New funding to acquire contemporary artworks for the National Collection, in new media and on pressing issues including climate change, diversity and global migration, has been announced by Minister Catherine Martin.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media today announced an ambitious new fund of €1.5m for the Crawford Art Gallery and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The purpose of the award is to address significant gaps that remain in the National Collection following years of limited acquisitions. This funding will enable both National Cultural Institutions to acquire works that ensure that the National Collection is more representative of the diverse communities of contemporary Ireland.

The 2022 acquisition fund will support the purchase of works by generations of Irish and international artists formerly missing from the National Collection. The new acquisitions will also include multi-media works and installations that reflect recent developments in contemporary artistic practice. This award builds on the €1 million fund provided to the Crawford Art Gallery and the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2020, which was designed to support artists based in Ireland throughout the most challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking today Minister Martin said:

“As we emerge from the worst days of the pandemic, we can now shift our focus from supporting artists through a time of national emergency toward more thoughtfully and more strategically re-building the National Collection. This funding will ensure that the collection is more reflective of the multiple identities and varied perspectives in Ireland today.

“I look forward to visiting both the Crawford Art Gallery and the Irish Museum of Modern Art to enjoy the new works that they will acquire for the National Collection. It is critical that our institutions keep pace with new developments in our culture and this fund will enable them to present challenging works in new media that tackle head-on some of the most important issues today, including climate change and representation. Our National Cultural Institutions provide a vital space for open expression and discussion, which I am delighted to support.”

Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Annie Fletcher, stated:

“Minister Martin’s granting of this acquisition funding is truly momentous for IMMA. We can now begin again to invest in building and expanding IMMA’s collection of modern and contemporary art for the nation. The scale of the grant shows that our Department is as ambitious for Ireland’s National Collection as we are and this is to be welcomed. We are delighted to re-engage with our colleagues in the Crawford in developing world-class collections in Ireland.”

Director of the Crawford Art Gallery, Mary McCarthy, said:

“This major investment by the Minister and the Department recognises the significance of the visual arts and the National Collection within the Department’s priorities. It represents a real opportunity to engage with contemporary artists and create new conversations within the Crawford Collection across the centuries. It is an important commitment to building significant collections for the public to enjoy now and into the future.”

ENDS

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Notes to Editor:

The fund will provide €850,000 to IMMA and €650,000 to the Crawford Art Gallery for the acquisition of contemporary artwork in 2022. The fund is designed to enable both institutions to address gaps that have persisted in the contemporary art holdings of the National Collection, which numbers thousands of paintings, sculptures and heritage objects held by a variety of National Cultural Institutions.

The Crawford Art Gallery seeks to acquire works that:

·       represent a cross-section of contemporary Irish and international artists

·       represent the diverse perspectives and identities of contemporary Ireland

·       develop its collection of historical works from the 1800s onward

 

IMMA plans to purchase works:

·       From global communities and geographies that have particular resonance for Irish audiences.

·       From the 20th century and 21st century that speak to Irish and international contemporary art practice. This may include artists’ archives and digital archives.

·       That stand outside market forces, including works that reflect modernist and forgotten histories.

·       That address diversity and plurality and tackle the urgent issues of our time such as climate change and global mobility.

·       That develop IMMA as a leader in the collection and preservation of performance artworks.

·       That further develop the IMMA Collection as an international resource in the development and preservation of new media, born-digital and time-based media art in general, as well as new technologies.

 

 

IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) is delighted to present the exhibition The Otolith Group: Xenogenesis opening on Thursday 7 July 2022. The Otolith Group is an artist collective, founded in London in 2002 by Anjalika Sagar and Kodwo Eshun. Featuring a cross-section of key works produced by The Otolith Group between 2011 and 2018, the exhibition reflects the artists’ ongoing commitment to creating what they think of as ‘a science fiction of the present’.  Through images, voices, sonic images, sounds, and performance Sagar and Eshun “are usually classified as an art collective, but in truth they operate something like a production company, something like an academy, something like a library, something like a radio station” (Ed Halter, Artforum, 2022).

The Otolith Group’s pioneering artworks, which include post-cinematic essayist films, videos and multiple screen installations, address contemporary social and planetary issues, the disruptions of neo/ colonialism, the way in which humans have impacted the earth, and the influence of new technology on consciousness.

Xenogenesis is named after The Xenogenesis Trilogy, Octavia Butler’s title for her science fiction novels. Along with Octavia Butler (1947-2006), other key figures that form a compositional matrix for the exhibition include the composer and musician Julius Eastman (1940–1990) and the polymath and educator Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941).

Curated by Annie Fletcher, Director of IMMA, the exhibition at IMMA is the final stage of a major international collaboration, having originated at the Van Abbemuseum, the Netherlands, and toured to Buxton Contemporary, Melbourne; Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge; the Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is accompanied by a significant new publication, Xenogenesis, a polyphonic exploration of the work of The Otolith Group, published by IMMA and Archive Books.

Annie Fletcher said “Xenogenesis is an extraordinary project in both its exhibition and book form. The Otolith Group’s post-cinematic films and complex installations address the forces and events that have shaped our world while offering inspiring examples and models of how we might collectively imagine a different future.”

The Otolith Group, and their longstanding curatorial platform The Otolith Collective, will enact the Department of Xenogenesis (DXG) at IMMA, a time space for convening public online and offline discussions, performance, screenings and exhibitions with artists, filmmakers, theorists and musicians. The DXG builds upon the exhibition and has developed throughout the tour.

7 June 2022

– ENDS –

Contact: For further information and images please contact Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] Patrice Molloy E: [email protected]

Additional Notes for Editors

Exhibition Details
Title: The Otolith Group: Xenogenesis
Dates: 7 July 2022 – 12 February 2023
Tickets: Adult €8, Season ticket €10 (unlimited repeat visits), Concession €5. Free on Tuesdays.
IMMA Members, Students, and Under 18s always free. Book online here

Open: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10am – 5.30pm. Wednesday: 11.30am – 5.30pm. Sunday: 12noon – 5.30pm. Bank Holiday Mondays: 12noon – 5.30pm.

