To mark the closing weekend of the exhibition Rivane Neuenschwander: A Day Like Any Other at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, IMMA is holding a weekend of literary events on Friday 27 and Sunday 29 January 2012. Distinguished figures from the literary and performing arts will present a range of responses for adults and families. The weekend begins at 6.00pm on Friday 27 January with a dramatic reading of an excerpt from Samuel Beckett’s novella First Love by Irish actor Conor Lovett, who is internationally acclaimed for his interpretation of Beckett’s works. This echoes Neuenschwander’s 2005 participatory work of the same name, in which visitors to the exhibition describe their first love to a police sketch artist, with the resulting drawing forming part of the exhibition.
A further link to the exhibition is created with a family event at 3.00pm on Sunday 29 January, when actor Louis Lovett, best known for his outstanding performance in The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly, takes his audience on an exciting journey through the Arabian Nights, another source of inspiration for Neuenschwander’s work.
At 1.00pm on Sunday 29 January, IMMA will launch Look, No Cows, its new trail for children by Siobhán Parkinson, novelist and Laureate for Children’s Literature.
The schedule of events over the weekend is as follows:
Friday 27 January, 6.00pm, the Chapel
First Love with Conor Lovett
To open IMMA’s literary weekend, Conor Lovett will read an excerpt from Beckett’s novella First Love in response to Neuenschwander’s artwork of the same title. Lovett’s performance is a short dramatic narration which closes with a chaired discussion exploring the interpretation, translation and adaptation of Beckett’s work in the performing and visual arts. This event is chaired by Nicholas Johnson, the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, Dublin.
Sunday 29 January, 1.00pm, the Chapel
Look, No Cows by Siobhán Parkinson
To launch IMMA’s new trail for children, Siobhán Parkinson will read from her trail Look, No Cows which visits her favourite artworks from IMMA’s Collection in the museum grounds. Families and the general public are welcome, and the new trail is available free of charge.
Sunday 29 January, 2.00pm – 4.00pm, New Galleries
Explorer
IMMA’s Sunday family programme, for children aged 4 to 10, will take place in the Rivane Neuenschwander exhibition.
Sunday 29 January, 3.00pm, the Chapel
A Dramatic Reading from the Arabian Nights with Louis Lovett
The literary classic Arabian Nights, a sprawling compilation of anonymous folk stories from the East, is an important source of reference in Rivane Neuenschwander’s work. Louis Lovett will perform a dramatic reading from this collection of fairytales.
Admission is free. Booking is essential for all events (except Explorer). Book online at www.imma.ie/talksandlectures
For further information and images please contact Monica Cullinane or Patrice Molloy at tel: +353 1 612 9900; email: [email protected]
19 January 2012