Berlin

Can anybody recommend an inexpensive place to stay in Berlin?

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Its a long flight from Louisiana to Galway

"Grass, reeds and Circus freaks" D. Carpenter, A, Revill, A. Regan

So what do you get when you mix equal parts Louisiana Master students and a local Irish art collective? Probably a lot of drinking. But as far as an exhibition goes? Well, you can probably expect a good one, and that is just what you get. The Galway Arts Centre is showing a large group collaborative show of artists from Galway and Louisiana. Titled 003D and curated by Gina Ruane. Unfortunately its a very quick show and ends this weekend. Here is a brief snippet about the show from the GAC.

The two groups were initially brought together by Expanded Draught member Allison Regan who moved to Louisiana in August 08 to start a three year Masters degree in sculpture. The idea for the collaboration was triggered after the collective were forced to figure out a new way of working with the founder member who was now based overseas. Although it is a collaboration of two groups the artists have chosen to work in pairs. Taking the concept of people and ideas being placed and displaced in and out of contexts and environments, each collaborative pairing has applied this as the starting point from which to develop their interpretations.

I am glad I swung by yesterday as I didn't know it was up for such a short period of time. The exhibit is a feast. You are confronted right away by a wall of masks created by David Carpenter, Alwyn Revill and Allison Regan. Its interesting the effect masks have. Phantasmal otherworldly notions creep into the dialogue that one has when standing in front of this tribalistic trophy wall. I am not sure of their "practicality" as mentioned in the artists write up but they do evoke a slight sense of wonder with a hint of intimidation. Masks tell stories, but they also hide and impose. These mask have an end of the world feel to them. Are they from tribes that have risen from the cast off of a failed society or are they tools of the trade from some strange traveling carnival ? What ever they are, they succeed in pulling the viewer down new paths, new narratives.

On the opposite wall we are asked to take a more intimate look at Breege Hynes and Tyler Mackie's collaboration. I liked the idea behind this work. Creating small works and exchanging them only to be erased, covered up or reworked by the other artist. A mix of faith and curiosity is needed for these types of joint ventures. I enjoyed some of the pieces but not all and I'm not sure how the work as a whole holds up. It was a tough spot opposite the visually commanding display of the masks. But the way they mounted the small works was engaging I almost missed hidden pieces mounted to the ceilings of the alcoves. The middle room was the location for an eye catching sculptural display, a strange combination of found material. The write up by the artists explains that they started with a series of themes and collected materials from around Galway in response. I couldn't read the relation of the final piece with the themes but didn't care really. I was drawn into the works structure and physical impact, the relation it had to the room. I wish I had a better shot of the piece. As I am writing this I have just realised that there was a second component to this work, I suspect. A small framed image on the opposite wall. I have to admit that I did not associate the two parts as one. I didn't see the connection or relation. I have to ask if this was a situation due to the layout of the room or a short-coming of the work itself.

The back room found two projects. Kit French and Dave Callan's playful colour paper creations and Lindsey Maestri and Joanne Dolan's "25 Random Facts" collaboration. I found a bit of a disconnect with the combination of reproduced actual items (tape player and cassette tape) with random forms. It was a bit confusing but didn't really detract from the whimsical nature of the work.

Over all a strong show that really should have been up for longer.

Detail from "Drawing partners: Draw, Erase & Draw again" T. Mackie, B. Hynes

Coln O'Brien and Cody Arnall


Detail from "25 Random Facts" L. Maestri, J. Dolan


"SWNT: Sync, Wink, Nod and Tongue" D. Callan, K. French


"SWNT: Sync, Wink, Nod and Tongue" D. Callan, K. French

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Of Fathers and Mothers

Just a quick note. I came across this blog Secret Forts. It is a wonderful,  image based blog. What caught my eye though was the photographs collected of artists at work or in their studio. There is something almost mythical about these images. A certain romantic nostalgia found in the old pictures of our art-world mothers and fathers.  I find these images fascinating, for me they tug at the imagination. Anyway, I am not going to re-post them here (well maybe 1 or 2). But you should go and check out the blog your self. 

Rothko.

Kline.

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A Sportsbar and the Search for Utopia

The Dutch invasion!


Opening night of the Frank Koolen SPORTSBAR exhibit.

126 is currently showing Dutch artist Frank Koolen, guest curated by Maaike Gouwenberg an independent curator also based in the Netherlands. The show is titled SPORTSBAR, a tongue-in-cheek take on sports culture. Primarily that noblest of establishments the sportsbar. Nothing is missed in this installation. From the big screen TV to the almost mandatory parade of garish team jerseys. The show features various mock ups of tables and patrons, trophies to even video pieces of curious sporting events televised on a couple small wall mounted monitors. The show is playful and timely, with the Volvo Ocean Race having just passed through Galway. With the title of the show prominently displayed on the front window of the gallery it has lured unsuspecting passers by into the space thinking it was an actual sportsbar. Once in, smiles start to break on faces and whispers of "what is this" can be heard. The show runs till the 27th of June.

Trophy Penants


Patrons at Koolen's Sportbar


Installation view


Maaike (Curator) & Frank (artist) holding the no smile pose. This was a participatory aspect of the opening night of the show. Polaroids of opening night attendees were taken and then posted on a wall in the gallery. Participants were also told not to smile.


At the Nun's Island Theatre the Galway Arts Centre is presenting "In Search of Utopia" a group exhibition of video artists. Now I have to admit I don't give video enough time. Ironically as I say that I am currently working on showing 2 of Kelly Richardson's video works here at this years Film Fleadh in Galway (at 126). So yes, I confess to not giving video enough time but not to a failing of appreciation. The Nun's Island show is a good example. I admit to a very quick visual evaluation of video work, which by its often time-based requirements of the viewer is exactly the worst possible initial assessment of any video piece. The first piece I stop at is Cao Fei's piece titled "Whose Utopia" (I tried to link to his page but it seems not to be working at the moment) Apparently this work is a part of a larger body of work titled "Utopia Factory"
Initially I wasn't drawn in. It felt like I was watching a promo video for a random factory. Production lines, conveyor belts, employees at work etc. I can hear the readers groans already. To make matters worse after 5 minutes maybe 10 I chose to go and view the other works in the show. I had lost interest. I did come back though. The point of my return was for me more engaging and I cursed myself for leaving. Yes I am my own worst enemy. I left the piece in the end thinking though, about the inclusion of music in video works. I couldn't help but think where is the line between an everyday music video found on television and this work that had a song added to it. Why cant you have music in Video art? Why would you want music? I was surprised by how much the mood of the video changed with its inclusion. This may have also been a little biased, as the viewer was now being directly engaged by the people in the video, where as before the employees were filmed working. I think the inclusion of music in video works is confusing. One starts to read into the lyrics, the tempo or beat, the correlation of song to video etc. There is a change of focus from video to song. Adding a song to a video is almost a cop-out and easy led by the hand-this is what I want to say crutch. But then again I am not a video artist, I dont have the referential background. Maybe some one could argue the case for music/song in art based video. (Note: I am not talking about added sound/s in the video just music)
The piece that I was drawn to was by Ailbhe Ni Bhriain . A stunningly beautiful and melancholy work. I am keen to track down more of her work now that I have seen this one. The video is subtle in its motions and visually rich in earthy tones. Anchored in the foreground by what appears to be a fallen sheep or just the wool itself? A stream like current plays slowly across (or maybe below is the better word) the scenes surface. The piece holds you. I did take a couple photos of the work but they didn't turn out at all or at least not enough to do it justice. Its the nature of the video itself that foiled my camera (or maybe I need a new and better one).

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