan. Providing an ideal environment for the development of creative projects and an opportunity to network with other artists. In 2010 Fingal County Council will be offering as new initiative a ‘fine art’ print residency at Graphic Studio Dublin for artists with printmaking skills. The month long residency will result in inclusion in a Graphic Studio Dublin Group Exhibition at Graphic Studio Gallery and professional studio support with regard to technical process, artistic development. Fingal County Council continues to preserve cultural life and provide public access to the arts in Fingal through its development of two arts centres. Draíocht is a multi-purpose arts venue for the suburbs offering theatre, dance, contemporary visual arts and community education and outreach. Draíocht is now a vital part of the expanding and diverse cultural life of Dublin 15. The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre is a traditional music venue, which aims to develop and maintain rural traditions in the rapidly changing environment of rural Fingal. Both venues offer the people of Fingal the opportunity to experience a broad variety of arts activity from home and abroad. Fingal County Council funds Draíocht and The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre, with additional funding support from the Arts Council of Ireland. Sarah O’Neill Deputy County Arts Officer Fingal County Council
‘Light Up Fingal’: Public Art, Youth & Education Programme
Participants in Fingal artist in residence school’s scheme
Fingal Public Art Commission
Maximising opportunities presented by the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Governments’ Per Cent for Art Scheme, the arts office has been expanding its engagement of artists in the public realm and encouraging a full range of artistic practice. We hope to invite the public to challenge the notion of public art, traditionally associated with sculpture by programming projects featuring, light, sand, theatre, dance, music and visual art. The public art policy is currently at draft stage and reflects our approach to commissioning. Our preference for an open brief allows artists long periods of research and development around ideas. This approach is coupled with in- house support for artists to realise their projects with the assistance of other council departments, ie. architects, heritage, parks, environment, and community. The draft policy has invited input from artists and practitioners both national and international and we are committed to continue the research into all aspects of commissioning and best practice in this area. Our current projects are gradually emerging and include new works by Mark Garry, (Music) Dan Dubowitz & Fearghus O’Chonuir ( Film, Installation, Choreography), Martina Coyle(Installation) Brian Duggan (Film & Sculpture), Aileen Lambert, (Performance) and Dennis McNulty, (Sound, installation, architecture). The artistic identity of Fingal is further developed through Amharc Fhine Gall, (Fingal Gaze) an annual exhibition which showcases the work of Fingal Artists or work made or inspired by the county. In 2008 we opened up the opportunity to recent graduates from the area, which proved very successful. The group show; 'It’s all in the Detail” featured Deirdre Byrne, Lorna Fitzsimons, Tracy Hanna, Logan McClain and Jennifer Phelan. We are offering this opportunity again in 2009 and expanding the format to include a criticism prize, catalogue and other supports for artists. We see this as an opportunity to identify and encourage young artists from the county. Caroline Cowley Public Art Officer Fingal County Council
The Youth and Education Programme in fulfilling the goals and actions set out in the Fingal Arts Plan 2006 – 2010 established a Teacher Training Programme in the Visual Arts. The Artist led workshops explore creative possibilities within the school environment. Fingal’s Year Long multi disciplinary Artist in Residence in Schools Scheme investigates possibilities for cross over between subjects working with students at primary and post-primary level. The programme responds to the need for long-term valuable and sustainable arts programming in all art forms, dance, drama, visual art and music. An important part of our cultural education programme includes workshops developed around our Public Art Programme and the Council’s Public Art Collection. Professional artists are engaged to facilitate young people’s interaction with and response to current projects and exhibitions. The WAY (Wisdom of Age and Youth) Intergenerational Project involving Swords Senior’s Club and Swords Educate Together National School, began in 2003 with weekly workshops exploring themes relevant to the lives of its participants through the medium of Drama and Visual Art. Now in its final year the positive impact on participants, their families, friends, artists and the wider community is more evident than ever. Fingal’s Youth & Education Policy is at draft stage. Ongoing public consultation calls Artists, Schools, Youth Organisations, Parents, Young People, The Department of Education & Science and other National Arts and Youth Organisations to comment on recommendations for Policy development and implementation. Policy will take account of national and international methods of best practice and initiate a partnership approach through the establishment of working groups to inform future direction of the programme. Implementation of the policy will provide and support further opportunities for professional artists wishing to work with young people and training initiatives for artists to ensure best practice. Julie Clarke Youth & Education Officer Arts Office Fingal County Council
16
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Regional Profile
Kinsealy House
Martina Coyle In March 2007 I was contacted by Caroline Crowley, Fingal Co. Co. Public Art Co-ordinator, to meet and discuss their offer of a public art commission in the Fingal area. I had previously applied and was selected for inclusion in Fingal’s panel of artists. Caroline explained the basic details of the commission, the context, budget and timescale, which would depend on the project. At this stage I suggested a possible point of entry could be choosing a location. Soon afterwards by email Caroline suggested Balbriggan.
Martina Coyle. Research image, Coutesy:Peter Mc Gonigle
The commission began by visiting Balbriggan
Deirdre Byrne's studio at Kinsealy House.
Kinsealy House
James Kirwan in his studio
In September 2007, my friend and fellow artist, Christian Reeves became caretaker of Kinsealy House, a large Georgian residence surrounded by a generous amount of land in North County Dublin. I was fortunate enough to be asked to live there, along with a number of other people, some of whom are also artists. Beside the house there was an abandoned two-storey building with a number of spacious rooms, it became immediately obvious to us to use this building as studio spaces. I’ve been living and working in Fingal for almost three years now and have found it to be a very positive experience. Having a studio in such close proximity is a huge benefit; being surrounded by other artists to chat to, share a cup of tea, or discuss work is very important and motivating to me, as it is to all the artists who work there. The surrounding area is still quite rural, so you have the feeling of being in the countryside, yet have the convenience of being able to hop on a bus and be in town in half an hour. There are of course, frequent reminders of the converging city; the noisy traffic, an airplane flying overhead or a towering crane. My work eventually became influenced by my surroundings and all of these things feature heavily in my drawings. My first experience of working with the Fingal Arts Office was when I was asked to exhibit in ‘Amharc Fhine Gall – It’s All in the Detail’ in Draíocht, Blanchardstown in March 2008. The exhibition was curated by Caroline Cowley, Public Arts Co-ordinator for Fingal Arts Office and featured the work of five artists either originally from or working in Fingal. In the run up to the exhibition,
to get a sense of the place while trying to keep an
intimate objects and somehow stretch and
open a mind as possible – not thinking in relation
transform them into something else. This led to the
to the type of intervention I would undertake.
idea of recreating the Smyth & Co. footbridge using
Initially I was attracted to the port and harbour,
the
which remain active and have a strong sculptural
techniques.
same
materials
and
manufacturing
feel. Caroline had drawn my attention to Smyth &
At this stage I contacted and met the owners
Co. Textile Company, which was central to the
of the two buildings and was given permission to
economy of Balbriggan for 250 years. The building
install work between their properties. This was
still exists and houses a wide variety of small to
crucial.
medium sized businesses. I began thinking in
Later I visited a small sewing factory, which is
terms of creating a work inside the factory but
based in the Smyth & Co. building and asked if
realised the limitations as all spaces were in use.
they would be interested in collaboration – and
Christmas Exhibition at Across the Way
Caroline called to Kinsealy House for a studio visit. Having seen the setup of the studios, she told us to let the Arts Office know of any future projects, with the possibility of getting their support. Last summer, we decided to have an open studio day and a group exhibition called ‘Hi-Vis’. We contacted Caroline for advice and she informed us that there was funding available. With this funding, we were able to transform one of the larger rooms of the building into a gallery space and to promote the exhibition. Due to the location of the studio in relation to the house, the gallery and studios gradually became known as ‘Across the Way’, which is the name we are currently using for the space. There have been a wide range of artists working in the studios since we first started Across the Way. Stemming from a request in the VAI e-bulletin for a studio to house a kiln, there have been a number of ceramic artists working here. Other disciplines include drawing, painting, photography, graffiti, illustration and sculpture. One of the studios is used as a rehearsal space for musicians. Friends of ours who are filmmakers have used the house or the grounds as a location for short films. We have had a number of group exhibitions including most recently, ‘Town and Country’, a collaboration with similar artist led initiative, Monster Truck Gallery and Studios. In April, studio members and invited artists from both spaces took part in a gallery swap exhibition. The opening evening began in Monster Truck Gallery and Studios then a coach transported artists and guests to Kinsealy where the exhibition continued at Across the Way. One exciting aspect of this exhibition was that some artists made site-specific work around the grounds of Kinsealy House. It has never been certain how much more time we will have at Kinsealy House, but while we are there it will continue to be used as a creative working space. Deirdre Byrne
Martina Coyle. Research image. Photo: Martin Fanning.
Martin Fanning, an ex Smyth & Co. employee,
they were. At present I am producing a full size
was very helpful providing information and
drawing of the bridge, which will be used by Richie
organising a meeting with other ex-employees
the factory’s cutter to make the patterns. And
inside the factory. They described their experiences,
Francis, one of the machinists, has suggested using
explained production methods and materials used
double needle overlocking seams for drawn lines,
in Smyth & Co. throughout the years. Later Martin
which is a brilliant idea. When I showed them the
mailed me an image of the footbridge that once
beadwork I had been working on in the studio they
connected the factory from on side of the street to
both said – “get bigger beads!” It is fantastic working
the other. I instinctively felt the potential.
with people who know what they are doing inside
Given the strong fabricating / industrial past
out and at the same time are willing to step into the
of Balbriggan I envisaged producing an artwork
unknown. Soon I will be inviting locals interested
which would involve a high personal hands-on
in embroidery to become involved.
approach. However at this stage of the commission, I took a break of almost a year to take care of my newly arrived baby.
Caroline and the Fingal Arts office have been totally supportive throughout the commission. The form of the footbridge will be fabricated
With this type of commission, I find that
with a plastic inflatable and clad with cotton, silk,
energy and communication are a huge part of the
nylon and glass beads, then illuminated with
artwork. Meeting people, engaging, proposing
ultraviolet light to reveal its construction.
collaboration, creating a vision, seeking permission
Installation is planned for October and will be in
to use private property etc, demands a presence.
place for five days.
After my break I began documenting exquisite Smyth & Co. stockings dating from 1846, which were on show in Collins Barracks Musuem, Dublin. I also photographed all the examples of stockings in storage in the museum. The quality of the materials gave me the impetus to take these
Martina Coyle
Denis Roche Open Window St.Dymphnas Psychiatric Hospital, Carlow Project commences 15 May 2009. Visualise Carlow, a series of temporary public art projects leading up to the opening of Visual – Centre for Contemporary Art, presents Open Window in collaboration with St. Dymphnas Psychiatric Hospital, Carlow A Carlow Local Authorities Arts Initiative. Tel: 059 9170301 Email: anolan@carlowcoco.ie Web: www.carlowarts.ie
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
18
May – June 2009
VAI projects
Exercises in Folkatronica 2008 Maya Weimer and Jonny McCauly & John Callaghan outline their experiences on last year's 'Exercises in Folkatronica' – Visual Artists Ireland's Annual media production residency award. Turn it Off: Jonny McCauley & John Callaghan
Maya Weimer (USA)
Maya Weimer Siubhal (Journey)
My time during the Visual Artists Ireland’s Exercises in Folkatronica media residency was a truly rewarding and positive experience. I had the pleasure of doing a month-long residency, during which I did production and post-production work on a video and audio installation. The project, Siubhal (Journey), focuses on Irish international adoption, a little-known subject that I was interested in contextualizing within
Jonny McCauley & John Callaghan Turn it Off
larger considerations of the Irish diaspora and current discussions on transnational migration. In addition to extensive research and recording interviews, the bulk of the residency consisted of intensive audio editing. During the residency, I had acquired a voluminous amount of recorded interviews, which were eventually edited into a 30 minute piece. The Visual Artists Ireland studio was conveniently furnished with all of the necessary equipment and editing software in order for me to realise my project. In addition to its technical offerings, the residency provided an ideal location-based opportunity for me, as a foreigner, to visit Ireland
Jonny McCauley & John Callaghan Turn it Off Solar Studio.
Jonny McCauley & John Callaghan Turn it Off Research Image
and get acquainted with Dublin’s art community. During my month-
THE BACKGROUND
a long exposure, you are left with a trail of light in the image.
long residency, I was able to meet with local artists and filmmakers
Turn It Off is a story about the adventures of the ‘Brites’. The Brites are
Sequencing these images creates the optical illusion that the light is
and create possibilities for artistic exchange for Irish artists in both the
small creatures, made from light, who come out at night when the
moving.
US and Asia. Most importantly, the residency enabled me to do site-
streets are quiet. In the film, the Brites travel around Dublin and
Laser Tagging: This technique was used to write slogans on the
specific research and produce my project in situ. This factor was a
encounter several buildings, which use excessive amounts of lighting.
sides of buildings. Laser tagging is the process of projecting real-time
central part of the project, as it was initially conceived in tandem with
These buildings are not only guilty of light pollution but also
brush strokes onto large surfaces. Using a laser pointer, someone writes
the residency in order to literally ‘re-locate’ the interviewees via their
un-necessary energy wastage. This angers the Brites and they set out on
or draws on a surface e.g. the side of a building. A video camera,
voices, back on the Irish terrain. These subjects are Irish-born adoptees
a mission to raise awareness of the problem.
connected to a laptop with specialised software, tracks the position of
To seek out the offending buildings we enlisted the help of the
the laser on the surface. The software then outputs custom brush/paint
public by setting up a blog (www.turnitoff.eu) and encouraging people
strokes which are projected back onto the position of the laser in real-
Everyone at VAI was welcoming and a pleasure to work with. I
to send in photos of the ‘offenders’. The response was great. Within
time. The software and technique was developed by “The Graffiti
especially appreciated the flexibility of the residency dates which, had
days we had received numerous photos, reports and suggestions,
Research Lab”.
it been less flexible, would have been impossible for me to participate.
which we then personally verified before featuring them in the film.
sent overseas as children, many of who have never returned to their native land.
Thermal Imaging: Several shots in the film show the point-ofview of the characters. This look was achieved using a specialist
As an American visiting Ireland, I must mention that VAI is quite an impressive operation. This efficient and forward-thinking organisation
THE GREEN FACTOR
thermal imaging camera which was kindly supplied by Reg Farrell
is a model of what an arts advocacy organisation should be and many
As we were making a film about energy conservation, we figured it
engineering.
US organisations could learn from its example. The steady stream of daily visitors attests to VAI’s active membership and the central role it plays in the flourishing of Ireland’s visual arts. Exercises in Folkatronica is an important space for emerging artists to develop work within the digital realm. In providing me with a quiet space and media facilities, it nurtured a location-based project that otherwise would have languished in the US and would have proved impossible for me to realise. My only regret about the residency is that my stay was not longer. But I very much look forward to visiting Ireland again and deepening my interest in its rich history and investigating the fascinating transformations within its contemporary culture. Maya Weimer Maya Weimer is an artist and video-maker who divides her time between New York, Los Angeles, and Seoul.
would have been hypocritical if we in fact used a lot of energy in the process. So, using a grant awarded by Comhar we purchased a solar
THE RESULT
panel and used it to power all the equipment needed for the production
After six months of hard work, Turn It Off premièred in January 2009 as
e.g. camera batteries, laptops etc. As far as we are aware, this made Turn
part of the Trinity Science Gallery’s internationally acclaimed
It Off the world’s first film-production powered entirely by renewable
exhibition, ‘Lightwave’. After the premier, the film ran continuously in
energy. A big thanks to our sponsors A1 Energy Solutions who
the Science Gallery for three weeks. We also held workshops where
provided technical assistance with the panel.
young and old came to make their own Brites.
THE PROCESS
on our efforts. We have also been asked to visit a number of schools and
To tie in with the underlying theme of the film, all of the visual
businesses to talk about the project and the issues it raises. We’ve even
techniques used in the film were based around light.
received emails from some of the ‘offenders’ who state that they are
Since then, we have received numerous emails commending us
EL Wire: The characters were created using EL (Electro
now taking measures to reduce their building’s energy consumption.
Luminescent) wire. EL wire is copper wire coated in phosphor, which
It’s great to know that something we created has in some way made a
glows when an AC voltage is applied. As the wire is thin and flexible, it
difference, albeit a small one so far.
allowed us to bend it into virtually any shape we wanted i.e. The Brites.
None of this would have been possible without the support of
The characters were then animated using stop-motion techniques i.e. a
Visual Artists Ireland through the Exercises in Folkatronica residency.
photo was taken, the character was moved a small amount, another
They kick-started the entire project, gave us the time and money to
photo was taken, the character was moved a little more, and so on.
develop our ideas and provided the support and recognition needed to
Most of the sequences required 25 photos for one second of animation,
stir up interest in the film.
roughly 7500 photos for the entire film.
A huge thanks goes out to VAI for making it all possible.
Light Graffiti: Inspired by the collective “LichtFaktor”, Turn it Off all started after some playful experimentation with “light graffiti”: by moving a hand-held light source (e.g. a torch) and taking a photo with
Jonny McCauley & John Callaghan
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
19
May – June 2009
VAI Projects
Dominic Thorpe (centre) performing with Brian Patterson (left), Sinead Bhreathnach-Cashel (left) Alastair McLennan (right) and as part of 'Big Jam', the concluding element of the Performance Collectives evenet at Catalyst Arts, Belfast. Photo: Catherine Devlin.
Actually Living
Amanda Coogan, performing as part of 'Big Jam', the concluding element of the Performance Collectives evenet at Catalyst Arts, Belfast. (background – Alastair McLennan and Sandra Johnston) Photo: Catherine Devlin.