Artists Talk
Thurs 7 July at 5:30pm, The People’s Pavilion, IMMA
Admission Free, booking essential

Publication
The exhibition is accompanied by a significant new publication published by IMMA and Archive Books, 2021. Price €35 from The IMMA Shop

About the Artists
The Otolith Group was founded by artists and theorists Anjalika Sagar and Kodwo Eshun in 2002. The anatomical entity of the otolith operates as a kind of figurative black box for withholding intention and calculating discrepancy. Articulating the idea of the Otolith with the idea of the Group alludes to the histories of collective practices invented by artists that theorise and theorists that practice art within and beyond the United Kingdom.

The post-cinematic practice of Eshun and Sagar is informed by an aesthetics of the essayistic that takes the form of a science fiction of the present in which moving images, sonic speculations, performances, publications and installations explore the intertemporal crises and interscalar catastrophes that construct the Racial Capitalocene.

The Otolith Group has been commissioned to develop and exhibit their works, research, installations and publications by a wide range of museums, public and private galleries, biennials and foundations worldwide.

Significant solo exhibitions of their work include the touring exhibition Xenogenesis; O Horizon, The Rubin Museum of Art, New York (2018); The Radiant, Art Gallery Miyauchi, Japan (2017); In the Year of the Quiet Sun, Bergen Kunsthall and CASCO Office for Art Design and Theory, Utrecht (2014–2015); Novaya Zemlya, Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto (2014–2015); Medium Earth, REDCAT, Los Angeles (2013); Westfailure, Project 88, Mumbai (2012); Thoughtform, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona and MAXXI, Rome (2011–2012); A Long Time Between Suns (Part I), Gasworks, London (2009); and A Long Time Between Suns (Part II), The Showroom, London (2009), for which they were nominated for the Turner Prize in 2010.

Their work has been shown internationally in group exhibitions, including Life Between Islands: Tate Britain (21/ 22), Not Without Joy: Galerie Rudolfinum Prague (21/22), CC: World, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) (2020); Non-Aligned, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, Singapore (2020); the first Sharjah Architecture Triennial (2019); Carnegie International, 57th Edition, Pittsburg (2018); bauhaus imaginista. Corresponding With, Japan, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (2018); Sharjah Biennial 13 (2017); 11th Gwangju Biennale (2016); Marrakech Biennale (2016); GLOBALE: Infosphere, ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (2015–2016); The Anthropocene Project, HKW (2014); The Whole Earth, HKW (2013); ECM: A Cultural Archaeology, Haus der Kunst, Münich (2012–2013); dOCUMENTA 13, Kassel (2012); Taipei Biennial (2012); Biennale de Lyon (2011); British Art Show 7 (2010–2011); Manifesta 8, Murcia (2010–2011); São Paulo Biennial (2010); Shanghai Biennale (2008); Riwaq Biennale (2007); International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Seville (2006); Tate Triennial, Tate Britain (2006); and Transmediale (2004).

IMMA’s much loved Summer Party returns on 15 and 16 July 2022, Continuous Patterns is a two-day summer celebration of music, art and atmosphere in the grounds of IMMA. Experience live music, DJs, art, delicious food, interesting drinks, and some very special surprises over two days of fun and atmosphere in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

Continuous Patterns presents a selection of artists who are at the very cutting edge of contemporary Irish culture, across a range of genres and moods. The programme has been carefully curated to match the rhythms of two special and distinct mid-summer evenings and presented across two stages of live music, DJs and more in the wonderful surrounds of the RHK.

On Friday 15 July Continuous Patterns presents an evening of future focused live music on our Courtyard and Terrace stages, with performances from exciting emerging RnB acts Jar Jar Jr, Negro Impacto and Efe; and a unique collaboration from the exhilarating and elegant pairing of power pop sensation Ae Mak and the renowned contemporary ensemble Glasshouse. Closing out the evening in full dancing mode we welcome a rare hometown live performance from one of the country’s most celebrated electronic producers and DJs R.Kitt.

The programme for Saturday 16 July creates a more relaxed vibe, enjoy a leisurely mid-summer’s evening in IMMA with psych-folk artist Aoife Wolf, the folk stylings emerging Cork songwriter O Deer, Ukulele collective Rugs, the riot of sound that is Stomptown Brass, and a very special performance from Ye Vagabonds in collaboration with renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist Gareth Quinn Redmond.

Two more very special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Each evening our terrace bar will be sound-tracked by some of our most celebrated selectors with DJ sets from Dublin stalwarts and radio personalities Claire Beck and Donal Dineen, emerging Japanese Irish selector Emmy Shigeta and the breezy sounds of the Desert Island Disco crew.

Continuous Patterns expands on the successful series of events, Emerging Patterns, presented by Homebeat as part of IMMA Outdoors in 2021. For IMMA’s Summer Party Homebeat presents a multi-disciplinary programme that animates the grounds of IMMA, filling the air with ambient soundscapes, melodic tones and stimulating conversation. Continuous Patterns underlines IMMA’s position as cultural incubator, providing space to both the artistic and wider Dublin communities, and delivers a welcome return to experiencing this palette of creation in person amongst its beautiful grounds.

26 May 2022

Ends 

Contact: For further information and images please contact Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] 

Additional Notes for Editors

TICKETS
Day Tickets: €30.00 (including booking fee).
Purchase tickets here.

LINE UP

FRIDAY 15 JULY | Doors 18.00

Live

R.Kitt (Live)

Ae Mak X Glasshouse

Very Special Guest

Efe

Negro Impacto

Jar Jar Jr.

