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Visual Artists' News Sheet | January – February 2018
Organisation Profile
Rosa Barba, Outwardly from Earth's Center, 2007, 16mm film transferred to digital, color, sound, 22 min; film still © Rosa Barba
Where History Begins Again
ALAN PHELAN TALKS TO MARY CREMIN ABOUT HER NEW ROLE AS DIRECTOR OF VOID, DERRY.
ODD AS IT SOUNDS, there is something slightly Scandinavian about Derry. Maybe it’s post-conflict Northern Ireland and the almost socialist democratic prosperity that peace has brought to the region. Industry may not have taken off just yet, but public services appear to be well-funded. The abundance of cultural centres is also mirrored by a bemusing abundance of hair salons – something that is comparable with Helsinki. Perhaps the harsh northerly climate brings with it serious approaches to both art and hair care. Derry’s various galleries inhabit historic spaces, yet have a very contemporary outlook that draws big names to this small city. I recently visited Mary Cremin, the newly appointed director of Void, to discuss her new role and her future ambitions for the gallery. Alan Phelan: After many years working as an independent curator (and in a variety of administrative positions across the Irish art scene) how different is it to finally be a director? What challenges are you currently facing that really excite or terrify you? Mary Cremin: There is great freedom in being an independent curator, but the downside is the precariousness of funding to realise your projects. As a director there is greater security, which I appreciate. It is also great to have a team to work with on building a vision for the gallery. There is also the excitement and freedom that comes with having a gallery to develop over time. The really big challenge at the moment are the unknowns surrounding Brexit and what impact this will have on arts organisations and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) over the next two to five years and beyond. So, the concerns surrounding precarious funding arise again. I think what is particularly challenging in the arts is that we have to consistently justify what we do and why it is important. Visual literacy in contemporary art is relatively low in Ireland and Northern Ireland; that is why our engagement through education is so integral to the gallery, as this is how we can expand visual literacy in the future. It is also an imperative for helping govern-
ment understand the benefits of the visual arts within a wider definition of culture. What is both exciting and terrifying at the same time is the responsibility of a gallery team and how to develop and grow an arts organisation that is provocative, relevant and sustainable. AP: You have a large capacity for stress; nothing ever seems to phase you – I have witnessed this firsthand, in the many different jobs you have taken on over the years. Now that you can determine the consensus, call the shots and be in charge, what kind of things do you want to do or change? MC: Void has an excellent reputation both nationally and internationally, so I will build on that with further dynamic collaborations with institutions and galleries. I will expand the off-site programme, as I quite enjoy the complexities of working in the public realm. We are currently working with CCA to develop a public commission on Derry City Walls for the Walker Plinth – the base of a column erected in 1827 that once held a statue, but was destroyed in the 1970s. The site is symbolically important, and it could potentially be a means of activating the walls and creating a more contemporary context for the plinth. We will be working with the artist Liam Crichton through ACNI’s Artists Career Enhancement Programme, which mentors professional artists in 2018. There are new artists studios opening in Derry, so Void will play an active role in supporting them. AP: Void got its name after Orchard Gallery closed and left the city without a signature contemporary art space. Since then, the city has been home to various art spaces, including the Context Gallery (which later became CCA), and has even hosted the Turner Prize in 2013. How do you envisage Void continuing to draw on the city’s rich appetite for contemporary art? MC: I am interested in how galleries like Void can perform on this global stage, while operating in the periphery. Each city is a microcosm reflecting on the larger picture, so, while what we do