Sara Baume reports on a VAI SUpported weekend of LIVE ART, organiSed by Performance Collective, at Catalyst Arts, Belfast Based in Dublin, the Performance Collective (1) consists of six experienced and respected performance artists, Michelle Browne, Alex Conway, Amanda Coogan, Pauline Cummins, Frances Mezzetti and Dominic Thorpe. They come together on a regular basis to perform collaboratively, exchange ideas and discuss developments in method and theory. These conversations and events both energise the artists’ individual practices and rejuvenate Ireland’s short and vibrant history of Live Performance Art. From Friday 20 – Sunday 22 February, the Performance Collective, with the support of Visual Artists Ireland (2), brought a series of weekend events to Belfast for the first time. They left a few subtle chalk footsteps behind them in the city, and some far less subtle scuffs in the plaster and mounds of detritus in Catalyst Arts. The evidence of their performances remained in the gallery as an exhibition until 26 February. I am not a comfortable spectator of performance art. I tend to either imagine myself as the performer, and get irrationally embarrassed, or realise how vulnerable I am as a viewer, and spend the entirety of the event consumed with anxiety that the performer is going to attempt to involve me in some (potentially embarrassing) way. Fortunately, Friday’s night’s ‘Living Installations’ were structured so that each artist, for the most part, remained within their assigned section of the space and their own respective trance throughout. The trances varied broadly. Michelle Browne teetered on a raised platform in a white dress soaked with red, crushing eggshells with her bare feet. There was something newly born about her, an expression of concentrated wonder spread across her features, as though her brain were still swimming in uterine fluid. Amanda Coogan reclined on a plinth in a frustrated haze, sporting a smart grey pant suit and singing incoherently. Her painted lips, positioned strategically behind a piece of Perspex, upon which was a crude drawing and within which was an oval hole, never once ceased their fidgeting, even when her vocal chords were silent. Some artists incorporated the bare minimum of objects. Dominic Thorpe stood behind a pile of charcoal sticks, facing the wall. In an enchanting and quiet performance, he wrote the same two phrases on the wall to either side of his body, one with each hand, over and over until the letters blurred into meaninglessness; “easy to forget, hard not to remember”. Alex Conway, on the other hand, employed everything from a harmonica to a smoke machine. It seemed that his restless utilisation of implements was what the performance was actually about. An old fashioned cassette player taped to his forearm spluttered the occasional taunt, egging him on in his frenzied busy-ness. I am never quite sure if performance art is essentially meant to be ‘about’ anything in particular, other than the artist’s pure freedom of expression and the suspension of preconditioned behaviour. Pauline Cummins spent Friday night’s event cutting miniature figures from slices of white bread and frying them until crisp and golden in a pan over a heat source. At one point she started to emit a low humming noise, like the kind of sound a child makes when lost in concentration. Later on she moved slowly about the room, listing names and repeatedly uttering the phrase ‘pixelated images’ as she proffered a platter of tiny
bread people to anyone brave enough to take a bite. It was difficult to overlook references to child trafficking and abuse. I could not help but think of girls in First Holy Communion gowns, skin turned dark orange from the tanning-bed sessions that had preceded their big day. During the ‘Living Installation’ the group could easily have represented a number of stages from the spiral of drunkenness into unconsciousness; from happy, babbling, angry and weird, right through to collapsed. Frances Mezzetti was undoubtedly the happiest drunk; acting out a strange, but not altogether unpleasant or ungraceful dream. She was the only one to allow a smile to escape through a chink in her trance. Saturday’s outdoor performance on Belfast’s Church Lane involved only two members of the Collective – Cummins and Mezzetti. Both ladies were dressed, very convincingly, as men. They rambled gradually up the street; hair greased back and shirts stuffed into shapeless trousers. They performed the roles flawlessly, tipping back and forth on their heels, carrying a rolled newspaper, scratching their crotches. The only exceptionally unusual behaviour came when Mezzetti removed a box of chalk like a packet of cigarettes from an inside pocket, selected a stick, and traced the outline of the soles of her shoes onto the tarmac surface. It was fascinating to see how such a raw and unpredictable audience would react to the artists. In the gallery the previous night, I had noticed how the crowd of viewers would open respectfully around the performer whenever their activity moved them beyond the designated space. On a hectic Saturday afternoon in the centre of the city, few shoppers even noticed that anything out-of-the-ordinary was occurring. Entitled Walking in the Way, the invisibility of the piece was its greatest triumph. The performance art spectators, hanging around shiftily in confused clutters, ended up resembling more of an oddity than the performance artists themselves. Being a performance artist strikes me as, in some way, comparable to being a comedian. Not because they are amusing or entertaining, or even trying to be, but because they demonstrate the comedian’s skill of observing the minutiae of human behaviour, the restrained tics and gaits and tiny mannerisms. Like the best comedians, some performance artists are able to take these into themselves and relay them back to us, exposing a little of the insecurity behind the façade in the process. This was nowhere better demonstrated than in the Saturday afternoon performance. Dubbed ‘The Big Jam,’ Saturday night’s event brought a vastly different feeling and atmosphere to Catalyst. As a collaboration with the Belfast performance group Bbeyond (consisting of members Brian Connolly, Alastair McLennan, Sandra Johnston, Sinead BhreathnachCashell, Christine Cadman, Brian Patterson, Rainer Pagel and Elvira Santamaria) all artists performed together improvisationally for two hours. Chosen materials were placed in the gallery, but actions arose spontaneously as the artists interacted with one another or with the objects they encountered. The space was darkened to begin with, a clear line dividing assembled audience from ambling, dashing and dancing performers. As the event pressed on, what I had perceived to be fellow viewers crossed sides to join in with the activity. I was enthralled by how
pedestrian everybody looked, no funky piercings or bleached dreadlocks or statement tattoos, the performing strangers could seamlessly have passed for my Aunty Pam or even my Granddad. This somehow lent a sense of seriousness and gravity to the occasion. As tea kettles boiled and drums were played, sand castles built, tomatoes hammered to a pulp and the legs sawed off unassuming chairs, I found myself unexpectedly compelled and moved all at once, lost in a succession of moments. As Amanda Coogan later admitted, many artists improvising all at once is bound to be easier for an audience to endure. Lots of things happening simultaneously and involving multiple props will better sustain a 21st century attention span than any singular activity in isolation. ‘Big Jams’ do run the risk of preventing the serious spectator from wholly connecting with any one impassioned performer’s personal journey or struggle or absorption. But, on Saturday night, I found that the still and silent ones were not lost in the rabble. To the contrary, the instances that stayed in my mind were the fleeting beacons of calm: a very thin woman with no shoes moving around the space gently tasting other people’s hair, Frances Mezzetti and Alistair McLennan scuffling and shuffling awkwardly in tandem, heads bowed low onto chests. Sunday’s concluding discussion was a great way for members of the Performance Collective and Bbeyond to thrash out and tie up some of the issues that had arisen from the weekend’s events. Hosted by Catalyst and open to the public, it also created a forum for interested viewers to gain insight and contribute feedback. The members of Bbeyond spoke in general terms about the group’s regular practice of choosing different locations around Belfast to meet and perform on given days. They explained how this keeps them thinking on their feet, adapting to circumstances and avoiding complacency. The Performance Collective talked about the challenge of negotiating a new physical space, as well as working with another artistic community and within a different historical context. In the midst of ‘The Big Jam,’ an odd question popped into my mind “What if aliens were to land, right here right now, and this room, creaking at the seams with grown men and women prancing, gurgling and smashing, just happened to be their very first encounter with humanity?” But then, to aliens arriving with absolutely no preconditioned expectations, why would it seem in any way stranger than the things we ordinarily do, the ways in which we normally behave? Alex Conway summed it up beautifully during Sunday’s discussion, when he talked about the idea that the artist’s so-called ‘performance’ represents the only time that they are actually living. Everything else, all of those mundane, formulaic, necessary rituals of everyday existence, they are what constitute the real performance. Sara Baume Notes 1) www.theperformancecollective.com 2) Support for this event was provided as part of Visual Artists Ireland’s 2008 programme. Visual Artists Ireland has a policy of collaborating with artists and other arts organisations on the delivery of projects such as symposia, exhibitions and seminars. Further details can be found at http://www.visualartists.ie/ap.html
20
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Career DEVELOPMENT
(Above) Martin Healy, Facsimile, 2008. Single Channel video, HD Cam, 5.50 minutes looped, (video still) Courtesy of Rubicon Gallery, Dublin (Left) Martin Healy, Facsimile, 2008. Single Channel video, HD Cam, 5.50 minutes looped. Installation view, Rubicon Gallery, Dublin. Courtesy of Rubicon Gallery, Dublin
Critical Mass Martin HEALY TALKS about recent developments in his art career. Jason Oakley: In the last few years a kind of critical mass has developed for you in terms of your career as a professional artist. MH: Yes, the last three years or so have represented a very concentrated period, in terms of my studio practice. I had a solo show in the RHA in July 2007. In the run up to that exhibition, I was awarded a three-year studio in TBG&S in late 2006 and in April 2007 I started the six-month residency in IMMA. And at the end of last year I did a residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. JO: Have concrete outcomes followed in terms of your career? MH: I can’t really say. In terms of a ‘career’, I can never separate it from the projects that I am working on planning or hoping to do. What I enjoyed about the RHA show, was the opportunity to see how I could physically and conceptually realise my video work for a large space – so that it became a nearly sculptural experience. In college I originally did sculpture, so maybe there was a throwback to that. I see the space between and in front of the projections – where the viewer operates – as a key part of the work. The show got me thinking in terms of more elaborate forms of installation of my video works. JO: So the RHA show changed your way of working? MH: Simply speaking, I do probably make more video now – and I have more of an interest in working with the moving image in terms of conceiving of and developing my work. In general, I’d say that I have learnt something from every piece or show I’ve done. So for ‘Facsimile’ my recent show at the Rubicon, Dublin (26 Feb –28 March), I just wanted a very clean installation of a single piece. It was pretty clear in my mind on how I wanted it to look. JO: What about key developments earlier in your career? MH: After I completed my MA at the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork, I was awarded the PS1 International Studio programme residency in 2000. During that year in New York I learnt a lot about my own practice. I can’t really measure the benefits – it was great. I suppose there is nowhere better to be as an artist – just in terms of an exposure to so much art and the city's art scene and the other artists who were also on the programme were a great peer group. JO: Where and how were you working before you got the studios in IMMA and TBG&S? MH: I worked mostly from home. My work existed – as much of it still does – on my laptop; or in the form of test strips and small-scale test prints. And my photography is not studio-based. It takes place on location, in a place or environment that has become significant to me for any number of different reasons. So a good portion of any of my projects is about getting physically to a place, to experience it myself. The taking of photographs is just the next stage. That seems to be increasingly how I operate.
And there is always a kind of gestation period involved in my work. I’ll take photographs, get them scanned – and then they could sit on a disc for years, before I revisit them and decide what I want to do with them. Ideas for works and ways to show them, might exist in my head for any period of time; and I’ll have two or three things on the go all the time. JO: So, has having a studio space changed your way of working? MH: Well, I get to live with the actual work. Some of my work from previous shows is stored in my studio, so I can refer to physical examples, when I am thinking about the scale of pieces or how I might show them. In the studio I’ve got space to physically put prints on the wall – where they might stay for a week, a month or a couple of years – in order to think about them on a ongoing basis. And I can try out video pieces. In fact, for all my recent video projects, prior to them being exhibited, I’ve projected them in the studio to get a sense of how they will look at a certain scale. JO: Do you have any plans for when you have to leave TBG&S? MH: I’ve no definite plans. Things have moved on for me – but I could go back to working how I was before. It depends on what my plans for my work are in the next six to eight months. For instance, Facsimile marked a different approach for me, in that I worked with a lot of outside people on the project such as a camera person, an editor and a sound artist. So if it is the case that I end up working in same way for my next project, I won’t necessarily require a studio. JO: What’s your approach to archiving, editioning and the storage of your works? MH: I keep digital files of my photographs backed up on various hard drives. And I have boxes of transparencies that I haven’t scanned – which I might occasionally go back to as a resource. The Rubicon also keeps an archive of everything I’ve done in terms of exhibited works. I mainly store the work in my studio, so I’m responsible for my back catalogue in that respect. In terms of editions – with video, once I have the piece finished, I tend to produce the entire edition. But with photographs I don’t tend to make the whole run. If the prints are not mounted they have to be stored flat – and framing is expensive. On the whole, if there is something that people want to look at, or work is needed for art fairs, I tend to produce things as I go. JO: Has insurance been an issue for you? MH: I recently took out studio insurance. I was getting public liability insurance for a shoot – and studio insurance was available for only a minimal extra cost. I got it via the VAI website.
JO: Could you tell me a bit about your relationship with the Rubicon Gallery? MH: The first solo show I did with them was in 2003. So I’ve had a six – seven year relationship with them. The Rubicon handles the dissemination of my work. By and large, if I want to have a dialogue with them about a project or application, they would be eager to help. But essentially the choice lies with me, whether I want to bring them in on something or not. Also, if I were in the middle of making work, I would invite the directors over to have a look at it – to get their opinion. So there is also a creative and curatorial involvement, as opposed to a purely commercial or managerial relationship. My shows with them have come about organically. The ‘Facsimile’ show came from me finishing the piece towards the end of last year, and it being shown by the Rubicon at the Berlin Art Fair. We discussed the possibility of showing it in Dublin, and it turned out that they had a slot available. My work is promoted regularly by the gallery through various art fairs. JO: Do you rely on sales of your work as an income? MH: No. I would always tend to view sales as a bonus – I don’t take them for granted. I put whatever income I get from sales back into the work. JO: What other sources of funding have you received and sought out? MH: I’ve been fortunate to receive Arts Council bursaries over the last few years. The bursaries have suited my way of working – especially in terms of buying time and working with third party expertise, which was crucial for the making of Facsimile. JO: In terms of information and opportunities, do you use resources like the VAN and the VAI’s e-bulletin and website? MH: Sure. But most often, my information comes from other artists. People will say to me “did you see this” etc. Or they’ll email me through things. And I’ll do the same for them. Other artists are a great resource. Also in terms of critique of the work – I have two or three friends who are artists whose judgement I would trust in terms of showing things to – who would be a good sounding board. JO: What would you say are your future aims, ambitions and goals? MH: There are two or three projects I have in my head at the moment that I would really like to see come to reality – my medium and shortterm ambition is just to get them done. Overall, it is based on the works – making more ambitious bigger projects really. www.martinhealy.net
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
21
May – June 2009
CONFERENCE REPORT
Underscoring Success Sara Baume Reports on ‘_Unit’ A residency project for Portlaoise town and surrounds (November 2008 – February 2009)
broader issues around living in urban society. Their findings and ideas came together in the form of an individual booklet. Vera Klute gladly agreed to participate in ‘_Unit’, despite initial concerns that her practice was not socially or politically driven enough for what is normally expected of these kinds of site specific commissions. But Cliodhna Shaffrey could see the glowing potential in Klute’s imaginative and intriguing body of paintings, drawings, installations and videos. Klute’s work appropriates aspects and apparatus of the everyday, reconfiguring them into strange new mechanisms and scenarios. It was her talent for acute observation and propensity for meticulous fabrication that appealed to Shaffrey in relation to ‘_Unit’. Klute found Portlaoise Hospital to be the perfect environment in which to further explore her ongoing interest in biology and medical equipment. She found ways to examine the particular contexts of Portlaoise through the environments, instruments and machines of the hospital. Klute was engaged by how the hospital represented the entire cycle of life in small towns, "birth, reproduction, death, and all those ordinary, everyday situations in-between." (2) The work that developed, taking the form of three separate video-animation pieces, feels both light-hearted and unsettling. In Klute’s strange and wonderful world,
Ruth Lyons – schools workshop for _Unit
Ruth Lyons – work created for _Unit
ventilators puff vehicles through the streets, squirming caterpillars chomp through layers of cauliflower brain, and a tartan slipper sprouts its own toes and jiggles menacingly on the kitchen lino. Ruth Lyons is a co-founder of The Good Hatchery, a unique artists settlement based in a 19th century hayloft in Co. Offaly. The building was renovated from scratch, and now successfully serves the needs of emerging innovaters and creators like the founders themselves. Lyon’s personal practice reflects this need to embrace contexts and forge communities wherever she finds herself. This natural penchant for connecting with peoples and places was what encouraged Sally Timmons to invite her to participate in ‘_Unit’. Lyons is a habitual gatherer of the sights, sounds, ideas and information offered by her immediate surroundings. She works by
Ruth Lyons – work created for _Unit
Ruth Lyons – work created for _Unit
channelling the elements that interest or enlighten her into artwork.