Djs

Claire Beck

Donal Dineen

—

SAT 16 JULY | Doors 18.00

Live

Ye Vagabonds with Gareth Quinn Redmond

Stomptown Brass

Very Special Guest

O Deer

Aoife Wolf

Rugs

DJS

Emmy Shigeta

Desert Island Sounds

Continuous Patterns is produced by Sherpa Events and curated by Homebeat.

IMMA is delighted to launch IMMA Outdoors 2022, a vibrant artistic programme that turns the museum inside out and activates the 48 acres of the museum’s site at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, through artist commissions, performances, music, talks, workshops, and tours. This year IMMA presents a new series of events called IMMA Nights, running every Thursday and Friday evening from May to September, as part of a pilot initiative to support the Night-Time Economy, funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

This year IMMA Outdoors explores the environment and what it means to be radically public by creating an inclusive meaningful space for audiences of all ages to enjoy. Highlights include a new immersive sonic installation by Em’kal Eyongakpa in the Formal Gardens from May, and a stunning painted mural installation by Navine G. Khan-Dossos in the Courtyard from July. The outdoor summer programme will culminate in an Eco Event titled Earth Rising, a weekend celebration of people, place and planet in September.

The new late evening programme, IMMA Nights, presents a wide variety of events including talks, workshops, dance, performances, film screenings, book launches, DJs and live music, across the site on Thursday and Friday evenings. IMMA will also share the site with other cultural organisations, initiatives and artist groups creating a hive of night-time activity in Dublin 8. Highlights include the return of IMMA’s much loved Summer Party taking place on 15 and 16 July; a curated series of poetry and song performances titled More than the reverb, and a series of free Music in the Courtyard events throughout the summer.

IMMA Outdoors Programme Highlights

IMMA is delighted to realise a new commission in partnership with EVA International by Em’kal Eyongakpa, titled Mámbáy bebhɛp 43t / besáŋ berat / bakay nɛkɔ, from May. This immersive sonic installation presented on the Terrace of the Formal Gardens features contributions from singers and storytellers in Southeast Nigeria, Southern Cameroon and Ireland, as well as intersessions between the Gulf of Guinea and Western Europe.

A visually stunning new commission by Navine G. Khan-Dossos titled, Kind Words Can Never Die, will be presented in the Courtyard from July. Transforming the iconic courtyard space with an extensive mural painting along all three colonnades the work explores new psychological states that have emerged in response to a greater awareness of global and local climate change. A series of public workshops conceived by the artist will run through the month of July.

The IMMA Outdoors Eco Event, Earth Rising, is a vibrant celebration of people, place and planet that is deeply interwoven with themes of biodiversity and sustainability. This weekend of eco related programming, taking place from 9 to 11 September, will showcase the most exciting innovators in the field of eco citizen science, design and creativity, enabling intergenerational dialogue and empowering audiences to become agents of change.

IMMA Nights Programme Highlights

 From music and culture in the Courtyard, to late evening yoga, film screenings, talks, workshops, book launches and readings, to bespoke artists performances and dance, these are just some of the activities happening across the site on Thursday and Friday evenings throughout the summer.

On our first evening, 5 May, we are delighted to present Exploring Youth Voice in Art and Culture, in association with the exhibition The Ride Away from the Storm, a display of artworks created by young people participating in Gaisce – The President’s Award at Oberstown Children Detention Campus. This event includes a panel discussion reflecting on the value of youth arts within art, culture and society and a late gallery opening of the exhibition.

To mark the closing weekend of The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now: Queer Embodiment, artist Eimear Walshe presents, The Piper’s Grip (and other stories) in the intimate setting of IMMA’s Garden Galleries on 13 May. Walshe will read from recent texts including The Piper’s Grip (2021), commissioned by Mirror Lamp Press, and FUCK BOX (2020) commissioned by TULCA, Galway. Walshe’s readings will be followed with performances by musicians Seamas Hyland and Djackulate.

A specially curated series of Poetry and Song performances titled, More than the reverb, will take place from 19 May – 29 July in the Formal Gardens. This series of outdoor live events gathers together poets, singers and storytellers to share lullabies, chants, laments, poems and folk songs, and features contributions from Ayuk, Mbongeuh Angwi Tah, Ceara Conway, Em’kal Eyongakpa, Sandra Joyce, John Tunney, Samuel Yakura, amongst others. These performances reflect and expand upon the sonic installation by Em’kal Eyongakpa.

On 30 June in partnership with Granta Books, IMMA is delighted to present an evening in celebration of the book Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine by Anna Della Subin. Named a best book of the year in the Irish Times, the TLS, and Esquire, Accidental Gods is an extraordinary meditation on race, empire, and power, told through stories of men who found themselves inadvertently turned into deities. Subin will be joined by renowned mythographer, novelist, and literary critic Marina Warner and introduced by Mark O’ Connell, author of To Be a Machine and Notes from An Apocalypse.

IMMA’s much loved Summer Party returns in July, Continuous Patterns is a two-day summer celebration of music, art and atmosphere in the grounds of IMMA. Experience live music, DJs, art, delicious food, interesting drinks, and some very special surprises over two days of fun and atmosphere in the RHK. On Friday 15 July Continuous Patterns presents an evening of forward focused music and entertainment for that particular Friday feeling, while Saturday 16 July invites you to spend a relaxing evening with friends, surrounded by the sights and sounds of a gently considered programme in the Courtyard of IMMA.

IMMA Nights presents a free music programme in the beautiful surroundings of the IMMA Courtyard. Starting from 6 May on the first Friday of every month DJ Nigel Wood will play from his contemporary World Music collection for audiences to relax and dance too. Also, in May we present guitarist Redmond O’Toole with his groundbreaking ‘Brahms guitar’ and a live performance by Olesya Zdorovetska, a powerful voice in new music.