Commissioned by Laois County Arts Office and instigated by Sarah
by the town’s iconic Montague Hotel, which is today used as a major
Lyons secured a studio space in the heart of Portlaoise town. For the
Searson, ‘_Unit’ was a refreshing and multi-faceted public art initiative
centre for asylum seekers. She could not help but wonder what went
duration of the project, it was important for her to go out and
for Portlaoise town, ran between November 08 and February 09. While
on behind the crumbling 1960s façade, what daily life was like and
communicate with the people of the locality, as well as inviting groups
previous projects for the area had been successful, the initial impact
what aspirations were harboured by the displaced inhabitants within.
into the studio to talk about the project in general and the progress of
always tended to be short-lived. It was with this in mind that Searson
Employing a list originally devised by W.H.Auden, she used his
her installation in particular. Using town maps as a starting point,
formulated ‘_Unit’, so called because it involved a network of
questions to determine individual ‘dreams of Eden’ from people who
Lyons made paintings that gradually changed shape into stop-go
individuals, audiences, places and organisations. These separate ‘units’
had all abandoned their homelands in pursuit of greener hills. The
animation pieces. In the large front window of her studio, she went
worked together to facilitate creative activities and processes designed
responses ranged from aimless monologues to childhood stories and
about constructing a three dimensional collage of coloured vinyl
to leave some kind of enduring legacy in their wake. Searson approached
traditional recipes. Nanigian brought her findings together in an
shapes, tiny sculptures, giant sketches and projections, all in full view
three other curators, and they each selected an artist to embark upon
intimate publication balancing the human voices with research and
of passers by. The finished piece was a tenuously beautiful and fragile
the project alongside them. The curator / artist couples were Padraic E.
data telling the factual story of recent immigration into Ireland. This
microcosm of the area, reminiscent of a stage set or museum diorama.
Moore and Theresa Nanigian, Sarah Searson and Hope Inherent,
thoughtful combination of practical and poetic, this ability to ‘couple
Timmons was able to take the experience as a kicking off point for
Cliodhna Shaffrey and Vera Klute, Sally Timmons and Ruth Lyons.
cold statistics with idiosyncratic information’ (1) is what initially drew
developing her own theories and writings on issues that had long been
Nanigian to the attention of Padraic E. Moore.
of relevance to her practice as a curator, examining how artists
For the duration of the project, the artists developed work that drew from their existing interests and lines of inquiry, but that
Through interaction and dialogue with his chosen artist, Moore
simultaneously responded to the specific contexts of Portlaoise. While
explored the impact that conceptual art of the 60s and 70s continues to
the town was relatively unfamiliar terrain for most of the artists and
have on contemporary practices, situating Nanigian’s methods within
As in the case of Timmons and Lyons, ‘_Unit’ proved beneficial for
curators, this allowed them to look anew and touch on details
an art historical framework. Nanigian felt that her practice was
artists and curators alike, with each feeding off the other to inform
otherwise unobserved or taken for granted. Their individual
enriched daily by having another person to bounce ideas off who was
their own personal practice. The artists found that working with the
explorations took them from the prison to the hospital to the asylum
as invested in the project as she was.
support of a curator and a County Council allowed them to access
depot, but avoided the temptation to become disengaged or
negotiate space whose original function contrasts vastly with the creation of artwork.
Hope Inherent is the name assigned to the combined practice of
systems and institutions that would have been unreachable alone.
artists Tara Kennedy and Jennie Moran. Their artistic objective is to
Valuable relationships were formed, and all involved declared a desire
The participation of almost as many curators as there were artists
change the world in modest yet meaningful ways, approaching one
to work within this format on future occasions.
made this project stand out alongside more traditional public art
minor problem at a time and generally encouraging people to feel a
The project was a success, and Searson was keen to emphasise
commissions. ‘_Unit’ is the latest example of curators being innovative
little nicer about themselves. This could entail playing gramophone
that this was largely due to the openness and tolerance of each
with their job description, flexing the boundaries of what is understood
records for office workers, or inviting passing strangers to join them in
participant. The artists took great care to remain sensitive to the
by the term ‘curation’. The definition of ‘curator’ is something very
a game of hopscotch. While it all sounds a bit sweet and fluffy, Hope
locality and its inhabitants throughout. The curators were consistently
different today to when it was employed solely to describe the
Inherent approach their work on different levels. Behind the helpful,
respectful of the artist’s individual ideas, approaches and processes.
custodians of dusty cupboards full of painting and sculpture collections.
cheery facades, the artists research relevant theoretical texts and
Searson was unusually proud of the fact that ‘_Unit’ had accumulated
Searson explained that the task of the curator was to support, challenge
concern themselves with the structures and systems that underpin
in fragments, as opposed to any one definitive or predictable exhibition
and respond to their chosen artist, but at no point to instruct or dictate.
everyday habits and activities.
or event. She considers the human and environmental legacies to be of
condescending experiments in social science.
Throughout the project, the couples met at regular intervals to discuss
For ‘_Unit’, Hope Inherent naturally gravitated toward the town’s
far greater significance. The curatorial decision to bring so many
developments. The finished physical product was a publication,
ultimate icon of despair – Portlaoise Prison. After some time spent
contemporaries on board and allow them carte blanche to paddle in
completed in April. It includes a general outline of ‘_Unit’ and an essay
navigating the system, the artists found that the best way to make
their own direction was a courageous one. Alongside the ripples of
from each curator contextualising the relationships formed and
direct contact with prisoners was via the jail’s Education division.
fresh artwork, Searson has floated an important new framework into
examining each artist’s respective body of work.
Through casual chats and more structured questionnaires, they
the pool of public art projects.
Theresa Nanigian came to art via the most unconventional of
explored the prisoner’s daily coping mechanisms, the trivial tactics and
routes. She had established a successful career in Business
personal rituals that give shape to their lives in confinement. Sarah
Administration in America before coming to Dublin to study art. The
Searson described how the artists were interested in the significance of
meticulous, systematic, numerical approach stemming from her
tiny things, in taking the fragments of ‘hope’ in the prison system and
business brain has become the backbone of her practice as an artist.
projecting these outward. Kennedy and Moran also wanted to see how
During initial explorations of Portlaoise, Nanigian was fascinated
the prison and its occupants could act as a framework to examine
Sara Baume Notes 1. Padraic E. Moore, in correspondence 2. Vera Klute, in correspondence
22
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
How is it MADE?
Ronan McCrea School Play installation view
Ronan McCrea. Study for School Play.
Ronan McCrea School Play. Castleknock Educate Together School, Castleknock, Dublin 15
Everything and Everywhere Ronan McCrea discusses the thinking and making processes behind his COMMISSION FOR Castleknock Educate Together School
School Play is a ‘Per Cent for Art Scheme’ commission for Castleknock Educate Together School, a primary school in Dublin 15, connected to the construction of a new school building. School Play consists of two elements: a design for a schoolyard, which is the permanent installation of a series of painted circles and arcs; and a series of colour photographs. The work was developed over a number of years. I was engaged to make a work for the school in 2006 with quite a loose proposal to make a film work. After much trial and error, periods of research and fits and starts, the piece was finally put into production in 2008. Ruari O’Cuiv was the project manager for all stages of the commission. From the start, I knew I wanted to continue with the concerns of my practice, exemplified at the time by the Sequences, Scenarios & Locations (2003 – 2005) an episodic series of projected slide installations. However one of the concerns in using lens-based media in his context, was how to make an interesting work that was also somehow inclusive of a large school population and would be able maintain relevance for future generations of pupils. There are two classes in each of the eightyear groups from Junior Infants up to Sixth Class, with ages ranging from 4 to 12 years old, as well as a special needs unit for children with autism. The school is an Educate Together school, a model of school governance and ethos that is child-centred, multi–denominational, co-educational and democratically run. The school has a relatively high proportion of ‘New Irish’, children of various backgrounds from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia and the school is very proud of its multicultural character and inclusive ethos. What was striking about spending time in the school is the huge range of creative activities that the children engage in and how busy, full and fun each day can be. All the staff were very welcoming and accommodating of my presence in the school, as well as being extremely patient as the plans of the project often changed and there were many delays in the process. When I started work, the school was housed in temporary buildings. In 2006 work began on the new school building and everyone moved in to the new premises in April 2007. Every school day is carefully scheduled and there are two breaks, one in mid morning and one lunch break later in the day. I became particularly interested in these playtimes, it is a huge release of collective energy – very noisy and vibrant. It is a time when the children can engage in self initiated and self organised play without adult direction; a time for daydreaming or highly concentrated roleplaying games. It can be very diverse: crowds and groups of all sizes, pairs and individuals, all mingling, coalescing and dissolving from moment to moment. The schoolyard can be inhabited by 20 minutes of intense, frenetic movement and noise followed by an hour of eerie silence after everyone had gone back to classrooms.
The Markings I resolved to work with the play aspect of school life for my project. I conducted some research by interviewing children about their games and playtime activities, recording the results. Concepts of play have a particular cultural resonance including many interesting artistic and
theoretical practices. It’s a great metaphor for lots of things. One interesting source was play theorist Brain Sutton Smith. His book The Ambiguity of Play focuses on play theories rooted in seven distinct ‘rhetorics’ – the ancient discourses of Fate, Power, Communal Identity and Frivolity and the modern discourses of Progress, the Imaginary, and the Self (1). The new school had a new tarmac schoolyard. I saw that the yard was a more or less an empty space, in contrast to a park playground with its swings, slides and various play apparatus. I devised a series of markings as a permanent design for the schoolyard for use by the children during playtime. The markings are in the form of variously coloured circles and arcs. The markings do not signify any game or sporting code, but are used by the children in their own play they invent for themselves everyday. I stress the idea of design (as opposed to art) as the use value of the markings was my primary intention at this stage. I purposefully did not mediate or discuss this aspect of the project with the children or identify the markings as being anything in particular (particularly as being art.) They were just there one Monday morning. (A contractor of roadway markings laid the lines to my specification over the course of a weekend using a spray-painting machine) Graphically, the lines reference sports markings and the way lines of different sports codes often are overlaid each other in an indoor gym. Some circles have a very large diameter, and extend into other tarmac areas of the school property such as the car park. Some are so large that in one’s imagination the circumference extends beyond the school and out into the hinterland of the neighbourhood. (This can be seen most clearly in the studies and drawings I made using the architect’s plan of the school building.) While a somewhat subliminal aspect to the design, the circles are linked in my mind with that great image of childhood, education and ego from Joyce’s bildungsroman: Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man “Stephen turned to the flyleaf of the geography book and read what had been written there: himself, his name and where he was: Stephen Dedalus Class of Elements Clongowes Wood College Sallins County Kildare Ireland Europe The World The Universe
The Photographs The second element of the School Play project was the production of a series of photographs. These photographs were all shot from various elevated positions looking down onto the yard during break time following the installation of the markings. This was achieved using a mobile elevated platform ‘cherry picker’ placed in different positions at the edge of the yard. No directions were given from me to the children. I tended to fix a camera position before playtime began and then I relied on the random entrance and exit of figures into the frame of viewfinder, shooting more or less continuously for the duration of each break. In the first few days I often had to wait for the children to get bored by my presence, stop looking up at the camera and resume playing before I could begin shooting. From over 400 usable negatives, a final set of 30 images was selected to constitute a series. Twelve of these images where then selected to be printed 112 x 90 cm size. They are enlargements printed straight from negative by a lab in London that still make analogue / chemical (C-type) colour photographs. They were then framed and installed in the corridors of the school. The circular markings now become a set – in the sense of a stage set, or a film set – a stage for everyday action. (It is from this idea I gleaned the title School Play.) The circles and arcs now mark out and bisect a pictorial frame. Random actions become relational. The play becomes choreography. Miniature dramas and moments, both individual and collective become related through spatial arrangement. Everything seems simultaneously random and purposeful. While looking through the lens while shooting, I was often reminded of the Brownian motion of particles under a microscope The photographs also recall Rodchencko’s photography of city streets in the 1920s. On one level this is present in the composition of angles and elevated perspectives, but I also interested in the rhetoric and traditions of making representations of a new and collective subjectivity, which has an immediate resonance in the spheres of education and play. I often felt the school as being a type of city. The photographs offer a kind of impossible view, not a view available from anywhere in the school premises and quite separate from the experience at ground level, a kind of abstraction in that sense. As a series of photographs, the work also represents a continuation of my interests in photographic methodologies of sequencing, series and typology and an exploration of a space between moving (cinematic) and still (photographic) images. I am glad to say that markings have become a part of the school environment and are used by many children in their playtime. The set of photographs now belong to the school and have become just one more element in the huge amount of children’s artwork and images that are everywhere on the walls of this vibrant and energetic school. Ronan McCrea
[…] Then he read the flyleaf from the bottom to the top till he came to his own name. That was he: and he read down the page again. What was after the universe? Nothing. But was there anything after the universe to show where it stopped before the nothing place began? It could not be a wall but there could be a thin, thin line there all around everything. It was very big to think about everything and everywhere.” (2)
www.ronanmccrea.com www.cetns.ie www.educatetogether.ie Notes 1. Brian Sutton-Smith, The Ambiguity of Play, 1998, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.; London 2. James Joyce. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) 1987, Penguin Classics, London.
St. George’s Terrace, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim T: 071 9650 828 E: info@thedock.ie W:www.thedock.ie
Gillian Lawler City Stack 2 oil on canvas 75 x 80 2009
24 April – 19 June
The Dock Presents Two Solo Exhibitions New Work by Gillian Lawler Memory’s Dark Room New Paintings by Denis Farrell
27 June – 11 September
John Walker
The Dock Galleries are open from 10am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday.
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
25
Art in the public realm: roundup
Art in the Public Realm: Roundup
Recent public art commissions, site-specific works, socially engaged practice and other forms of art outside the gallery. landscape with videos from over 50 artists. The
Vortex Chandelier
international and local artists in the festival engaged with the distinct social and architectural character of each site, creating videos that relate directly to the place and its inhabitants. www.igvfest.com
The Sweet Fantastic
Michael Disley Moville Benches
Artist: Michael Disley Title of work: Moville Benches Location: Shorefront, Moville Description: Six limestone benches feature local scenes carved by the artist; nine more benches feature designs carved by local schoolchildren and the local community.
Redmoon Company The Sweet Fantastic
Artist: Redmoon Company
Shane Holland Vortex Chandelier
Title: The Sweet Fantastic
Elizabeth Caffrey The Three Fates
Artist: Shane Holland
Commissioner: Donegal County Council on
Artist: Elizabeth Caffrey
Title: Vortex Chandelier
behalf of The National Roads Authority.
Title: The Three Fates
Location: Church of St Peter and Paul, Portlaoise.
Dates sited / completed: October 2008 – January
Location: Herrons Field, Ardara
Date of Installation: Nov 2008
2009
Description: These three welded bronze rod forms
Budget: €38, 000
Budget / Commission Value: € 20,000
fuse the influences of Ardara’s weaving heritage
Commission Type: Invitation
Type of commission: Direct Invitation
and the twists and turns in the flow of the
Project Partners: John O’Connell Consulting
Project partners: Donegal County Council and
Owentocker river. A universal theme of birth, life
Engineers, Quinn Reddin, and Fr John Byrne
Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny
and death, is also at the heart of the work, with its
Portlaoise Parish
Description: To mark the 80th Anniversary of the
reference to the three Fates, figures from Greek
Oatfield Sweet Factory in Letterkenny, the Chicago
mythology.
Description: Designed by Shane Holland, this chandelier is the largest lighting fixture this far undertaken by Shane Holland Design Workshops. The piece measures 5.2 meters (17ft) in diameter and with a drop of approx 7 metres (23ft) and is fabricated in brass and aluminium. The lighting element of Vortex is CFL A energy rated using twelve 20 watt and 7 watt lights – with a total power of 324 watts. The piece was constructed in Duleek Co. Meath with collaboration of companies in Meath, Dublin and Cork – includubg Turner Glass in Cork. Vortex and was transported in seven sections to Portlaoise. The design was supervised by John O’ Connell Associates, Portlaoise and Fr John Byrne. Shane Holland Design Workshops are an Irish company who design and build lighting, furniture and sculptural elements in Ireland and abroad. www.shanehollanddesign.com .
International Guerrilla Video Festival
based Redmoon Company were invited to work with three Letterkenny Primary Schools to explore children’s wonderfully creative response to sweets and a sweet factory, culminating in 'The Sweet Fantastic', an exhibition adventure of six
Denis O'Conor Morning Star
whimsical artwork installations and performances, each one representing a famous Oatfield Sweet.
Artist: Maurice Harron Title of work: Earth Mother
Patefaction Patefaction, a major large-scale sculpture created by the leading British sculptor Angela Conner was installed on Grafton Street in Dublin on 27 March 2009. Organised by Solomon Fine Art, this is the latest sculpture to appear as part of the street’s temporary public art space programme, organised in conjunction with Dublin City Council. The
Location: The Diamond, Raphoe Cod Steaks Three Coins
Artist: Cod Steaks Title of work: Three Coins Location: The Roundabout, Lifford
steel frame. Each individual panel gently swings in the wind. Patefaction will be installed on Grafton Street for a period of 12 months. HEART PROGRAMME Commissioners: Donegal County Council &
Project budget: 7 x €50,000 commissions
The International Guerrilla Video Festival (IGVFest), a mobile exhibition of video art, was held in three distinct areas of the Dublin: Talbot Street, Parnell Street & Rathmines (19 Feb – 20 Feb). Using a converted rickshaw, the moving festival navigated the city, stopping to project films directly on to buildings, monuments and temporary structures, illuminating the urban
Brian Connolly Art Benches
Artist: Brian Connolly
Commission type: Open Competition
Title of work: Art Benches
Project partners: Donegal County Council &
Location: New Park Ramelton
Strabane District Council HEART programme
Description: Five benches feature imagery and
Artist: Cod Steaks Title of work: The Matrimonial Tree
her hands raised to form a mid-day shadow cast upon a bronze strip on a rock at her feet.
marking the town’s past, present and future.
four stainless steel units suspended on a stainless
Strabane District Council HEART programme
of Beltany Stone Circle, this figure of a woman has
Description: Three coins decorated with emblems
work is approximately 18ft high and is made of
Dates sited: Summer/Autumn 2008
Description: Referencing the local prehistoric site
information from six periods of Ramelton’s rich history
Location: The Bridge, Ballybofey/Stranorlar
Artist: Denis O’Conor
Description: At the bridge linking the twin towns,
Title of work: Morning Star
this stylized tree references local folklore’s tale of
Location: Ballyshannon Bypass
tree’s being grafted together when a couple were
Description: The stylized form of a ship upon
married. The handprints of local schoolchildren
waves looks out towards the Atlantic, and marks
are embedded into the sculpture.
the town’s historic and contemporary links with the sea.
YOUR WORK HERE ! If you have recently been involved in a public commission, a percent for art project, socially engaged practice or any other form of ‘art outside the gallery’ we would like you to send us images and a short text (no more than around 300 words) in the following format – Artists name. Title of work. Commissioning body. Date that the commission advertised. Dates project was sited / carried out. The project budget (NB artwork / site work). What type of commission was is? (eg direct invitation, open competition, limited competition, did you have to prepare a submission at a short-listing stage?). Who were the main partners for the project? (eg did you work with a local authority arts officer, community representatives, architects, engineers, project managers?). Brief description of the work
26
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Visual Artists Ireland Western Representative
Stepping Out Aideen Barry, VAI's West of Ireland Representative reports on visual arts activity in Donegal. Donegal is an area that seems to fall between two regional cracks, in terms of myself and Daniel Jewesbury’s remit (Daniel is the VAI’s Northern Ireland Representative). It is not provincially ‘west of Ireland’, nor is it politically ‘North of Ireland’. I decided to tentatively step outside my ‘border’ to investigate visual arts practices in this in-between space. For this report I looked at some of the interesting projects and possibilities taking place in the northern tip of the country. One of the more curious curatorally driven projects I have come across is An Gailearaí, a professional gallery, run by Gailearaí nag Croisbhealaí Teo. The project is located in the Donegal Gaeltacht and exhibits contemporary visual art practices. The notion of being a functioning gallery and mediation centre for contemporary visual arts, sited in a Gaeltacht; and in one of the remotest parts of Ireland, presents many challenges. An Gailearaí engages in some interesting discourses around the preservation of language and culture; and how that impacts on visual culture both in Ireland and beyond. An Gailearaí provides opportunities and support for artists to make and exhibit their work as part of an annual exhibition programme. It also has a special interest in developing and commissioning work that draws on traditional cultural sources – and / or reflects a Gaeltacht sensibility. Also, An Gailearaí works to extend and promote this experience to other venues and localities by touring nationally and hopefully internationally in the future. This initiative conjures up some interesting curatorial juxtapositions; programming work informed by the Gaeltacht community both nationally and internationally. They are also interested in expanding the notion of Gaeltacht in the wider sense of the word too, inviting contemporary practitioners from Scottish and Welsh Gaeltachts. I spoke to Sarah-Louise Kernan (Curator and Creative Assistant) and Úna Campbell (Director) at the centre about how An Gailearaí functions and possibilities for the future in light of economic difficulties. What is exciting about An Gailearaí, is that engaging with international projects with a similar ethos is quite possible – for example, Gallery101 in Ontario Canada, an artist run initiative and gallery space that openly engages with discourse around the preservation of aboriginal identity. (2) Another interesting initiative is the artist-led group Art-Link. Their project international residency programme Edge Centring, of an international residency programme for artists from coastal regions of Iceland and Norway and the Inishowen Pennisula. I spoke to one of the participants, Maire McKinney, about this project which was run from the unusual site of an old IRA training centre in Dunree, right on the North West coast of Donegal. The artists were invited to reflect on the notion of ‘edge centring’ (3) and invited artists were asked to explore themes which centre on art made on or about “edges”. The project was r supported by the Cultural Councils of Eastern Iceland and Vesteralen and Donegal County Council, Reflecting on Art-Link and An Gailearaí, begs the question whether Donegal benefits from its remoteness? In one way it has been the poor cousin of the counties of the North West, but in other ways, its uniqueness has enabled to facilitate some flag ship curatorial and visual art projects and initiatives that other parts of Ireland have not been able to do.
RADIO VAI Radio VAI is a mobile Q&A session on arts programmes on local radio stations. If you are a listener of Noel Molloy’s Arts Programme on ROS FM (94.6 fm 7.30 – 8.00pm) and you have a question that you wish me to answer in relation to my role with Visual Artists Ireland; or any concerns you may have or issues you would like raised on the arts programme, simply email me aideenbarry@gmail. com (before 19 May) and I will do my best to answer your queries. Ros FM, covers the areas of Roscommon, Leitrim and parts of East Galway. www.rosfm.ie
Donegal VAI Information Clinic I will be running a VAI information Clinic at An Gailearaí on the weekend of 12 July during the Earagail Arts Festival. I welcome anyone involved in the arts to come along and meet me at the clinic. Details will be announced on the Arts Festival Website, on An Gailearaí’s website and through the Visual Artists Ireland e-bulletin. Networking & UPSKILLING Only on rare occasions are the inner workings of the art world opened up for scrutiny and reflection by to the wider art audience. One such occasion was the talks and networking event ‘The Role of the Curator in the Artists Career’ organised by VAI and Galway City Arts Office, that took place 3 April at Galway City Museum. A full report will appear in the next issue of the VAN (July / August), but here are my thoughts on what were the key points and issues raised by the event. In particular, the notion of ‘up-skilling’ cropped up a lot during group discussions and the networking event. Some of the participants that I spoke with after the networking session were taken aback by some the lack of presentation skills on the part of some artists. There seemed to be a skill gap between recent graduates and more mature artists. On the whole recently emerging artists where aware of the importance of websites, catalogues, business cards etc – whereas artists who had left college some years ago (or who had founded an art career through other means) did not have the same range of professional practice skills and knowledge. One artist I spoke to, thought that the event had made clear that the notion of ‘up-skilling’ courses should be provided by arts institutions in the west, and overall a philosophy of the artists as a professional encouraged. This is a philosophy that could called ‘the artist as a constant learner’ – an acknowledgement that education for an artist does not end with a accreditation from a institution, but rather that the artist adopts on an ongoing basis many skills and adding new tools to their bag of tricks along the way. ‘Up-skilling’ and ‘retraining’ should be more than buzzwords during these recessionary times. Artists living in the west could certainly benefit from business courses, professional practice courses. These could be run by institutions such as Galway / Mayo Institute of Technology, The Burren College of Art (Clare); arts centres such as The Linen Hall (Mayo), Roscommon Arts Centre; as well as by group studios. In answer to this need and demand Visual Artists Ireland’s 2009 professional development workshops are running Galway, Limerick and Cork. Aideen Barry Notes (1) http://www.angailearai.com (2) http://www.gallery101.org <http://www.gallery101.org/> (3) www.artlink.ie
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
27
May – June 2009
Opportunities
Opportunities COMPETITIONS/ awards / AWARDS competitions
Critical Writing on Craft The Critical Writing in Irish Craft Award 2009 is a Crafts
Aesthetica Works
Council of Ireland and Irish Arts
Competition 2009 is now open.
Review initiative to provide a
It is a competition of three parts:
platform for new critical voices
Artwork (including photography
in Irish craft. The winner will
and sculpture), Fiction and
receive €500 and their essay will
Poetry, and one winner in each
be published in ‘Irish Craft 2009’,
category will be awarded £500.
the annual craft edition of the
Aesthetica
Creative
Winners and runners-up will have their entries published in the Aesthetica Annual 2010 edition. Entry to the Creative Works Competition costs £10, which allows artists and writers to submit a maximum of either 5 images, 5 poems, or 2 short stories. Further details of the competition are available online Website www.aestheticamagazine.com submission_guide.htm Deadline
Irish Arts Review. They invite submissions of unpublished essays (max. 1,200 words) by writers, craftspeople and those with an interest in Irish craft who are based in Ireland or Northern Ireland on ‘Craft as visual culture’, ‘The missing link - craft, cultural heritage and identity’, ‘21st century craft - the shape of things to come’ or a critical essay on the work of an Irish
craftsperson.
Further
information on the award is available online. Entries should
31 August 2009
be
Threadneedle Prize Artists living or working in Northern Ireland are invited to submit representational and figurative sculpture or painting
submitted
as
a
Word
attachment by email with a cover page including the writer’s contact details to: Email awards@ccoi.ie Website
(No photography or video) that
www.ccoi.ie
is based on observation rather
www.irishartsreview.com
than concept or abstraction for
Deadline
the Threadneedle Prize. Seven
30 June 2009
artists will be shortlisted for the prize from 60 exhibiting artists
Fred Conlon Bursary
at the Mall Galleries, London, in
As part of Sligo Arts Service’s
September 2009. Each of the
Grants, Awards and Bursaries
seven finalists will receive at
Scheme 2009 national and
least £1,000, with the overall
international artists are invited
winner receiving the £25,000
to apply for the 3 Month Fred
grand prize. A £5,000 Emerging
Conlon
Artist Prize is also availalable.
Bursary, an opportunity for an
This year’s jusding panel includes
individual visual artist to reside
artists Michael Leonard, Cathy
for two months in the residential
Lomax, Jock McFadyen, last
studio Easkey, Co. Sligo and one
year’s winner Nina Murdoch and
month in the Leitrim Sculpture
Daphne Todd, plus guest selector Desmond
Shawe-Taylor,
Surveyor of The Queen’s Pictures. Artists may submit up to 3 pieces and an entry fee of £15 per work applies. Registration forms are available online. Email threadneedleprize@ mallgalleries.com Website: www.threadneedleprize.com Deadline 1 June 2009
Residential
Studio
Centre. This award is offered by Sligo Arts Service in partnership with the Leitrim Sculpture Centre. Further information and application forms are available to download from the Sligo Arts Service website or by contacting: Address Sligo Arts Service, Sligo County Council, Development Centre, Cleveragh Road, Sligo Telephone 071 9111826 Email sleavy@sligococo.ie Website www.sligococo.ie
Deadline
photo capitals of the world.
Council and the Arts Council of
sessions that will take place in
27 May 2009
Student prizes also available. To
Northern
and
their studio at Distillery House
download entry forms and for
administered by the Arts and
every Saturday. The ‘Open
RDS
more infroation please visit the
Disability Forum (ADF). For
Access’ facility is open to
The RDS, in association with the
Hahnemuehle website.
more information on application
members of the public who have
Crafts Council of Ireland, is
procedures and the A&D Awards
completed a 2009 Graphic Studio
pleased to announce the 2009
ukmarketing@hahnemuehle.de
Scheme 2009 contact The Arts
Dublin etching course. Attendees
RDS National Crafts Competition
Website
and Disability Forum at:
will have access to presses for
open call for submissions. The
www.hahnemuehle.com/site/
Address
printing (no access to acid room).
prize fund is in excess of €30,000,
en/1897/photo-award-2009.html
Ground Floor, 109/113 Royal
Open Access runs from 10am to
with 20 categories ranging from
Deadline
Avenue,
1pm every Saturday (excluding
contemporary
30 June 2009
Northern Ireland
Bank Holiday weekends and
Telephone
Saturdays in July and August).
ceramics
to
furniture design. This year
Ireland,
Belfast
BT1
1FF,
categories and awards have been
John O’Leary Award
0044 028 9023 9450 (048 9023
Each Open Access session will
updated. An exhibition of work
As part of Sligo Arts Service’s
9450 from ROI)
cost €25. All sessions must be
by category winners will take
Grants, Awards and Bursaries
Textphone
booked and paid for in advance.
place during the annual Fáilte
Scheme 2009 final year Fine Art
0044 28 9032 5744 (048 9032
To find out more and to book
Ireland Dublin Horse Show from
students (Level 8) studying at
5744 from ROI)
your place please visit:
5 to 12 August 2009. The
Sligo Institute of Technology are
Website
exhibition will then travel to Birr
invited to apply for The John
gillian@adf.ie
www.graphicstudiodublin.com
Theatre and Arts Centre, Offaly
O’Leary Fine Art Graduate
Website
gsd/artists/member
(September
Regional
Award. Further information and
www.adf.ie
html#openaccess
Cultural Centre, Letterkenny
application forms are available
Deadline
(October 2009), and Sirius Arts
to download from the Sligo Arts
18 May 2009
Centre, Cobh (November 2009).
Service website or by contacting:
Entry fee of €10 applies (€5 for
Address
STEP Beyond
Dawson Street, Dublin 2, will be
students/apprentices).
Full
Sligo Arts Service, Sligo County
The STEP Beyond Mobility Fund
running a 12 week illustration
application
2009),
Illustration Course Independent
on
Council, Development Centre,
supports
cross-border
course with facilitator Adrienne
procedure are available online
Cleveragh Road, Sligo
movement of artists and cultural
Geoghegan from 2 June to 25
from the RDS website.
Telephone
workers to experience diversity
August 2009. The course will run
Website
071 9111826
and cross-cultural cooperation
every Tuesday evening from 6.30
www.rds.ie/crafts
between all European countries,
to 9pm (except Tuesday 4
Deadline
sleavy@sligococo.ie
including those that are not
August), and the course fee is
5pm, 18 May 2009
Website
currently
the
€380 (materials not included).
www.sligococo.ie
European Union and countries
Suitable for practising visual
Wellcome Trust
Deadline
of the South Caucasus (Georgia,
artists with an interest in
The Wellcome Trust Arts Awards
27 May 2009
Armenia and Azerbaijan). STEP
illustration (graphic designers,
details
of
the
the
Colleges
members
of
beyond offers grants to young
fine artists, and animators). The
and Ireland and they aim to
Szpilman Award 2009
artists and cultural practitioners
course will include discussions,
support
and
Entries for the Szpilman Award
(both individuals and those
themed projects and critiques.
experimental arts projects that
for ephemeral art will be
representing organisations) who
For more information and
investigate biomedical science.
accepted from now until the
wish
booking please contact Adrienne
All art forms are covered by the
closing date. The prizewinner
participating countries in order
at:
programme, including dance,
will
to explore, experience, gain
Telephone
drama, performance arts, visual
Stipendium, a challenge cup and
inspiration
01 6776032 or 087 9919211
arts,
craft,
10 days accommodation in
innovative creative connections.
photography, creative writing
Cimochowizna, Poland. For work
The
adriennegeoghegan@gmail.
and digital media. Small to
to be eligible for entry it must be
Foundation’s mobility fund also
Medium-Sized Projects Awards
created between 1 October 2008
aims to promote diversity and
fund projects up to and including
and 20 September 2009. To enter,
cohesion. For more information
Body/Landscape
£30,000. For further information
send a completed application
see:
A week-long Body/Landscape
and to download an application
form (available online) plus
Website
Workshop will take place from
form for the Small to Medium-
significant documentation of
www.eurocult.org
13 to 19 September 2009 in the
Sized Projects Award visit their
your work by postal mail only
Deadline
remarkable landscape of the
website or contact the Arts
with SAE for return of same to:
8 weeks before intended date of
Burren in Co. Clare. The
Awards Office at:
Address
travel
workshop proposes strategies to
Telephone
Szpilman Award, Brunnenstrasse
0044 (0)207 611 7222
10, 10119 Berlin, Deutschland
Website
arts@wellcome.ac.uk
www.award.szpilman.de
Website
Deadline
www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding
30 September 2009 (postmark)
are open to residents of the UK imaginative
music,
film,
collect
the
Jackpot
Public-engagement/Grants/Arts FUNDING FUNDING:
Awards/index.htm Deadline 16 July 2009
Arts & Disability Awards The Arts and Disability Awards provide financial support for
Hahnemuehle Award 425th
individual disabled artists living
anniversary of Hahnemuehle,
in the Republic of Ireland and
amateur
professional
Northern Ireland, working across
photographers alike are invited
all artforms. The scheme aims to
to take part in the international
challenge and inspire creativity,
Hahnemuehle
Anniversary
experimentation and artistic
Photo
Prizes
To
celebrate and
the
total
excellence. Each applicant can
€36,000. Winners become part
apply for a maximum of £5,000
of an international touring
or the Euro equivalent. The
exhibition which will visit the
Awards are co-funded by the Arts
Award.
to
travel
and
Eurpoean
between
stimulate Cultural
com
confront our bodies with the WORKSHOPS / COURSES: Workshops / courses
multiplicity, unpredictability, directness and autonomy of the
Painting in France "Stay, paint and be merry at Le Moulin D'Annepont, Charente maritime, Western France. Your Irish hosts, Nigel and Sue welcome you to their lovely old water mill in Annepont. 45 minutes from La Rochelle (Ryanair): Beginner and intermediate levels in oils/ acrylics. Groups and nonpainting partners welcome, Details Website www.moulinannepont.com Printing Sessions Graphic Studio Dublin is now running supervised printing
natural environment and the aim is to explore and develop consciousness of the body itself being an ever evolving landscape within a greater surrounding landscape. Training is lead by Dutch dancer and choreographer Frank van de Ven and is aimed at artists and advanced students working
in
the
fields
of
performance, dance, landscape art, sculpture, photography, architecture, theatre, visual arts, biology and natural history. Fee: €320/€280 (concessions). For more information see the article ‘emptying the body’ in the Jan-Feb issue of the VAN, or contact Seamus Dunbar at:
28
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Opportunities Telephone
or
071 9856148 Email
Finnish visual artist Helene
of professionals in the fields of
Recollection (late 2010). To apply
Course cost: £95. To apply,
openhouse
Schjerfbeck lived and worked in
art, architecture and urban
for any of these group exhibitions
contact Ovenden Contemporary
architecturefoundation.ie
Ekenas. The commission is
design.
send 6 images (print/CD), CV
seamusd62@eircom.net
or visit their website.