IMMA Nights will also bring together participants of the IMMA’s Residency Programme to create a ‘Studio Street’ of activation and Open Studio events with resident artists and invited guests generating a suite of artist led activities.

The Flying Dog cafe, located in the Courtyard, is open until 8pm during the IMMA Nights programme.

For full details of the programme please visit the webpage IMMA Outdoors.

5 May 2022

–       Ends –

 

Contact : For further information and images please contact Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] Patrice Molloy E: [email protected]

An exhibition of work made by young people in Oberstown Children Detention Campus who are participating in Gaisce – The President’s Award, was launched today (Tuesday 26 April 2022) by Roderic O’Gorman, TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, at IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art). The exhibition titled, The Ride Away from the Storm, aims to create a platform to highlight the positive value of engagement in the arts and shared creative processes for young people and to give voice to their experiences.

 “The reason why I’m making this art is to show the world to look forward” – young person involved in the exhibition.

The exhibition is the result of a dialogue between artworks in IMMA’s Collection and the young people. The paintings were produced over six months in the art room in Oberstown and each young person selected a work from the IMMA Collection that speaks to or connects with their own work. In preparation for the exhibition, the young people worked with their art teachers on a citizen curation programme which is part of IMMA’s contribution to SPICE, a European research project. They used SPICE tools and methods of citizen curation to enable them to articulate and share their perspectives on art through IMMA’s Collection. Citizen curation aims to support communities who lack access to the museum to share their perspectives through selecting and interpreting works of art.

Speaking at the launch, Minister O’Gorman, said “I am delighted to be here today at the launch of this fantastic exhibition showcasing the wonderful work of young people from Oberstown here at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The beautiful artwork on display here today illustrates the importance of the self-development programmes in place on campus at Oberstown. Despite often coming from difficult backgrounds young people can achieve so much when they are provided with a safe and secure environment and the supports to flourish. The aim of Gaisce is to support young people in fulfilling their potential and that reflects the Oberstown commitment to help young people to return to their communities and make a positive contribution.”

Damien Hernon, Director, Oberstown Children Detention Campus said “We are so proud of the young people and the art they have created and delighted to see it exhibited in the prestigious surroundings of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Engaging with programmes in Oberstown helps young people develop skills and work towards maximising their potential so they can move on with their lives in a positive way after they leave the Campus. Young people in Oberstown can, and want to, contribute to the wider community by availing of the opportunities on offer, through programmes such as Gaisce. We are thrilled for the young people and the recognition of their great work.”

Yvonne McKenna, CEO, Gaisce – The President’s Award said “Gaisce – The President’s Award is delighted to be part of this unique and ground-breaking collaboration showcasing artworks which give voice to young people through self-discovery and creativity. Gaisce is committed to supporting young people to reach their full potential regardless of their social or personal circumstances and celebrating the vital role creativity can play in youth development.”

A discussion reflecting on the value of youth arts within art, culture and society, titled Exploring Youth Voice in Art and Culture, will take place at IMMA on 5 May 2022. Guests include Anne O’Gorman, Consultant and former Senior Project Officer for Youth Arts in NYCI; Jim Lawlor, Rialto Youth Project; Avril Ryan, Gaisce – The President’s Award; John Smith, Oberstown Children Detention Centre, and will be Chaired by Helen O’Donoghue, Head of Engagement and Learning, IMMA. The guests will offer a range of perspectives on youth facilitation work and discuss the guiding principles of best practice of incorporating active engagement across sectors of museums, culture, community and contemporary art practices.

This exhibition is the outcome of a partnership between the Engagement and Learning Programme at IMMA, Gaisce – The President’s Award and Oberstown Children Detention Campus. This partnership illustrates the vital role of building relationships and making connections with wider society and stakeholders and is a public demonstration of the positive value of the Gaisce Awards in terms of supporting the personal development of young people.

26 April 2022

–       Ends –

Contact : For further information and images please contact Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] Patrice Molloy E: [email protected]

Additional Notes for Editors

Exhibition Details
Title: The Ride Away from the Storm: An exhibition by young people highlighting the transformative power of art
Dates: 26 April – 8 May 2022
Admission Free
Open: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10am – 5.30pm. Wednesday: 11.30am – 5.30pm. Sunday: 12noon – 5.30pm. Bank Holiday Monday 2 May: 12noon – 5.30pm.

Discussion:  Exploring Youth Voice in Art and Culture
Thur 5 May 2022, 6.30pm – 7.30pm, The People’s Pavilion, IMMA

About the Partners

Oberstown Children Detention Campus
Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown) is a national service that provides a safe and secure environment for young people remanded in custody or sentenced by the Courts for a period of detention. Website visit here.

Gaisce – The President’s Award
Gaisce – The President’s Award is a self-development programme for young people under 26 in Ireland which has been proven to enhance confidence and wellbeing through participation in personal, physical and community challenges. Gaisce Awards are a direct challenge by President Michael D. Higgins for young people to ‘dream big and realise their potential’. Website visit here

IMMA
IMMA connects audiences and art, providing an extraordinary space where contemporary life and contemporary art connect, challenge and inspire one another. We share, develop and conserve the Irish National Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art for now and for the future.

SPICE Project
SPICE is an EU H2020 funded project dedicated to citizen curation of cultural heritage. The aim of the project is to foster diverse participation in the heritage domain through a process of citizen curation. Citizen Curation aims to support communities who lack access to the museum to share their perspectives through selecting and interpreting works of art. Website

visit here

IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) is delighted to present What Does He Need? – an exhibition and audio work by artists Fiona Whelan and Brokentalkers (Feidlim Cannon and Gary Keegan), which form part of a long-term critical inquiry into the formation of masculinity, exploring how men and boys are shaped by and influence the world.

Presented on the façade of IMMA’s main reception, What Does He Need? offers a range of viewpoints on the needs of men and boys in different scenarios and at different stages of life. Short texts are shown as responses to the central question What Does He Need? and were gathered through workshops with diverse groups of adults and young people as part of an ongoing inquiry into the current state of masculinity. Responses made to the central question include – To see his father cry, To hit back, A strong male role model, To get off her, Hugs every day.

The texts are accompanied by a powerful 30-minute audio piece, which tells the story of a fictional boy from the day of his birth to early adulthood. Throughout his young life, the boy is confronted by a series of situations, weaving between themes of empathy, power, the suppression of vulnerability, violence, mental health, pornography, and suicide. The public is invited to listen to the audio piece and to consider their own responses to the question ‘What does he need?’ The audio is available to listen to online here.

Commenting on the project, artist Fiona Whelan said; “At a time when a spotlight is being shone on many patriarchal structures and male behaviours and attitudes, we would encourage people to go for a walk and listen to the 30-minute audio piece, and let it be a prompt for reflection and conversation with others, in the home, the workplace, the sports club or the pub.”

Fellow artist Feidlim Cannon (of Brokentalkers) adds; “As a male working on this project, I feel it’s really important that as many men as possible listen to the audio, to begin a conversation on what it is to be a man.”

What Does He Need? is part of a long-term project by artist, writer and educator Fiona Whelan, theatre company Brokentalkers and Rialto Youth Project developed in association with a Dublin city network of organisations in the areas of arts and culture, youth work, community development and education. This multi-layered project is a critical inquiry into the formation of masculinity, exploring how men and boys are shaped by and influence the world.

Helen O’Donoghue, Head of Engagement & Learning at IMMA said; “IMMA is facilitating a workshop with key experts in education on 28 April to explore the possibilities of developing this as a module in formal education with a particular emphasis on teacher formation. We are interested in hearing from people who would like to take part.”

In 2019 IMMA’s Artists’ Residency Programme supported the project at its developmental stage, providing space to work with communities and groups. Since then, there have been public manifestations which include an audio piece, a cross-city public poster project and a programme for children and young people.

In 2021 IMMA’s A Radical Plot Open Call for the Artists’ Residency Programme presented an opportunity to bring back Fiona Whelan and Brokentalkers to the studios to continue expanding the reach and context of such an important project.

24 March 2022

– ENDS –

For further information and images please contact: Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] Patrice Molloy E: [email protected]

Additional Notes for Editors

Exhibition Dates
What Does He Need? continues at IMMA until 2 May 2022.
Resources What Does He Need?
Click here to listen to the audio.
To visit the project website click here.

About the Artists
Established in 2018, What Does He Need? is a long-term project by artist, writer and educator Fiona Whelan, theatre company Brokentalkers and Rialto Youth Project, developed in association with a Dublin citywide network of organisations in the areas of arts and culture, youth work, community development and education. The project explores how men and boys are shaped by and influence the world they live in. Operating at the intersection of collaborative arts practice, performance, qualitative research and youth work, What Does He Need? aims to create significant public dialogue about the current state of masculinity.

IMMA Residency: A Radical Plot
Taking place from July 2021 – January 2002, A Radical Plot residency connects the Museum community, affiliated mentors and residents as a gathering of co-thinkers who work together in adaptable, radical and dynamic ways to reignite the possibilities for creative continuity and inclusivity. Core values for the programme are care and repair, civic agency, play, inclusivity, community, ecologies, and the future. A Radical Plot Residency artists include, Aoife Dunne, Isadora Epstein, Clodagh Emoe, Sean Hanrahan, Chinedum Muotto, Liliane Puthod and Fiona Whelan with theatre company Brokentalkers, (Feidlim Cannon and Gary Keegan).

 

 

A major exhibition by The Otolith Group called Xenogenesis and the accompanying Department of Xenogenesis is part of a rich and diverse programme taking place at IMMA in 2022. IMMA’s 30th Birthday exhibition, The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now, continues throughout the year in four themed exhibitions that explore the past three decades. Other significant highlights include the return of IMMA Outdoors presenting new artist commissions by Navine G. Khan-Dossos and Em’kal Eyongakpa; a four-day Eco Event celebrating people, place and planet; and an international research conference, examining the thematic of Self-Determination, presented as part of Ireland’s Decade of Centenaries Programme.

The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now is a major museum-wide exhibition that celebrates 30 years of IMMA. Presented in four Chapters, each one explores the past three decades through different thematic approaches – Queer Embodiment; The Anthropocene; Social Fabric and Protest and Conflict. This exhibition showcases the significance of the IMMA Collection, presenting more than 200 artworks across four exhibitions. An extensive programme of talks, performances and events delves deeper into the themes arising from each chapter.

In July, The Otolith Group: Xenogenesis, brings together a significant selection of works by The Otolith Group, the London-based artist collective founded in London in 2002 by Anjalika Sagar and Kodow Eshun. Curated by Annie Fletcher, Director of IMMA, this exhibition is the final venue of its international tour and features a cross-section of key works produced between 2011 and 2018. The exhibition reflects the artists’ ongoing commitment to creating what they think of as ‘a science fiction of the present’ through images, voices, sonic images, sounds and performances which work to create forms of life that announce a devotion to an aesthetic of discrepant abstraction, post-cinematic blackness and post-lens based platformalisms. The Otolith Group’s pioneering artworks which include post-cinematic essay films, videos and multiple screen installations, address contemporary social and planetary issues, the disruption of neo-colonialism, the way in which humans have impacted the earth, and the influence of new technology on consciousness.

The Otolith Collective, The Otolith Group’s long-standing curatorial and research platform, will also enact the Department of Xenogenesis (DXG) at IMMA, DXG is a time space for convening public online and offline discussions, performance, screenings and exhibitions with artists, filmmakers, theorists and musicians. The DXG builds upon the exhibition and has developed throughout the tour.