Deadline
worth €30,000 and the work
shortlisted entries will be held
and artist statement to Ruth
Website
15 May 2009
must be completed before 2011.
when the winner is announced.
Owen at:
http://bodyweatheramsterdam.
enquiries@ovendenart.com
For more information on the
For more information please
Address
blogspot.com
Website
Freelance Art Tutors
commission and Schjerfbeck,
contact:
Chapel Gallery, St. Helens Road,
Deadline
ovendenart.com/page22/page22.
RUA RED, South County Dublin’s
visit:
Ormskirk L39 4QR, Lancashire,
31 July 2009
html
new arts centre in Tallaght,
Website
situate@dca.wa.gov.au
England
Deadline
Dublin 24, is looking to expand
www.proartibus.fi/english/
Website
Telephone
30 June 2010
its database of freelance arts
schjerfbeck_en/
www.situate.dca.wa.gov.au
0044 (0)1695 571328
tutors
Deadline
Deadline
15 January 2010
20 May 2009
chapel.gallery@westlancsdc
LENS-BASED /new media LENS-BASED NEW MEDIA:
Career Development
semi-professional
artists.
Career Development Workshops with Padraig McCaul. 1. ‘Creating
VACANCIES JOBS:
and
are
currently
accepting CVs from teachers
a business from your Art’ is a 1
An
exhibition
of
gov.uk
across all art forms including
day workshop aimed at visual
MAC Exhibitions Officer
visual arts, dance, drama and
Ballyea National School
artists which shows how basic
Millennium Court Arts Centre
music. If you would like to be
In line with national guidelines
business
Website www.chapelgallery.org.uk
marketing
in Portadown is currently seeking
considered for future projects
on public art, the Public Art
Video Screening, Sweden
Deadline
principles can help develop and
to recruit a full-time Exhibitions
run by the centre, please email or
Commissioning Sub-Group of
Artists and MA Fine Art students
31 May 2009
grow your practice. Aimed at
Officer. Remuneration up to
post a CV and a description of
Ballyea
people who intend on working
£22,000
any specialist skills you have to:
Management
full time as visual artists. The
successful applicant will be
Address
workshop will take place on 6
required to organise and deliver
Opportunities, RUA RED, South
under
May 2009 in Bewleys Hotel,
innivative visual arts exhibitions,
Ballsbridge (Cost: €95). 2. ‘Getting
engaging and relevant auxiliary
your work online’, a half-day
programmes
workshop aimed at visual artists who want to create their own
and
Board
of
are invited to submit film and
wishes
to
video work for Art Video
TotalKunst, Edinburgh
commission a piece of public art
Screening, an annual showcase
TotalKunst, an artist-run gallery
of
of videoart from international
in Edinburgh,
Dublin Arts Centre, Civic Square,
Education & Science's PerCent
artists that will take place at Bio
proposals for their ongoing
Tallaght, Dublin 24
for Art Scheme at Ballyea
Roxy in Orebro, Sweden, on 17
‘Suitcase
National School in Co. Clare.
October 2009. Entries should
project that plays with notions
organisational schemes which
opportunities@ruared.ie
Situated at the heart of the
be
committed
of distance, space, location,
are integrated with MCAC's
Website
Ballyea Community on the
and suitable to show as single-
interpretation and interaction.
website. A practical workshop
artistic strategies. Applicants
www.ruared.ie
banks of the Cláirín River the
channel
More
The work consists of instructions
that shows how to set up and
should have relevant 3rd level
school dates back to the 18th
information and entryforms are
sent to the gallery for altering or
manage a professional website
education, 2 years experience in
century when it began its life as a
available online.
using
using third party template
contemporary
hedge school and is soon to
which they will undertake, set
providers. The workshop will
environment, experience in arts
Artists Taking The Lead
re-open for 180 pupils in a new
info@artvideoscreening.se
up and interpret according to the
take place on 7 May 2009 in
admin and financial record
Artists of all kinds from across
building.
Website
parameters
Bewleys Hotel, Ballsbridge (Cost:
keeping, initiative, creativity and
Northern Ireland are invited to
shortlisted and selected through
www.artvideoscreening.se
artist. Documentation of the
€75). Further details of both
self-motivation. Interviews will
use Northern Ireland as a blank
an open competition process.
Deadline
process will then be sent back to
workshops can be found online,
take place on 25 May 2009 and
canvas for one of 12 major
Total budget of €15,000 to cover
5 June 2009
the
or for booking and more
interviewees will be expected to
commissions that will showcase
artist’s fees, design, fabrication,
information contact Padraig at:
present a 10-15 minute proposal
the arts in the UK and Northern
materials,
Rotoreliefs, London
that
Telephone
to the panel. For application
Ireland to the world as part of the
insurance and all other associated
Artists working with video and
participation.
086 8801733
details please see:
London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
costs including VAT. Further
performance are invited to
welcome. For more information,
Website
Website
12 commissions will be awarded
information and full artist’s brief
submit work for Rotoreliefs, a
please email with ‘Suitcase
www.padraigmccaul.ie
www.millenniumcourt.org
to create works of art; one in
may be obtained from Monica
platform for emerging artists that
Series’ in the subject header to:
Deadline
each of the nine English regions,
Spencer, Project Manager, at:
hosts a monthly event at Vibe
4pm, 15 May 2009
and in the nations of Scotland,
Telephone
Bar in Brick Lane. They are
mk@m-kop.org.uk
Wales and Northern Ireland. The
087 9930553
looking for artworks based in
Deadline Ongoing
Drawing & Painting
per
annum.
The
and
key
visual
COMMISSIONS COMMISSIONS:
arts
Masterclasses in Drawing and
NS’s
the
Department
Artists
will
travel,
be
transport,
art-form
projections.
is inviting
Series’
the
artist.
gallery
gallery
set
space,
by
the
TotalKunst
is
particularly interested in work involves
audience All
media
Painting using a variety of
Stone-Carvers Wanted
Northern Ireland commission
video and performance by
mediums including oil and
Work available for skilled stone-
will be worth up to £200,000,
spencermonica@eircom.net
contemporary artists (video art,
acrylic will be held from 29 May
carvers.
your
including development grants
Deadline
video dance, video performance,
7.9 Cubic Meters, London
to 1 June and from 3 to 6 July
income with occasional work.
for shortlisted proposals. Open
12 noon, 22 May 2009
performance,
2009 in the scenic surroundings
Good daily rates. Wide varitey of
to individuals, collectives and
of Coney Island in Sligo Bay.
skills
including
organisations. Projects will be
Learn new drawing and painting
lettering, masonary, hand and
techniques from artist Neal
Supplement
a
7.9 Cubic Metres is a free-
preference for short pieces with
standing structure within the
Situate – Perth
minimal set-up requirements. To
Stanley
completed by June 2010, but
Proposals for ‘SITUATE’, an
submit your work, videos can be
Kingston upon Thames, London.
pneumatic carving. For more
should also have a legacy for
International
Sculpture
sent, along with completed
7.9 Cubic Metres operates as an
Greig. (Max. places per workshop:
information contact:
artists and communities beyond
Competition for Forrest Place in
application form, as a PAL DVD
autonomous gallery within the
3-4). More information on class
Telephone
that date. Successful projects will
Perth are currently being invited
or weblink, to:
public gallery, and submissions
content available online. To book
087 8286462
celebrate London 2012 and
from artists worldwide by the
Address
are currently invited from artists
reflect the values and vision of
Australian
of
Nacho Bailon, Rotoreliefs, 77
for a series of themed exhibitions
the Cultural Olympiad, the
Culture and the Arts. Forrest
Shacklewell Lane, London E8
that will be programmed in the
Olympic
the
Place, a civic space within the
2EB, England
space. Through the development
required
a place email:
Department
etc),
with
Picker
Gallery
in
Marketing Intern
eileenfneal@eircom.net
The
Website
Foundation
Further
city of Perth, is due for a multi-
of the series of 12 exhibitions
www.nealgreig.com
applications for a Marketing
information on Artists Taking
million dollar upgrade, and
nacho@rotoreliefs.com
throughout 2009/10, the 7.9
Intern to assist them in managing
The
AU$1 million has been allocated
Website
Cubic Meters space and its
the marketing section of Open
information is available online
to the development of an artwork
www.rotoreliefs.com
archive will become a fully-
Course
House Dublin 2009, Ireland’s
Website
that will represent a new
Deadline
formed artwork, in and of itself,
'Self-Promotion For The Artist' is
largest architectural event which
www.artiststakingthelead.org
challenge to public art and its
Ongoing
exploring the gallery as a
a distance learning course
draws over 15,000 people to
uk/en/northern-ireland
interaction
designed for visual artists of all
Dublin over one weekend in
Deadline
environment
descriptions who are ready to
October. The internship is an
29 May 2009
Australia.
take determined steps towards
unpaid position that will run
process
building a successful, fulfilling
from June to October 2009. If you
Helene Schjerfbeck
career in their chosen field. The
are a marketing/public relations
The
Artibus
course, written by a successful
graduate or have experience in
self-promoting artist, would be
Self Promotion Distance
Learning
Irish
Architecture is
seeking
Games
Paralympic Lead
and
Games. and
application
with The
in
built
Western
culturally INTERNATIONALExhibitions EXHIBITIONS INTERNATIONAL
competition
series of exhibitions is broken
multidisciplinary team that
Artists working in any media are
‘Voids, Corners, Plentifolds’,
brings originality and design
invited to submit work that
‘SLASH: Artist/Curator/Artist?’,
Foundation, in association with
excellence to the project, as well
relates to themes of the following
‘Disembodying the Who’, and
the area and would like to work
The Schjerfbeck Society in
as the technical capacity to
upcoming exhibitions at the
‘Warehouse A-Z’. To submit work
useful for new and emerging
on one of the biggest cultural
Ekenas and City of Raseborg
deliver an artwork of this scale
Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk,
for consideration, send an
artists (newly graduated students,
events in Ireland, then please
have
open
and complexity on time and
Lancashire: ‘Unique Perspectives’
exhibition proposal (max. 1 A4
hobbyists
contact
competition to commission an
within budget. The competition
(Sept/Oct
Hidden
PDF page), image/video samples
artists) who are ready to move
artwork of permanent character
will be run in three stages,
Meanings (March/April 2010),
of proposed/previous works, and
towards becoming professional
to commemorate the time that
assessed by an independent jury
Line & Form (late 2010), and
artist CV with contact details
and
recreational
the
IAF
at:
announced
an
a
and
down into four thematic parts:
Pro
identify
charged
symbolically loaded site. The
West Lancashire
Finnish
will
the
2009),
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
29
May – June 2009
Opportunities and
website,
if
any,
to:
Street,
Liverpool,
L8
5RN,
England
Wiels, Belgium
Deadline
Fellows will be provided with
m.brereton@photographer.net
Wiels,
Ongoing
accommodation in Chicago from
an
international
20 to 26 September 2009, and
Website
laboratory for the creation and
e.tan@kingston.ac.uk
arenastudios@btconnect.com
www.markbrereton.co.uk
the diffusion of contemporary
Armenia
Website
Website
Deadline
art,
Art
www.stanleypickergallery.org
www.arenastudiosgallery.com
1 June 2009
Deadlines from 1 April 2009 to 12 March
will attend 27 hours of closed Studies
seminars with Institute faculty.
practitioners with minimum 3
Laboratory (ACSL), a non-profit
Funds are available for travel
Deadline
years prefoessional experience
organisation based in Yerevan,
expenses. Public events are taped,
31 December 2009
‘Oh, Francis’ Magazine
working with drawing, painting,
Armenia, invites applications for
and will form the basis of a book.
‘Oh, Francis’ magazine is looking
film, media art, multimedia or
its ongioing artist in residence
Applications are invited from
photography, to apply for their
programme. The aim of the
faculty and advanced graduate
4th
residency
organisation is to act as a site of
students. To apply, please go
programme. Artists are provided
cultural exchange that supports
online for further information,
with individual studios (45 sqm)
the develpment of contemporary
then send an informal 2 page
and access to post-productions
creativity, carries out projects
letter of intent stating your
facilities and resource centre.
and fosters discussion and
interest in, or knowledge of, the
The residency is accompanied by
research. Research, curatorial
topic, along with a CV and any
a programme of weekly meetings
and visual arts AIRs are provided
pertinent texts (published or
with professional artists, along
with accommodation and access
unpublished), as a single PDF file
with field trips and meetings
to 3 large open-plan studios,
to:
with the public. In addition to
computers and video editing
developping their own projects,
equipment, and 3 ceramics
conference@
AIRs can participate in the core
ovens. To apply, send CV, 500
stonesummertheoryinstitute.org
activities of Wiels (exhibitions,
word
Website
researches, meetings, educational
application
programs and socio-cultural
documentation of your work to:
stonesummertheoryinstitute.org
exchanges). The residency will
Address
Deadline
run from 4 January to 31
8 Roubinyants, apt.17, 0069
15 June 2009
December 2010, and the selected
Yerevan, Armenia
artist
Telephone
Seacourt Residency
00374 10 24 42 13
As part of an ongoing programme
2010 Halifax Turn-Berlin Gallery
Welcoming submissions from
Turn-berlin gallery in Berlin-
all student and professional
Mitte is requesting submissions
artists for the final show at
from artists for a series of large
Temporary Art Space in Halifax,
group shows, each with between
England, an unfunded, artist-run
20 and 27 exhibiting artists, that
project with a lifespan of six
will run at the gallery between
months,
March and August 2009. Featured
magnificent Grade I listed Piece
artists will be a mixture of turn-
Hall and co-directed by Alice
berlin members and selected,
Bradshaw, Bob Milner, Tom
unconnected
German
and
Senior, Kevin Boniface and
international
artists.
More
Georgia Boniface. How many
information on submitting work
pieces of art can they fit in a 53
for consideration is available
foot room in August 2009? Help
online.
them by sending images of your
Website
work (file size under 10MB) or
www.turn-berlin.de
weblinks to:
situated
in
the
for submissions for the next issue. ‘Oh, Francis’ is a non-profit magazine run on a voluntary basis whose aim is to showcase young emerging talent; be it written, visual or aural. The first issue is available online now and in selected outlets around Dublin City. If you’re interested in submitting work or working with ‘Oh, Francis’, please contact Emma Dwyer at: Email ohfrancismag@gmail.com Website www.ohfrancis.com RESIDENCIES: RESIDENCIES
invites
visual
international
arts
and
Cultural
statement,
completed
form
and
www.
Crypt Gallery
info@temporaryartspace.co.uk
The Crypt Gallery is an old
Website
consecrated burial site positioned
www.temporaryartspace.co.uk
Artists who are at an early stage
contribute to the overall cost of
researching
within the bowels of St. Pancras
Deadline
of their career (within 5 years of
the residency. Accommodation
info@acsl.org.am
approaches to printmaking,
Church, London, and its previous
10 July 2009
graduation) are invited to apply
not
Website
Seacourt
for the meltdowns 2009 artist in
procedures are available online,
www.acsl.org.am
announces a call for applications
residence programme which will
and applications should be sent
Deadline
for their 12 week Artist in
run for four weeks (17 August to
Meltdowns, Ramsgate
life is reflected in its narrow passageways, low ceilings and
PUBLICATIONS: publications
intimate subterranean spaces.
or
their
organisation
sponsoring
will
included.
have
to
Application
non-toxic
Workshop
to:
Ongoing, 1 month prior to start
Residence Programme 2009 (7
The Crypt is currently accepting
Soanyway Magazine
11 September 2009) at meltdowns
Address
of residency
September to 27 November
proposals from
Soanyway is an international
in Ramsgate, England. Supported
Wiels, Avenue Van Volxem 354,
established artists working in
project
words,
by The Fenton Arts, the residency
Brussels, Belgium
LSC Residencies
artist-printmaker with at least 2
any media for artworks that are
pictures and sound that tell
aims to encourage new and
Leitrim Sculpture Centre and
years’ professional experience
capable of forming an intimate
stories. The idea of a 'story' is
emerging talent in a supportive
devrim.bayar@wiels.org
Leitrim County Council are
who has worked with one or
relationship with the fabric of
interpreted very openly, in
and inspiring environment. The
Website
offering artists the opportunity
more of the following techniques:
the building fro an exhibition
relation to fact and fiction,
selected artist will undertake a
www.wiels.org
to apply for 5 residencies in 2009
Galv-etch,
from 24 August to 9 september
narration or implication, and
period of research or studio-
Deadline
and 2010. Each residency is based
etching, copper sulphate etching,
2009. Ideally the work should
structure or a lack of it. Soanyway
related activity during their
31 May 2009
at Leitrim Sculpture Centre and
water based screen printing or
connect with the buildings
also regards most history, theory
placement and the expected
is valued at a total cost of €4,250.
waterless lithography. The artist
historical
and critique as stories about
outcome will be the generation
Kitchen Budapest
The
programme
in residence will receive a £3,000
of a body of work or research.
Kitchen Budapest, a new media
includes 2 residencies to support
stipend and access to workshop
lab for young researchers who
artists in developing their
studios to create a body of work,
are interested in the convergence
technical skills and/or practice,
part of which will be exhibited at
of
communication,
and 3 residencies to support
the end of the residency. The
online communities and urban
artists in leading engagement
participating artist must present
space, invites proposals for its
with
places/people/industry/
a talk on their practice to
ongoing
researcher
groups/communities in Leitrim
Workshop members and engage
programme in 2009. Dedicated
(to be suggested by the artist in
with the local community
professisonals interested in the
their proposal). For an application
through
convergence of new media and
form and guidelines on how to
programme
actual spaces who are highly
apply, email:
partnership with North Down
motivated and wish to collaborate
Community Network. Further
in the production of cross-
info@leitrimsculpturecentre.ie
information and application
disciplinary,
Website
forms are available by request
projects, will be provided with
www.leitrimsculpturecentre.ie
from Seacourt Print Workshop
studio/work
Deadline
at:
5pm, 18 May 2009
Address
emerging or
context
either
centred
New
on
physically or metaphorically.
stories.
additions
Individual payments will be
Soanyway online are made
made to participating artists
regularly and the editors are
based on the number of artists
hoping to publish the magazine
exhibiting. To apply, please email
in printed form in the near
current CV, artist statement and
future. Soanyway welcomes
up to 10 .jpeg images of your
submissions
work to:
medium and format. Material to
be considered for inclusion and/
sclifty@hotmail.com
or enquiries about possible
Website
submissions should be sent to:
www.cryptgallery.org.uk
Deadline
submissions@soanyway.org.uk
15 June 2009
Website
in
any
to
form,
soanyway.org.uk The Arena Gallery in Liverpool is
The First Time Project
currently accepting proposals
The First Time Project will be an
from
groups,
annual hardback publication
curators,
designers
pm weekdays) for a minimum of 3 days per week. a series of contact meetings with highly trained members of staff at Meltdowns to discuss progress, technical issues or to receive informal
tutorials,
and
a
materials award of £500. To apply, please send completed application form, recent CV, images of current work (slides,
artist
50 sqm project space (10am to 11
equal opportunities form and 5
Arena Gallery, Liverpool
artists,
The AIR will have access to the
CD or photographs) to: Address Artist in Residence 2009, Meltdowns, Unit 2 St Lawrence
mobile
guest
experimental
accommodation,
space, internal
2009). Seacourt are seeking an
residency
Ferric
a
short
Chloride
outreach
arranged
Seacourt Print Workshop, Unit
workshops and project budget in Budapest. To apply, send a project
Theory Institute
33 Dunlop Industrial Units, 8
proposal, CV and letter of
Stone Summer Theory Institute
Balloo Road, Bangor, Co. Down,
motivation to:
at the Art Institute of Chicago is
BT19 7QY
Address
currently accepting applications
Telephone
HU-1463, PO box 824, Budapest,
for 15 Fellowship places at the
0044 (0)28 91460595
and
showcasing creative artwork
illustrators for exhibitions and
from around the world. Each
events as part of their upcoming
publication will be a themed,
gallery programme from May
limited edition artists’ book. The
England
2009
is
project invites submissions for
Telephone
Hungary
Institute in September 2009. The
committed to the support of
its inaugural publication from
0044 (0)1843 580083
Telephone
theme for 2009 is ‘What Do
info@seacourt-ni.org.uk
emerging and developing talent.
recent graduates, emerging and
Website
0036 1303 6189
Artists Know?’. The programme
Website
To submit work post your
established artists. The first
www.meltdowns.co.uk
will focus on the theorisation of
www.seacourt-ni.org.uk
application and any relevant
publication is scheduled for June
Deadline
info@kitchenbudapest.hu
artistic
Deadline
supporting documentation to:
2009. For application form please
29 May 2009
Website
comprehensive reconsideration
Address
contact
www.kitchenbudapest.hu
of theories of studio art education
onwards.
Arena
Arena Gallery, 27 Parliament
Mark
Brereton
at:
Industrial Estate, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0QZ,
in
education
and
a
and knowledge at all levels.
29 May 2009
30
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
Opportunities Address
Bridge Guard Art
art environment in the city with
Telephone
EGILSSTADIR, Iceland
PVA, The Old Library, 51 East
Bridge Guard Art aims to support
exhibitions,
0044 1954 718881
Telephone
applications from interested
Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JX,
artists, scientists and people from
arrangements etc.
00354 471 2990
visual artists for the 2009
England
other professions who work on
Address
andrew.hunter@wysingarts.org
residency programme at The
Telephone
projects which place emphasis
Rådhusgata 16, Service box 417,
Website
klaustur@skriduklaustur.is
Curfew Tower in Cushendall, Co
0044 1308 459071
on uniting, connecting, and
4604 Kristiansand, Norway
www.wysingarts.org
Website
Antrim. The Tower was built in
bridging. The residency is a
Telephone
Deadline
www.skriduklaustur.is/ensksida/
1871, is four storeys tall, topped
admin@pva.org.uk
sojourn in the Bridge Guard
0047 38 07 51 50
Ongoing
klaustrid/klaustrid.htm
by modest battlements and has a
Website
residence with the right to work
murder-hole
www.pva.org.uk
in complete freedom on a project,
post.kultur@kristiansand.
Schloss Bröllin eV
projecting windows in each side.
Deadline
and with only minimal duties,
kommune.no
Schloss Bröllin is a former
The Curfew tower is now owned
Ongoing
for 3 to 6 months. Those duties
Website
country manor estate located on
Artists in Prisons
consist of observing the bridge
www.kristiansand.kommune
the secluded northern edge of
The Arts Council of Ireland in
The Curfew Tower Void
is
currently
inviting
beneath
the
by Bill Drummond and will be
professional
Deadline 15 June 2009
used for short-term artists’
Experimental TV Centre
every day and recording the
no/gjesteleilighet
Uckermark in the Mecklenburg-
partnership with the Irish
residencies supported by the In
The Experimental Television
observations in the Bridge Log.
Deadline
Vorpommern region, close to the
Department of Justice, Equality
You
Further
Center supports the creation of
This chronicle will be published
1 August 2009
town of Pasewalk. It is now an
and Law Reform calls for
information on the application
work using new electronic media
periodically. In addition, the
interdisciplinary network of
applications from visual arts
process and residency 2009
technologies, by providing space
Bridge Guard is expected to work
Casa de Velasquez
experimental artists, scientists,
practitioners interested in being
timetable are available by request
and time to artists for personal,
one afternoon with children in
Casa de Velasquez’s objective is
producers and organisers and a
placed on the panel of shortlisted
from:
self-directed
creative
the public art school, be available
to enable guest artists to working
location where projects of an
artists for participation in the
Telephone
investigations, and by providing
for discussions with the high
with drawing, paintings, media
international
be
Visual Artists in Prison Scheme.
0044 28 71308080
funding and other administrative
school students at least once and
art and sculpture to spend some
realised, which offers production
This scheme allows artists to
support directly to makers.
communicate with the general
time developng their practice in
and conference rooms, a variety
work with prisoners in one of the
hello@derryvoid.com
Applications are now being
public, thus building bridges to
Spain and meeting other artists
of
studios,
country’s prisons or detention
Website
accepted for residencies from
the people in the town. Payments:
and curators. Residencies may
accommodation and catering
centres for a period of 8/10 days
www.derryvoid.com/news.htm
September 2009 to January 2010.
500 CHF per month stipend plus
culminate in the production of
facilities.
organisation
with a €1,600 fee payable to the
Deadline
AIRs have access to experienced
up to 50 CHF for telephone and
an exhibition, performance, or
establishes contact between
artist (€2,000 if the participating
Ongoing
assistants, computers, digital
internet
the
partial
artists and other fields of cultural
artist lives over 80kms from the
video editing equipment and a
Accommodation with studio,
publication of a work of literary
production and is interested in
prison or detention centre they
hearing from artists who would
are working in). Artists interested
We
Trust.
charges.
complete
or
scale
can
workshops, The
The Drake Hotel, Toronto
recording
studio.
storage room, living room and
research or artistic criticism.
The Drake Hotel is a third home,
Accommodation is also provided.
bedroom provided. To apply,
Artists in residence are provided
like to focus on and develop their
in being placed on the panel of
a communal respite offering
Application forms may be
send a brief CV, samples of
with 2 studios of around
practice and colaborate at Schloss
short listed artists should contact
comfort, ease and an inspiring
downloaded
the
previous work, description of the
40-70msq. A small maintenance
Bröllin. Artists are provided with
Veronica Hoen, Co-coordinator
environment to live and work in
Experimental
Centre’s
project that you plan to work on
fee of about €8 is payable per
studios but must pay for
of AIP Scheme, at:
Toronto’s Queen West Art &
website.
during the residency, including
day. Application details are
accommodation themselves. For
Design district. The Drake Hotel
Address
its relevance to the aims of the
available by contacting:
more infromation contact:
veronica_hoen@eircom.net
provides residencies of up to 1
The Experimental TV Centre,
Bridge Guard project, the reason
Address
Address
month duration to national and
109 Lower Fairfield Road, Newark
for the application and why your
Calle Paul Guinard 3, Ciudad
Dorfstraße 3, 17309 Bröllin,
internation artists working with
Valley, NY 13811, America
project should be carried out in
Universiatria, 28040 Madrid,
Germany
drawing, painting and media art.
Telephone
Stúrovo, Slovakia, requirements
Spain
Telephone
Arts & Conflict
Experimentation
form TV
CONFERENCES: CONFERENCES
01 607 687 43 41
for special equipment, desired
Telephone
0049 39747 50235
The Arts Council of Northern
re-invention are encouraged, and
length of stay and preferred dates
04 91 455 1580
Ireland is pleased to announce
AIRs have access to computers,
etc@experimentaltvcenter.org
for beginning and end of stay, to:
info@broellin.de
‘Art and Conflict’, a one-day
digital video editing facilities and
Website
Address
info@casadevelazquez.org
Website
conference that will take place
media studio. Accommodation,
www.experimentaltvcenter.org
Infogem AG, Rütistrasse 9,
Website
www.broellin.de
on Wednesday 17 June 2009 at
board and food is included.
Deadline
CH-5401, Baden, Switzerland
www.casadevelazquez.org
Deadline
The Grand Opera House, Belfast.
Application
infromation
15 July 2009
Deadline
15 June 2009
The conference will explore the
available
online.
Karol.Fruehauf@infogem.ch
Ongoing
and
is
Send
reach and importance of the arts Klaustrid, Iceland
in the process of healing and
Wysing Arts, Cambridge
Klaustrid (the Monastery) is a
supporting
Deadline
Wysing Arts, a rural arts centre
residence for artists, writers and
transformation, and how artists
16 November 2009
based near the village of Bourn in
scholars,
and
represent conflict and its legacy.
Cambridge, England, provides
international. The residence is
Chaired by writer and broadcaster
Kristiansand Kommune
low-cost residencies of between 1
managed by The Institute of
Feargal Keane, the conference
programme is open to artists
The City of Kristiansand offers 3
and 12 months to emerging
Gunnar Gunnarsson and includes
will include presentations by
working in all disciplines and
month residencies to professional
national and international artists
a small apartment and workroom
keynote speaker Justice Albie
jessica@thedrakehotel.ca
includes
accommodation,
visual artists in an attempt to
working
with
multimedia,
in
Sachs;
Website
workspace, meals, some materials
strengthen, promote and develop
sculpture
and
architectural
Skriduklaustur, in the Fljotsdalur
architect;
www.thedrakehotel.ca
and a $500 stipend to be used for
collaboration and networking
practices. Set on an 11.5-acre site
valley in East Iceland (40km to
photographer Jenny Matthews;
Deadline
the artists’ airfare. To apply,
between
and
which currently offers outdoor
the nearest town) which was
Zoe Lippett, Wolverhampton
Ongoing
please send a maximum of 15
international
in
exhibition areas, 26 artists
built in 1939 by the famous
Museum; Sean Hillen, artist,
applications by post to:
Stuttgart
Website
Address
d. fleiss & east west artists invite
www.bridgeguard.org
The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen
applications
Street West, Toronto, Ontario
international artist residency
M6J 1J3, Canada
that will run from 25 August to 3
Telephone
September 2009. The residency
01 416 531 5042
for
a
0-day
national artists
the
Icelandic
unique
farmhouse,
societies
Vanessa
in
September,
Magnum
war
images of your work on slide or
Kristiansand, south Norway.
studios, a gallery, various spaces
Icelandic
Gunnar
Omagh memorial sculpture; and
PVA, Dorset
CD, stamped SAE, CV and
Artists are provided with access
for meetings and workshops
Gunnarsson. Residencies are
Belfast poet Michael Longley in
PVA MediaLab has an ongoing
€15/$20 review fee to:
to a small studio with wi-fi, with
including
open to visual artists working
conversation with novelist Glenn
residency programme designed
Address
the possibility of using a larger
ceramics and sculpture studios,
with
sculpture,
Patterson. Cost per delegate is
to support new media art projects.
d. fleiss & east west artists,
project space if necessary, and
Wysing Arts aims to support and
drawing and painting, as well as
£110 + VAT. Arts practitioners
PVA have experience of all areas
Gänsheidestr. 19, D- 70184
accommodation in an apartment
encourage artists who are at the
writers. Residencies are for
£70 + VAT. Registration closing
of new media production and
Stuttgart, Germany
is situated in Posebyen, the city s
beginning of their career. On-site
periods of between 3 and 6 weeks.
date is 4pm, 12 June 2009.
can develop individual proposals.
Telephone
old quarter with white wooden
residential accommodation is
Accommodation and studio
Bookings for this event may be
Their ‘self build’ programme,
0049 172 7321550
houses. The programme would
provided in a recently renovated
space are provided. Projects
made online at:
called ‘encrypt’, enables artists to
particularly like to receive
grade II listed farmhouse, and
concerning Gunnar Gunnarsson,
Website
access training and production
fleissd@dfewa.eu
applications from artists who are
artists also have access to
his life and his works, have
w w w. a r t s c o u n c i l - n i . o r g /
facilities. Artists can apply for an
Website
part of international networks,
darkroom
performance
priority, as well as any project
news/2009/new26032009.html
Individual Learning Account or
www.dfewa.eu
larger projects or programmes;
facilities. For more infromation
concerning East Iceland, its
contact their regional arts
Deadline
projects linked to artists, groups
contact Wysing Arts at:
nature and culture. Applications
Catholicism & Culture
authority for funding. To enquire
1 June 2009
and/or
Address
forms are available online.