From May the Museum will be turned inside out as the vibrant IMMA Outdoors programme activates the 48 acres of the museum’s site, the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, with artist commissions, performances, talks, workshops and tours. This year IMMA Outdoors will focus on the environment and includes a new site-specific installation by British artist Navine G. Khan-Dossos and an immersive sensory installation by Cameroonian artist Em’kal Eyongakpa, a commission by IMMA and Eva International. A new series of IMMA late nights will begin in May and run throughout the summer. We are also thrilled to announce the return of IMMA’s much loved Summer Party in July. This outdoor summer programme will culminate in a four-day Eco Event celebrating people, place and planet in September.

In the Autumn IMMA is hosting an international research conference to mark a century since the formation of the Irish Free State centered around the theme of Self-Determination. Titled 100 years of Self-Determination and taking place from 10 to 12 November, this conference will delve in how this rhetorical term dominated the discourse of emergent democracies and freedom movements beginning in the interwar period of the early 20th-century and how it resonated both nationally and internationally. It will focus on the role of art and visual culture in formulating the imaginary of the Irish state that emerged in the aftermath of the First World War. It will situate this work within a global context of artistic responses to emerging nation states and independence movements in this period. This conference is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012-2023.

IMMA Programme 2022

The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now
IMMA: 30 Years of the Global Contemporary
Chapter One: Queer Embodiment until 15 May 2022
Chapter Two: The Anthropocene until end 2022
Chapter Three: Social Fabric until end 2022
Chapter Four: Protest and Conflict until end 2022

Encounters: IMMA & EVA International Commission 2022
Em’kal Eyongakpa
May 2022

IMMA International Summer School 2022
20 June – 8 July 2022

The Otolith Group: Xenogenesis
7 July 2022 – 12 February 2023

International Conference 2022
100 Years of Self-Determination
10 – 12 November 2022

– ENDS –

For further information and images please contact:
Monica Cullinane E: [email protected], Patrice Molloy E: [email protected]

Winter at IMMA is delighted to present DREAMSPHERE a stunning new immersive installation devised by IMMA artist-in-residence Aoife Dunne. Hypnotically staged in the IMMA Courtyard, DREAMSPHERE engulfs spectators in a site-specific, multi-sensorial mindscape, creating a memorising and powerful experience not to be missed. This is the fourth artist commission in a series of outdoor commissions to celebrate IMMA’s 30^th Birthday.

Exploring the notion of consciousness as a physical shared space in which to roam and reside, audiences are encircled by arresting sounds and screens. Viewers are sent on a surreal trip through the tumultuous mind; teasing prospects of shared consciousness whilst exploiting technology to stretch the psychological parameters of human experience.

Dunne’s long-standing penchant for blending physical and digital disciplines is conveyed by the onscreen projections. From the material splendour of her costuming to the tactility of obscure found objects, a miscellany of palpable textures is transported to this virtual dimension. The multi-sensorial feel of Dunne’s dream realm is heightened by the sonic idiosyncrasies which soundtrack the performer’s fevered envisioning, creating an increasing sense of mental overwhelm and entrapment already sparked by the work’s enclosed structure.

DREAMSPHERE epitomises the multi-hyphenate nature of Dunne’s practice: the installation’s myriad features, unlimited to sculpture, sound, performance and film, were single-handedly conceived by the artist, reflecting her tireless dexterity and flair for phantasmagoria.

To view a short video of this work please click here.

Viewing Details – Admission Free
Located in the IMMA Courtyard.
Dates: Jan – 28 February 2022
Times: Daily: 12noon – 7pm
Please note: The work is best viewed from 4pm. The work contains rapidly flashing lights and colours.
Link to webpage click here.

19 January 2022

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For further information and images please contact: Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] Patrice Molloy E: [email protected]

Additional Notes for Editors

About the artist
Digital installation artist Aoife Dunne creates visually-arresting, immersive environments fusing sculpture, video, sound, performance, technology, and costume. Fuelled by a fascination with digital and material culture, Dunne’s idiosyncratic touch is laced with references to the surreal and hyper-real. Exploring an ethos rooted in post-pop and post-internet, Dunne’s work envelops audiences in abstract, detail-driven virtual and physical realms. Her multi dimensional approach to crafting large-scale, experiential work is informed by a diverse creative background steeped in dance, performance, fashion and musical composition. Bulldozing through the boundaries of what conventional exhibitions entail, Dunne reaps continent-crossing acclaim for her inimitable aesthetic and site-specific, colourfully chaotic work. Aoife Dunne studied Fine Art Media at The National College of Art and Design and received her BFA in 2016. Since graduating, Dunne has held numerous exhibitions internationally, including The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, The Royal Academy of Arts London, and upcoming solo shows in Puerto Rico, New York, London, Dublin, Paris, and Tokyo. For further details visit: aoifedunne.com @efadone

IMMA Residency: A Radical Plot
Taking place from July 2021 – January 2002, A Radical Plot residency connects the Museum community, affiliated mentors and residents as a gathering of co-thinkers who work together in adaptable, radical and dynamic ways to reignite the possibilities for creative continuity and inclusivity. Core values for the programme are care and repair, civic agency, play, inclusivity, community, ecologies, and the future. A Radical Plot Residency artists include,  Aoife Dunne, Isadora Epstein, Clodagh Emoe, Sean Hanrahan, Chinedum Muotto, Liliane Puthod and Fiona Whelan with theatre company Brokentalkers, (Feidlim Cannon and Gary Keegan).

IMMA 30th Birthday: Outdoor Commissions

Y O U N G F O S S I L by Forerunner

Club Chroma Chlorologia by Niall Sweeney

Ping Pong Diplomacy by Mark Clare

DREAMSPHERE by Aoife Dunne

Opening on Friday 30 July 2021, IMMA presents the first chapter of The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now, IMMA: 30 Years of the Global Contemporary, a new Museum-wide exhibition showcasing the IMMA Collection to celebrate 30 years of IMMA.