An interdisciplinary conference
institutions
in
fully
and
equipped
writer
media
art,
about PVA residencies contact
Kristiansand; and applicants who
Fox Road, Bourn, Cambridge CB3
Address
on ‘Catholicism and Public
them at:
are planning to take part in the
7TX, England
Skriduklaustur i Fljotsdal, IS 701
Cultures in Ireland, France,
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
31
May / June 2009
Opportunities United Kingdom, and North America’ will be held from 17 to 19 June 2009 at IADT, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. The aim of the conference will be to investigate the Catholic Church as institution and as text in the context of the public cultures of Ireland, France, United Kingdom, and North America, and the ways in which the framework of beliefs and practices associated with Catholicism have impacted such areas as the relationship between individuals and the state, cultural identities and practices, public space, visual cultures (cinema, art, television, new media), popular cultures, and literary representation. Bookings and enquiries should be forwarded to conference sponsors at: Email andrew.auge@loras.edu paula.gilligan@iadt.ie eamon.maher@ittdublin.ie exhibitionsIRELAND: ireland EXHBITIONS Nano The Science Gallery at Trinity College is seeking ideas for ‘NANO’, a major festival and interdisciplinary exhibition exploring nanotechnology which is scheduled to take place from 25 September to 18 December 2009. The Science Gallery is inviting ideas and proposals from scientists, engineers, artists, designers and creative thinkers that investigate nanotechnology and its implications for our future. Proposals may by for events, talks, debates, films, workshops, live experiments performances, competitions, exhibits, interactive installations or demonstrations exploring nanotechnology, its applications and implications. Suggestions may be based on previously existing projects or may be entirely new and specifically designed for ‘NANO’. A list of
key areas of interest and an Expression of Interest form are available to download from the Science Gallery website, and initial proposals and enquiries should be emailed to: Email nano@sciencegallery.com Website www.sciencegallery.com/nano Deadline 15 May 2009 Courthouse Arts Centre The Courthouse Arts Centre in Tinahely, Co. Wicklow, is currently accepting proposals from visual artists working in all media for its visual arts exhibition programme 2010. The exhibition space consists of approx. 175 running feet of wall space distributed between the main, ground floor and the first floor balcony. Large windows, halogen track and spot lighting. Artists interested in being considered for an exhibition in 2010 should send their CV and a letter of application, along with work samples (up to 12 slides, images on CD, or other photographic documentation of their work) with SAE for return of same, by postal mail or email to Shelley Hayes, Artistic Director, at: Address Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow Email info@tinahely-courthouse.ie Website www.tinahely-courthouse.ie Deadline 31 May 2009 Quartier 21, Austria Quartier 21 is residency programme that is open to all media with the objective of expanding the role of the MuseumsQuartier Wien in Austria as one of the world’s largest contemporary cultural complexes through the active and continuous involvement of international visual artists. It
promotes cultural exchange, in particular with Austria’s direct neighbours and other European countries. Residencies are available for 2 to 6 month periods, and artists are provided with studi space and accommodation, as well as a €1,050 stiend per month during the residency period. Application forms are available online, and applications may be sent to: Address MuseumsQuartier E+B Ges Elisabeth Hajek, Koordination quartier21, Museumsplatz 1, A-1070 Wien, Austria Email ehajek@mqw.at Website quartier21.mqw.at/Artist-in Residence Deadline Ongoing Blue Pottery Trust, India Potters of any nationality who speak English or Hindi are invited to apply for residencies at the Delhi Blue Pottery Trust in New Delhi. Visiting potters may self-fund their stay and work towards a body of work for 4 to 8 weeks, culminating in an open house exhibition, while funded visiting potters are hosted for 6 to 8 weeks (incl. boarding and lodging) by the Trust but they pay their own travel expense. Funded AIRs conduct one workshop of 7 days or two workshops of 4 days each during their time with the Trust. Special residencies for potters wishing to work with traditional potters may email their requests to the trust. There is a minimum booking time of 6 months in advance. For further information contact the Administrator, Delhi Blue Pottery Trust, at: Address Delhi Blue Apartments (Basement), 2 Safdarjang Ring Road, New Delhi 110029, India Telephone 0091 11 26190223
Email infodbpt@yahoo.co.in Website www.delhibluepotterytrust.com Deadline 1 January 2010 The Back Loft The Back Loft, the multipurpose space of La Catedral Studios, would like to hear from artists with original and innovative ideas for using the space over the coming year. Applications are welcome from artists working with multimedia and live art/ performance as well as those with imaginative ideas for visual art exhibitions/installations and fringe theatre/dance projects. The Back Loft is available for hire to groups and individuals on a rental or commission basis. Other arrangements for availing of the space are possible depending on the type and quality of the proposals; however preference will be given to projects that are financially self-sustainable. Project ideas and proposals should be emailed to: Email lacatedralstudios@yahoo.com Website www.myspace.com lacatedralstudios www.thebackloft.blogspot.com Deadline Ongoing Crow Gallery, Dublin The Crow Gallery, a volunteer, artist-run gallery space in Temple Bar, Dublin 2, has some slots available in its exhibition programme for 2009. For more information please ring Dermot on: Telephone 086 8063618 Website www.crowgallery.net Dunamaise OPEN The Dunamaise Arts Centre invites submissions from artists for its open submission
exhibition, ‘Dunamaise OPEN’, which will be on show from 27 August to 10 October 2009. The exhibition will be guest curated by artist Martin Gale, and work submitted for inclusion may be in any medium. Dunamaise Arts Centre also welcomes submissions from artists for its ongoing exhibition programme. Postal submissions including artist CV, CD with image(s) of proposed work and a stamped addressed envelope, or email submissions (file size limit: 5MB) should be forwarded to: Address Dunamaise Arts Centre, Church Street, Portlaoise, Co. Laois Email exhibitions@dunamaise.ie Deadline 19 June 2009 Artsquad Anniversary City Artsquad will be 20 years old in 2010. To celebrate this achievement Artsquad is calling on all former members to contribute to a publication and exhibition that will commemorate its participation in community arts. If you have been involved with City Artsquad at any point from 1990 to 2010 and would like to contribute to the 20th anniversary celebrations, please contact Fiona Clarke, Programme Coordinater, on: Telephone 01 4547026 Email cityartsquad@hotmail.com Deadline Ongoing The Couch Gallery, Cork The Couch Gallery in Cork City is currently accepting submissions from artists who are interested in being included in their future exhibition programme. Submissions should include: name, address, contact details; images of work (attachment size under 2MB); dimensions of work; and
statement / CV. Submissions may be sent by post or email to: Address The Couch, 2nd Floor, 85 North Main Street, Cork Email thecouch85@live.ie Deadline Ongoing STOP PRESS Granite Symposium Sculptors are invited to submit proposals for a granite carving symposium to be held in Killanne Enniscorthy Co Wexford, at Niall Deacon's yard, for two weeks (29 August – 12 September 2009). A site-visit / walkabout will be held at 2.00 pm Saturday 6 June, for artists to familiarise themselves with the setting and facilities. Closing Date 30 June Telephone Niall 0872426172 Cliodna 01 8322509
Don’t forget Do remember to look at the advertisments in this VAN, also check our web site & subscribe to our e-bulletin for further opportunities. WATCH OUT While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our information we strongly advise readers to verify all details to their own satisfaction before forwarding art work, slides or monies etc. Thanks VAI exchanges with and sources information from: A-N:The Artists’ Information Company; The International Sculpture Centre (New Jersey / USA) and the National Sculpture Factory Cork.
32
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
CONFERENCE REPORT
VAI CEO Noel Kelly (left) speaking at the Artists European Convention at La Maison Des Artistes
Delegates at the Artists European Convention
Delegates at the Artists European Convention
Speakers at the Artists European Convention
Delegates at the Artists European Convention
Speakers at the Artists European Convention
Activation NOEL KELLY VISUAL ARTISTS IRELAND CEO, REPORTS ON a gathering of EUROPEAN visual artIStS representative organizations, ORGANISED IN December 2008 by Maison des Artistes, PARIS. In December 2008 the French representative organisation for visual artists, Maison des Artistes gathered the executives of the representative organisations of visual artists in Europe to look at social, economic and fiscal systems for visual artists in Europe. The purpose of this meeting was to build a coherent and current picture of social systems, as they exist in the EU member countries; and to prepare a dossier of facts and recommendations, that will be published and presented to the EU and to national governments. The event was hosted as part of the cultural programme of the French Presidency of the EU, and Ireland was represented by Visual Artists Ireland. In total, 27 invited delegations took part, with a further five observers from EU candidate countries, five from the cultural area of UNESCO and several other non-EU observers (1). The timing for this convention proved interesting. As we see national governments now working in a time of new global economic realities, there is more and more need for us to find ways of lobbying for, protecting and defending social and fiscal systems specific to artists and authors of graphic and visual original works. To this end, each participating representative country provided a picture of systems that currently exist within their own borders. In these presentations, a comparison could be made as to the artists’ social status, and examples of best practices were explored in detail. It soon became apparent that many disparities exist across Europe. Ireland was held high in terms of funding opportunities, with specific appreciation of the Percent for Art Scheme and the Artists’ Tax Exemption. However, it was very clear that other countries were far advanced in identifying artists specifically within their social welfare systems. For example, in some countries a form of artists’ pension exists. The means of funding these varied from state funding to a levy on art sales that directly feeds into a central fund. Taking each presentation into consideration, countries were broken in to three main classifications. The first of these contained countries, such as Ireland, who have strong systems of social protection, but don’t specifically recognise artists in this context. There was a move to examine the veracity of adapting these systems to recognise artists specifically, and to understand more the realities of the life of artists. The second group have welfare systems that are less specific, however they reveal themselves to be sensitive to the particularities of artists, with a willingness on behalf of their governments to improve the systems. Finally, the third group have poor systems in place for the population as a whole, and a complete absence of specific provision of any support for artists. They occupy a space wherein full construction of a social system is required. From these classifications emerged a proposal for a law reference / framework that all participants would use to lobby for a form of harmonisation in the EU, and in practical
terms, bring it back to their own national governments as a primary research document of what can be done for artists at a national level. Further thoughts and discussion took place about what we mean by ‘improving the status of visual artists in Europe’. Whilst it was recognised as an objective, the question was raised as to how and by what means? In this, four topics were considered. The preliminary discussion looked at the question of who is an artist. Whilst many dismissed this as being as indecipherable as trying to define what is art, the discussions surrounding the definition of the artist revealed weakness in the implementation of the UNESCO definition (2) – of which significant number of signatory countries have not adopted this into their legislation or support systems. As with all definitions on the subject of art and artists, there was much heated philosophical and ideologically driven debate. As artist representative organisations, it was mooted that we should deny the validity of the placing of limitations as to who is an artist – on the basis of the freedom of expression that being an artist should represent. However, it was seen as extremely important that we be able to use some form of formal definition, so as to provide a basis for dialogue with bureaucratic systems. This importance was identified specifically, so that administrative frameworks could define effectively and legitimately the scope of social protection and taxation for artists. In the absence of any other definition, it was concluded that the UNESCO definition would provide sufficient clarity and members will move to have their respective governments and the EU to recognise it in a practicable manner. Following this discussion, a further time for reflection was taken on the social condition of visual artists. In light of the previous presentations, and the disparities between protection systems, it became apparent that with such wide gaps unification may be inappropriate at this stage. The workload is simply too high for any one single approach – however, the concept of unity must still hold, albeit as an aspiration. Instead, it was proposed that we focus on the minimum that was required to put in place in each country of the European Union concerning social security; and to reflect together on a harmonisation of financing social protection, calculation of contributions and coverage of social benefits. It was also agreed that as a second objective in this area, we must find a framework for social security in the form of a common model that incorporates compliance with the possibilities of each, taking into account the structures related to the work of the artist. This instantly led to further discussion in the area of taxation. The series of initiatives and schemes across Europe for artists are limited. The Irish tax exemption was used as one example relating to income tax. Also included were the reduced VAT levels across Europe on the
sale of works of art. It was shown that investment in the arts is often facilitated by the allocation of reductions or tax credits. Specifically addressing the latter, it was recognised that although not a key feature in our definition of the artist – and placing ideological posturing aside, that in order to speak to governments, we must continue to make the artist an economic agent, while taking into account the particulars of artistic activity. With the combination of both points of the taxation discussion, it was agreed that we need to have our governments recognise the following: the irregular collection of income by artists; the precariousness of artistic activity; and also a requirement to continue to encourage investment in the arts and expand the allocation of tax cuts to individuals who invest in art. Following on from these two days of discussions, a range of suggested actions is currently drafted, that will be submitted to the representative bodies of all European organisations. Once validated these will be published and circulated to the EU representatives and also to local bodies, such as Visual Artists Ireland, for presentation to national and local government and to the Arts Councils. There are still many issues that could not be tackled, but fortunately, because this was a first time at bringing this group together, a strong foundation of solidarity was built within the participating network of artists in Europe. It is worth noting that this meeting fitted closely with work that is being undertaken by Visual Artists Ireland. At the discussion we were able to provide a first glimpse of the results of the VAI’s survey The Social, Economic, and Fiscal Status of the Visual Artist in Ireland. As we continue to become aware, the treatment of artists across Ireland is uneven. We also see more and more likelihood that the systems that are in place, will come under pressure through a lack of understanding and implementation. It is our intention to supplement the findings of our survey, with the publication emerging from the Maison des Artistes meeting, as we continue our work on behalf of visual artists in Ireland. To quote from one of our French colleagues, we need activation on the ground, as well as through networks such as the French convention. Noel Kelly Notes (1) Germany: IGBK - Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste; United Kingdom: The British National Committee of IAA; Austria: IG Bildende Kunst; Belgium: Conseil National Belge des Arts Plastiques; Bulgaria: Union des Artistes Bulgares; Cyprus: Chamber of Fine Arts; Denmark: BKF-Billedkunstnernes Forbund; Spain: UAAV - Union de Asociaciones de Artistas Visuales; Estonia: EAA - Estonian Artists’ Association; Finland: AAF - The Artists’ Association of Finland; France: La Maison des Artistes; Greece: Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece; Hungary: Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists; Ireland: Visual Artists Ireland; Italy: Comitato Italiano de la AIAP; Latvia: The Artists’s Union of Latvia; Lithuania: Lithuanian artists’ association; Luxembourg: Comité National de l’AIAP; Malta: Ambassade de Malte en France; The Netherlands: Federatie von Kunstenaarsverenigingen; Poland: The association of Polish artists and designers; Portugal: Ministry of Culture; Czech Republic: UVU CR; Romania: Romanian Artists’ association; Slovakia: Slovak Union of Visual Arts Slovak; Slovenia: Cultural Chamber of Slovenia; Sweden: KRO&KIF - The Swedish Artists’ National Organization (2) The General Conference of UNESCO, at its 21st session held in Belgrade, adopted on 27 October 1980 the following definition of the artist “Artist is taken to mean any person who creates or gives creative expression to, or recreates works of art, who considers his artistic creation to be an essential part of his life, who contributes in this way to the development of art and culture and who is or asks to be recognized as an artist, whether or not he is bound by any relations of employment or association”.
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
33
project profile
Exploring Creativity and Technology Mags Walsh reports on ‘Insight Open’ (17 Jan 2009) A SEMINAR exploring technology and art practices for young people, held at sligo art gallery.
Andrew Livingstone Exploring Manual Actions. Work created in relation to the artists residency at Strandtown Primary School, Belfast,
Andrew Livingstone Tacit. Work created in relation to the artists residency at Strandtown Primary School, Belfast,
On 17 January Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership (1) presented ‘Insight Open’, a seminar exploring current practice and creativity between children, artists, educators and technology at Sligo Art Gallery. For the past 12 years Kids’ Own have been supporting and facilitating engagements between young people and artists. The increasing use of technology – both as a creative and as a communication tool – has been a feature of many of their residencies and projects. Insight Open set out to explore, discuss and celebrate the range of current practice using technology in this creative arts context. ‘Insight Open’ coincided with a retrospective of Kids’ Own work at Sligo Art Gallery. The exhibition was curated by Sarah Searson and commissioned by the gallery, with Sligo local authorities’ arts service, as part of their ‘Primary Colours’ arts and education programme. The exhibition and seminar event offered attendees an opportunity to view finished work created in Kids’ Own residencies; and also to engage in the course of the seminar with artists who currently use technology in their work with young people. Vine Haugh, Director of Amma Creative Learning Centre, Armagh, began the seminars proceedings. Haugh spoke about Kids’ Own’s role in nurturing the creativity of both the artists and the young participants. Sarah Season, as curator also introduced the event and spoke of her connection with the work of Kids’ Own. A recurrent theme during the day, was that Practice.ie (2) – a Kids’ Own project documenting and supporting work by artists with young people – would provide a space to continue the conversations began at ‘Insight Open’. The early part of the seminar featured presentations by artists Ann Henderson and Andrew Livingstone. Ann Henderson focused on her current residency, ‘Space and Place’, which is taking place via remote communication tools, between her studio on Rathlin Island and Ballydown Primary School in Banbridge. The project involves four classes and four teachers, exploring ideas together with the artist in six-week blocks, over a one-year period. The participating children are aged between five and nine years old. Henderson had an existing relationship with the school, having participating in more traditional residencies there in the past. The technology aspect of the project was facilitated by C2K, a programme of information and communications technology for schools in Northern Ireland. Specifically, the web conferencing software Marratech was utilised an effective tool both for communication, but also to enable artistic collaboration – as the artists and the children could share images, video and text easily. Ann Henderson and her partner teacher are working closely together on both the planning and delivery of the residency. The
teacher’s role was seen as crucial and it was explained that such projects can only really flourish when there are shared goals and good communication are present. Henderson outlined how she approaches schools residencies in a very open way, allowing the project to develop over the course of the time with the children and teachers. In Henderson’s process-based residency, at least half of the contact time is spent talking. Together the artist and children discuss a course of action for their time together and decisions are taken through an agreed voting system. Ann Henderson elaborated on some of the specific activities that took place – for example, using a square metre matrix both Ann and the students documented changes in their gardens. Ann and the students were able to share the findings and the images and subsequently collaborate to create new images. Of course, these outcomes were generated as a result of the process rather than established as a goal in the beginning. Andrew Livingstone described his practice as being concerned with the juxtaposition of digital media and ceramics. He talked about his residency in Strandtown Primary School, Belfast, which was an exploration of the linen industry. Livingstone, teachers and students worked together with ceramics, digital photography, video animation, fabric, puppetry and weaving – which incorporated a diverse range of materials including plates, tiles, jelly, fabric and Perspex. The process of making linen was echoed in much of the work, including new interpretations of the bleaching and smoothing of linen. The project culminated in an open-day in the school attended by parents, teachers and students. As was the case for Henderson’s residency, time for planning and contact between teachers and artist was absolutely essential. This ensured contact time with the children was adequately planned – but more importantly, it strengthened the relationship between teacher and artist. Some aspects of Livingstone’s residency took place outside of the classroom – of which the school were supportive of the project included field trips along with visits from guest speakers. Also connections were made across the school’s curriculum, with parts of the project delivered without the artist’s presence. As part of the project, Livingstone had time solely with his own practice, and was not expected to work with the school for the full duration of the threeyear project. This was deliberately planned to allow for the artist to reflect on his findings from contact time. The works created from this studio time were included alongside the collaborative pieces in the retrospective exhibition at Sligo Art Gallery.
The seminar featured three roundtable discussions that reflected upon and extended discussion around the issues raised by the artist’s presentations. Roundtable one – ‘Technology and the Rural’, explored creative approaches to utilising technology as a tool for remote communication. Much of the discussion followed directly from Ann Henderson’s presentation and focused on the details of the how the residency and the facilitating technology operated. Participants also contributed details of other projects facilitated by technology and the consensus was that the new tools offered new opportunities to many different audiences in developing creativity although the skill and commitment of both artist and teacher remained paramount to the success of the project. Round Table Two – ‘From Private to Public’, explored the virtual studio and blogging – and posed the question how much do you share of your work in the public domain? It was felt that documenting work in an open forum, like the web, allowed artists the opportunity to reflect on their own work and that of others. But there were also some concerns that sharing might facilitate others to use ideas, concepts or artwork without permission. For some, the most important aspect of their work was in the experience of it – thus it was felt that documentation in whatever form, could never fully convey to a wider audience the true value of a project. Overall, benefits of documentation and public exchange were acknowledged as necessary and valuable. Round Table Three – ‘Seeing beyond the technology’ examined the use of technology as a medium for communication, engagement and creation. Andrew Livingstone’s work was discussed – in terms of both the wide variety of materials and media involved, but also in terms of the importance of trial and error. Each of the round tables reported back in the final plenary session chaired by Martin Drury, Arts Director at The Arts Council. The key issues arising included a concern regarding the consequences of cuts in funding and resources. However there was considerable optimism that collaboration and in particular, sharing information and expertise could overcome many of the issues created by reduced funding. Furthermore, several delegates noted that ongoing opportunities to meet and discuss practice would be very welcome. The final event of the seminar was the formal opening of the retrospective exhibition of Kids’ Own projects. The seminar had provided delegates with a deeper understanding of the opportunities of technology in a creative context and the exhibition a wonderful chance to enjoy the exceptional outcomes of many of the projects. All in all ‘Insight Open’ was a powerful testament to the success of children, artists, teachers and technology working together to explore creativity. Mags Walsh Notes 1. www.kidsown.ie 2. www.practice.ie
Visual Artists Ireland Professional Development Training for Visual Artists 2009 Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Northern Ireland and Waterford Tutors: Jerome O’Drisceoil, Conor McFeely, Eilis Lavelle, Kerry McCall, Heli Rekula (and others TBC) UPCOMING TRAINING
Autumn 2009 TRAINING
Autumn 2009, Belfast.
Waterford Presentation Skills – Communicating your Practice with Kerry McCall Fri 22 May. Old Market House Arts Centre, Dungarvan. Cost: €60 / €55 (VAI & ArtLInks Members) Places: 8.
Further training planned for Autumn 2009 is being developed and delivered in conjunction with regional training partners, including – The National Sculpture Factory, Cork; Belfast Exposed and CAF, Northern Ireland; Limerick City Gallery; Galway Arts Centre; ArtLInks, Clare County Council and Midlands Masterclasses.
'Dead or Alive ?
Midlands* Working with Public and Private Galleries, October 2009 . (Tutors and dates tbc) Dunamaise Theatre and Arts Centre. Places: 25 * In association with Laois, Offaly, Westmeath & Longford County Councils.
The proposed programme for Autumn 2009 includes business skills training and practical issues for visual artists, peer critique and more specialist workshops aimed at mid career artists. Topics will include.
Galway Working with Public and Private Galleries, Jerome O’Drisceoil and Eilis Lavelle Wednesday 6 May 2009 (10.30am to 4.30pm) . Galway Arts Centre (Nuns Island), Galway. Cost: €60 / €55 (concession rate VAI members) Places: 8
Practical Issues. Presentation Skills & Communicating your Practice; Understanding Your Accounts; Funding proposals and sources of funding; Working with Public & Private Galleries; Technical & Installation Skills for Artists; Setting up an artist led space or studios; Earning Opportunities – making the most of your practice.
Peer Critique - Sculpture & Installation with Conor McFeely Monday 11 May 2009 (10.30am to 4.30pm). Galway Arts Centre (Nuns Island), Galway. Cost: €70 / €65 (concession rate VAI members)Places: 6.
Engaged Practice – Best Practice (Northern Ireland). General Facilitation Tools /Skills (in association with CAF); Group Dynamics; Working with Children & Young People; Reminiscence & Cross Generational Work; Evaluation Tools; Artists Contracts for collaborative projects.
Presentation Skills - Communicating your Practice with Kerry McCall Friday 12 & Saturday 13 June, 2009, 1.5 days (10.30am to 4.30pm). Galway Arts Centre. Cost: €65 / €60 (concession rate VAI members). Places: 8,
Peer Critique. Alternative approaches to Art in Public; Lens Based Media; Sculpture and Installation. Creating a profile for your work. Displaying and promoting your work online. Publishing and having your work reviewed Lens Based Media Ethical Questions for Photographers and Artists; Theory and Lens Based Media; DIY Photography with groups. Visual Art & New Technologies. Pod casting; Blogging; Copyright and the Internet; Web design for visual artists.
– Artists Working with Archives' A seminar event organised in partnership with Belfast Exposed. For further information on the current programme of training see: www.visualartists.ie – or join the Visual Artists Ireland Professional Development Facebook group for regular updates on Professional Development Training and to raise issues relating to professional development. Visual Artists Ireland welcomes contact from other organisations involved in supporting the career development of visual artists, with a view to building future partnerships for the professional development training. Visual Artists Ireland 37 Nth Great George’s St, Dublin 1 T: +353 (0)1 872 2296 E: info@visualartists.ie www.visualartists.ie
TheLivingArtists'Archive The VAI Living Artists' Archive is intended as a central point of research for curators, artists and researchers looking at current practice across visual art disciplines in Ireland. The archive is stored electronically on a computer based at the offices of Visual Artists Ireland. Artists can choose to be part of the archive when joining Visual Artist Ireland or renewing their membership. At the time of taking up or renewing membership, artists may provide a CV and four images of current work for the Archive on a CD. Artists must be members of Visual Artists Ireland in order to be included on the Living Artists' Archive. The Living Artists' Archive has a partnership agreement with NIVAL (The National Visual Arts Library) at NCAD – on an annual basis material from the archive will be deposited in NIVAL's files.
To register with the archive, simply cut out and complete this page; and send it with your visualS and CV (on CD) to: Living Artists' Archive, Visual Artists Ireland, 37 North Great George's Street, Dublin 1.
! w o N
Register
About Your Work
Submissions – TECHNICAL SPEC
Please complete the following tickboxs, in order to indicate the materials used, methods, style of work and your main activities. Artists must be members of Visual Artists Ireland in order to be included on the Living Artists Archive Artists should submit an up-to-date CV and 4 work samples. These must be submitted on a CD and posted or handed in to the Visual Artists' Ireland office. Work samples can comprise of 4 digital images or a combination of images, sound pieces and/or video. The digital images must be in .jpg format. Video show reels must be in either .mov or .avi formats and limited to 15 minutes total. Sound pieces can be in .mp3 format and again limited to total running time of 15 minutes. All work provided on the CD must have accompanying titles / captions – as per international / best practice guidelines.: Artists Name; Title of Work; Year made; Material(s)/ media; Dimensions (if applicable); Edition (if applicable). Your CV must be submitted as a Word document. CV may be saved on the same CD as your samples. Ideally your CV should include up-to-date information on solo/group exhibitions as well as awards and academic qualifications. Please write your name on the CD and send a stamped self- addressed envelope, if you would like your CD to be returned Submit your CD to: Living Artist's Archive, Visual Artists Ireland, 37 North Great George's Street, Dublin 1. Updating Your Information. It is up to members to ensure that information on the archive is up-to-date. Unfortunately we do not have the resources to chase members for new / updated information. If membership of Visual Artists Ireland lapses, entry on the Archive will be set as inactive and images/clips of their work will not be part of the live database. Queries. email: archive@visualartists.ie
Style of Work o Abstract o Conceptual o Documentary o Expressive o Environmental o Ephemeral o Figurative o Live o Issue-based – please specify o Other Main Activities o Art in Architecture o Art in Nature o Artists’ books o Artist as Curator o Artist as Writer o Arts and Disability o Arts and Health o Art Therapy o Award Pieces o Collaborations o Community Art o Context-related o Corporate Commissions o Environmental o Functional o Gallery-based Art o Interior o Interventionist Art o Land o Lens-based
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Multidisciplinary Participatory Performance Photography Portraiture Printmaking Public Art Residencies Screen-based Site-specific Art Text-based Work Time-based Work Working with children / schools Other
Materials Used o Bronze o Ceramics o Computers o Digital images / video /sound o Fibre/Textiles o Fibreglass o Found Objects o Glass o Gold o Light o Mixed media o Mosaic o Organic o Paint o Photography o Plaster o Plastic
o o o o o o o o o o
Print materials Self/Artist’s Body Silver Sound Steel Stone Text Video Wood Other
Method of work o Carving o Casting o Computer-based o Craft o Design o Electronic media o Fabrication o Graffiti o Illustration o Installation o Mixed-media o Modelling o Murals o Painting o Performance o Photography o Printmaking o Site-specific o Other
Living Artist’s Archive Agreement Artists participating in the Living Artists' Archive must agree to and sign the Artists Archive Agreement. Artists must be members of Visual Artists Ireland in order to be included on the Living Artists Archive. 1. By submitting images, videos, soundpieces or other artworks (hereinafter referred to as Content) either electronically, digitally or hard copy to the Artist’s Archive, you authorise and grant Visual Artists Ireland (hereinafter referred to as VAI) a license to use and display your Content and to make such copies thereof as we deem necessary in order to facilitate the storage of the Content on our database. 2. Furthermore you understand and agree that the information and Content which you submit to VAI will be forwarded to the National Irish Visual Artists Library (NIVAL) for inclusion in their Artist’s Database. This will be carried out in accordance with the regulations laid out in the Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003. 3. By submitting Content you are guaranteeing that you are the sole author of the artworks, that the works are original and do not infringe any existing copyright, that you are the exclusive owner of the rights conveyed, and that you have not previously assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered the rights granted under the agreement.
4. You may not submit Content that you did not create or that you do not have permission to submit. You understand and agree that VAI may delete or remove (without notice) any content from the database, for any reason or no reason, that in the sole judgment of VAI violates this Agreement or which might be offensive, illegal, or that might violate the rights of others. You are solely responsible for creating backup copies and replacing any content that you submit or provide to VAI. 5. VAI may from time to time request your permission to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute the Content that you have submitted. The situations will be for the promotion of your work and that of VAI at such events as, but not limited to, the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2009. 6. By submitting Content to the Artists Archive you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to VAI an irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute the work for the purposes laid out in article 5. 7. VAI will endeavour to ensure all information contained in the database is correct however
artist subscribers are responsible for the provision of up to date information and artwork and VAI is not liable for any errors or omissions. 8. At any time you may request removal from our database of the Content and data that you have submitted after which point the above licence you have granted will be terminated. However you acknowledge that VAI may retain archived copies of your work but may not display, distribute or make available such copies. Indemnity VAI does not assert any ownership over your content; rather, subject to the rights granted to us in this Agreement, you retain full ownership of all of your artwork and any intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights associated with your artwork. VAI will not make commercial uses of the content in the Artist Archive. VAI is a nonprofit organization and not a commercial entity. VAI’s sole objective in creating and making available the database is to benefit visual artists and to provide a research tool for local and international artists, students, curators and critics. Researchers using the database will not have access to any personal information other than the names of the artists contained in the database. VAI warrants that it will keep personal data secure from unauthorised access, disclosure, destruction
or accidental loss and will never share personal information with third parties without the prior consent of the artist. Limitation of Liability You agree to indemnify and hold VAI, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and each of their directors, officers, agents, contractors, partners and employees, harmless from and against any loss, liability, claim, demand, damages, costs and expenses, including reasonable solicitor’s fees, arising out of or in connection with any submitted Content, or any violation of this Agreement or of any law or the rights of any third party. o Please tick here and complete the following to confirm your acceptance of the terms and conditions set out above in the Artists’ Archive Agreement. Name: Address:
Signed: Date:
Blanchardstown Centre, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. T: +353 1 885 2610 F: +353 1 824 3434 W: www.draiocht.ie
Paul McAree Crowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nest (work in progress), 2009
17 April - 27 June The Habit of Remembering Marie Connole & Mary Noonan
17 April - 27 June Sounds Like Art Group exhibition featuring work by David Bickley, Jenny Brady & Andrew Fogarty, Maeve Collins, Michael Doocey, Aileen Lambert, Paul McAree & Fiona Reilly
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
May – June 2009
39
Problems
The Problem Page Our consiege / curator of agony responds to a selection of queries and conceptual quibbles – offering in return, nothing less than life-shattering, dilemma-inducing, paradigm-shifting nonsense. Is there a Doctor on the Plane?
An Editor’s Concerns
Dear Concierge of Agony,
Dear Concierge of Agony,
I don’t want to be a prophet of doom, but I truly
Help me please; I am an editor at the end of my
foresee a problem of global consequence brewing
tether.
– one that will not only make the current implosion of the western capitalist economic
What am I to do? Just what is up with artists and
‘system’ seem puny, but one which will serve to
curators when they indicate the title of their
exacerbate this general collapse and enfeebling of
shows and artworks with ugly and ungrammatical
our culture as we know it.
clusters punctuation marks and text stylings – italics, boldings, underscores, random case changes
With the preponderance of visual artists who are
and the like?
either researching on PhD programmes, alongside those who have gained their doctorates, our
I’ve always subscribed to the wise maxim of the
culture is about to be flooded with ever growing
philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 – 1951)
populous of near-to-useless doctors. And the
“what we cannot speak about we must pass over in
terrifying consequence is this – eventually there
silence”. Which means, that when I come across
will be no able to actually do anything. Certainly,
one of these ghastly hieroglyphs in a press release,
there will be plenty of para–discourse and meta–
I pass over whatever lame allusions they are
activity, but next to no useful or constructive
struggling to make in typographic form, and
action taking place.
render their crude symbols with actual words of God’s own English. And this is a system, which has
Imagine the scene, you’ve strolled out of your
served me well for years.
studio for a mid-morning latte and yes, you’re not ashamed to admit it, you are going to have a bit of
For example an exhibition might be fancifully
natter with your ‘bezzy-mates’. You instruct the
titled unHome–ly/urges Re-Present_ed – and
barista as to your requirements, and anticipate the
keep in mind it isn’t beyond the realms of
arrival of your milky beverages. Needless to say
imagining that some smart-alec might claim the
you are somewhat stunned and dismayed by the
bolding and the colour of the text is part of the
response your request elicits “Make coffee? Sorry
identity of the show.
bud, I was appointed chair of bean-studies for this faculty last semester and I’m buggered if I actually
What I do, is to manfully take hold of this effete
know how to operate this stream-belching
and flaccid confection and translate into what is
contraption. Now if you get comfortable I’m going
more proper, correct – ‘Unhomely Urges
to dim the lights and show a few slides and do a
Represented’. Now isn’t that better and more
read through of a 40 minute paper I’m preparing
upstanding? Note as well my virile and robust
for a conference – I must warn you it’s quite
convention of putting the titles of exhibitions in
Deluezian”.
single quotes. Individual artworks are italicised – eg "in the exhibition ‘Unhomely Urges
Ooo-weee. That has put the frighteners up me –
Represented’ there was a work called Abject DIY".
no doubt. As you may be aware, as part of international agony duties I regularly fly to
Tell me then, ‘language cop’ what exactly is
foreign spots for various art knee’s ups and
your problem? You seem to have found a
biennales and what knots. I am now
perfectly reasonable remedy to the malady of
contemplating my next air journey with
stupid names for exhibitions and artworks. Ah
growing apprehension.
– but do you doubt yourself? Are there fearful thoughts lurking at the edges of your already
I can see something like this happening. On a
paranoid consciousness?
plane, bound for Venice, packed with art world types, a young archivist / curator has a
Suppose an artist or curator pre-empted your
hiccupping fit in row C – over a glaring typo in
concerns and titled a show ‘Bold; Italicised Un
her galleries double page Artforum
Home; Long-dash Ly; Backslash Re; hyphen
advertisement. The cry goes up from a
Present; Underscore; Italicised Ed’. Or what
concerned travelling companion / intern “Is
about an exhibition title comprising quotation
there a doctor in the house?”. Pandemonium
marks, or a conflation of double and single
ensures – culminating in a frenzy of violence
quotes that you would have to put in quote
as the many PhD wielding art-persons on the
marks? It would look like this on the page –
plane argue about which fundamental methodologies and ontology’s of being and existence they should commence the meta-
‘“‘’”’
Oh I am sorry, does that trouble you, does it?
para discourse / treatments from. I get up from the seat, stroll down the aisle, my hand raised to administer all that is actually required – a slap to the face … an air-marshal is called. Rendition follows – a life in chains and an orange jump suits beckons.
My advice – build that bridge and get over it.
All forms of Metalwork and Sculpture commissions undertaken
Bronze Foundry
Anthony Scott Labharcarn
John Behan Ghost Boat
e. 5 Jun ch. un a n L PP11 j discussio a r a I RO Mah NI & Sarat at the e, Venice t n e ev spac tion ition ssocia exhib . In a le nd a la n Bien re Ire Cultu I h it w N & AC
Brian King Convergance
CAST BRONZE FOUNDRY Located in the Liberties area of Dublin, we provide a total sculpture service to artists and commissioning bodies. We pride ourselves in providing a comfortable, welcoming working environment. Our multi-skilled team brings personalised attention to every bronze casting project.
Printed Project : Issue 11 'Farewell to Post-Colonialism' (Querying the Guangzhou Triennial 2008) Curator/Editor: Sarat Maharaj. Co-Editor: Dorothee Albrecht. In collaboration with the GT-Curators: Johnson Chang Tsong-Zung and Gao Shiming. With the GT08 Research Curators: Sopawan Boonnimitra, Stina Edblom, Tamar GuimarĂŁes, Steven Lam, Khaled D. Ramadan. Contributors: Avi Alpert, Maria Thereza Alves, Saleh Barakat, Ulrich Beck, Ecke Bonk, Conrad Botes, Zoe Butt, Lyn Carter, Amy Cheng, Amy Cheung, Chen ChiehJen, Joseph DeLappe, Johnson Chang Tsong-Zung, Paul Gladston, Khaled Hafez, Huang Xiaopeng , Du Keke, Michael Lee, Simon Leung, Trinh T. Minh-ha, Paul O'Kane, Annie Paul, Hans Hamid Rasmussen, Gertrud Sandqvist, Stuart Sim, Gilane Tawadros, Hu Xiang-cheng, ChenYun, Yi Zhou. Farewell to Post-Colonialism is based on a series of reflections, extensions and musings emerging from and around the Guangzhou Triennial 2008. The critical thinking and lines of inquiry explored include the global shifts in political and
Bob Quinn Bird song
Paul Ferriter Seve Ballasteros
Paddy Campbell La Vespa
Liz O Kane John McCormack
Cast Ltd, 1a South Brown St, Dublin 8. Ph 014530133, fax 01 4735029 www.cast.ie email: info@cast.ie Contact Leo or Ray for your next project
economic focus, and how this relates art practice and theory in China and beyond. Published by Visual Artists Ireland. Available June 2009 onwards. www.printedproject.ie