The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now opens in four phases throughout 2021, with each new chapter exploring the past three decades through different thematic approaches. Chapter One: Queer Embodiment opens on 30 July followed by Chapter Two: The Anthropocene on 24 September; Chapter Three: Social Fabric on 5 November; and Chapter Four: Protest and Conflict on 19 November. This is the first time that the Museum has been given over entirely to showing the IMMA Collection and will showcase a selection of recently acquired artworks to the Collection through a fund from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Alongside this, several key loans will augment the artworks in the Collection and Archive. The exhibition is designed by the collaborative architecture and design practice led by Jo Anne Butler and Tara Kennedy.

The exhibition positions IMMA’s inception in 1991 as part of a crucial moment in the history of globalisation, within the European context. Around this time, several museums of contemporary art in countries such as Poland and Lithuania were redefining their cultural identities in the context of a post-Communist Europe. These and wider shifts towards globalisation, with the dawn of the internet and rise of neoliberal politics in the West, provide the context for thinking about IMMA’s role in relation to the global contemporary.

The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now traces urgent themes across the 30-year period as they impact the personal, the political and the planetary, and prompts thinking about the effects of globalisation today in the Irish context as we respond to global crises from COVID-19 to Climate Change and the Black Lives Matter movement. The exhibition will explore ideas of bodily autonomy, conflict and protest, the Anthropocene era, and digital technologies, through the rich holdings of the IMMA Collection and Archive which represent a diverse history of artistic responses to these themes.

The first Chapter, Queer Embodiment, maps the context for the project, reflecting on the dramatic legislative changes that occurred in Irish society such as the decriminalisation of homosexuality (1993), provision of divorce (1996), marriage equality (2015) and the repeal of the Eighth Amendment (2018). These moments in the struggle for human rights find echoes across the globe, as grassroots movements continue to contest the impact of the State on the Body. The Museum’s Collection and Archive reflects a strong history of feminist practice, relaying the defiance of women in Ireland against church and state oppression; as well as queer histories that capture moments of resistance and joy, as well as presenting the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS. While many of these changes have built a more compassionate society, some of the artists in this exhibition engage with troubling issues, such as Irish citizenship and migration, which remain unresolved.

Opening on 24 September, Chapter Two: The Anthropocene, considers the present geological era in which human activity has become visible as a dominant and destructive influence on Earth. Expanding the focus on rising sea levels, heat waves and species extinction, the exhibition looks at the temporalities and underlying structures of the Anthropocene. Chapter Three: Social Fabric, opening 5 November, shows how artists have used textiles, as a space of resistance and activism. Included are works which address how textile materiality has been used as a vehicle for interactivity, a collective voice, peripheral communities and agency. The final chapter opening on 19 November, Chapter Four: Protest and Conflict, celebrates how artists have utilised protest as a dynamic act of resistance and assertion; subverting power while surrounded by turmoil and conflict; documenting shifting narratives linked to the creation of the world wide web and the digital dissemination of information and disinformation. It contains multiple artistic perspectives on the conflict in Northern Ireland as well as narratives of political unrest further afield.

Signalling the role of the Museum at this key moment, the exhibition embraces decolonisation as a process to actively reflect the diversity and the voices of the people within the Collection and around us. The reach of the artistic representation within the exhibition is global and includes various media such as painting, sculpture, film, video, installation, performance, internet art, sound, textiles, drawing, community-based practice, collaborative practice, and socially-engaged practice.

The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now will present an ambitious Engagement & Learning programme with a significant online presence including  online presentations, lectures, and public programming. A major publication will present a new history of the IMMA Collection bringing international voices together to probe what it means to be both global and local in 2021.

– ENDS –

For further information and images please contact:

Monica Cullinane E: [email protected] / Patrice Molloy E: [email protected]

20 July 2021

Additional Notes for Editors   

The Narrow Gate of the Here-and-Now
IMMA: 30 Years of the Global Contemporary

Chapter One: Queer Embodiment, 30 July – 2022

Chapter Two: The Anthropocene, 24 September – 2022

Chapter Three: Social Fabric, 5 November – 2022

Chapter Four: Protest and Conflict, 19 November – 2022

Admission Free, exhibition tickets must be booked in advance here.

List of Artists

Chapter One: Queer Embodiment
Bassam Al Sabah; Asylum Archive / Vukašin Nedeljkovic; Cecily Brennan; Amanda Coogan; Vivienne Dick; Lucian Freud; Kevin Gaffney; Gilbert & George; Anita Groener; Patrick Hall; Patrick Hennessy; Rebecca Horn; Shirazeh Houshiary; Patricia Hurl; Jaki Irvine; Graciela Iturbide; Derek Jarman; Sandra Johnston; Eithne Jordan; Klein and Kühne; Breda Lynch; Alice Maher; MacDermott & McGough; Maser; Leanne McDonagh; William McKeown; Fergus Martin; Zanele Muholi; Hughie O’Donoghue; Doireann O’Malley; Alan Phelan; Names Project, AIDS Memorial Quilt; Kathy Prendergast; Billy Quinn; Rochelle Rubinstein; Rajinder Singh; Kiki Smith; Wolfgang Tillmans; Andrew Vickery; Amna Walayat; Eimear Walshe; Apichatpong Weerasethakul; Women from the Family Resource Centre / Joe Lee.

Please note: The artists Doireann O’Malley, Zanele Muholi and Eimear Walshe are non-binary, please use they/them/their pronouns when referring to them or their work.

Today, Minister Catherine Martin announces that 422 artworks by 70 artists will be added to the National Collection thanks to the €1m fund provided to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and the Crawford Art Gallery in October 2020.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has been working with the National Cultural Institutions through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to develop meaningful ways to support artists across the country at this challenging time. In October 2020, Minister Martin committed €1m from her department to IMMA and the Crawford Art Gallery to fund the purchase of artworks by artists living and/or working in Ireland. The investment enabled the two institutions charged with collecting contemporary art to work collaboratively to support artists by buying existing artworks, bringing much needed financial resources to the sector.

IMMA and the Crawford Art Gallery have been working tirelessly to realise this progressive goal for the National Collection and today, the Minister announces the list of works which have been acquired. The body of 422 artworks by 70 artists from across the country has been selected through a rigorous process by both institutions to ensure strategic and thoughtful acquisitions for the nation. Spanning from 1972 to 2021, the works consist of paintings, photographic work, drawings, sculpture, installations, moving image, sound work, film, digital work, embroidery and performance. This is a significant boost to both collections, strengthening and enhancing the breath of style of work, making them truly representative of contemporary Irish practice and available for the public to enjoy for generations to come.

As the cultural repositories for the country, the role of the National Cultural Institutions is to reflect Ireland and her people and tell the story of our country. This is the first time in over a decade that substantial funding has been specifically allocated towards building the National Collection to reflect contemporary culture.

The Minister recognises the immense talent in the arts in Ireland as well as the significance of being represented in the National Collection. At a time when exhibition opportunities are limited, the fund has enabled IMMA and the Crawford Art Gallery to promote artists, supporting and enhancing their reputations by acquiring their work for the National Collection to enable them to practice as artists, now and into the future.

The Minister said: “We are all aware of how difficult a time this has been for everybody in the artistic community.  I am delighted to provide funding to IMMA and the Crawford Art Gallery so that they can support living artists by the purchase of their work.  I am confident that our National Cultural Institutions will do justice to these artists in how they represent their work.”   

The Minister went on to say: “This has also been a challenging year for all our institutions but it has also offered an opportunity to think about museums and what they mean to people and how we share those precious artworks that form part of our National Collections.  I look forward to see how IMMA and the Crawford Art Gallery will share these new additions nationally and internationally where they can be widely viewed by the public and act as a reservoir for future enjoyment, inspiration and research.”

Artist, Sandra Johnston, whose work has been acquired by IMMA, said: “It is a real honour for me to have artworks included in the IMMA collection, especially because of the ephemeral, fleeting nature of public performance actions. So, I am gratified by the curiosity the curators have shown in exploring with me the total picture of how such an artwork is conceived, executed and disseminated beyond the live moment, which is a crucial framework for understanding the surviving artefacts.” 

Artist, Tom Climent, whose work has been purchased by the Crawford Art Gallery, said: “The acquisition of my work by the Crawford Art Gallery for the National Collection has been a great boost for me. Even more so now with galleries closed and opportunities to exhibit reduced. It is not just the monetary income but the recognition and affirmation in my work that is hugely encouraging. Having a painting on public display means it lives on and hopefully reaches so many more people. Thanks to all the team in the Crawford Gallery and the help of The Sternview Gallery for making this happen.”

ENDS

Press and Information Office
An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Tel: 087 6737338 / 087 7374427
Email: [email protected]

Notes for Editors

IMMA
No of works acquired: 197 works (89 paintings, 32 prints, 26 drawings, 12 publications, 11 performance works, 10 sculptures, 10 moving image works, 5 installations, 1 photographic work, 1 audio work). Dates works were made: 1972, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021.

Crawford Art Gallery
No of works acquired:  225 works (100 paintings, 58 photographs, 14 prints, 28 drawings, 8 sculptures, 4 installations, 1 soundwork, 5 digital films, 1 art quilt, 6 embroideries.

No of Artists represented: 

IMMA
31 (21 female, 8 male, 2 non-binary)

Crawford Art Gallery
39 artists (24 female, 12 male, 3 LBGTQ+)

Breadth of style of work: High quality work purchased from existing work of living artists in Ireland and not commissions. Installation, sculpture, painting, video, film, print, drawing, textile, publication, performance, digital artwork, audio, collaborative work, including discursive, performative and event-based creative expression and outputs by artists, individually and in collectives.

Geographic spread of Artists: All Ireland, (32 counties) artists living in Ireland or living/working between Ireland and elsewhere.

Process Adopted by IMMA and the Crawford Art Gallery
Drawing on extensive research and internal expertise, both institutions worked in consultation with external advisors to adopt a rigorous selection process. This ensured that the works purchased were in line with their respective acquisition policies, filled identified gaps in representation and contributed to strengthening the collections for the nation.

Full List of Artists

Crawford Art Gallery
Aideen Barry
Sara Baume
Stephen Brandes
Angela Burchill
Declan Byrne
Elaine Byrne
Tom Climent
Yvonne Condon
Elizabeth Cope
Gary Coyle
Stephen Doyle
Rita Duffy
Amanda Dunsmore
Kevin Gaffney
Debbie Godsell
Michael Hanna
Marie Holohan
Katie Holten
Brianna Hurley
Andrew Kearney
John Keating
Fiona Kelly
Anne Kiely & Mary Palmer
Roseanne Lynch
Brian Maguire
Evgeniya Martirosyan
Danny McCarthy
Roseleen Moore
Peter Nash
Ailbhe Ní Bhriain
Íde Ní Shúleabháin
Nuala O’Donovan
Sarah O’Flaherty
Tom O’Sullivan
Michael Quane
Jennifer Trouton
Charles Tyrrell
Daphne Wright

IMMA
Bassam Al-Sabah
Marie Brett
Sarah Browne & Jesse Jones
Anishta Chooramun
Amanda Coogan
Vivienne Dick
Edy Fung
Emma Wolf Haugh
Patricia Hurl
Sandra Johnston
Eithne Jordan
John Lalor
Breda Lynch
Alice Maher
Leanne McDonagh
Eoin McHugh
Alastair MacLennan
Sibyl Montague
Maïa Nunes
Brian O’Doherty
Alanna O’Kelly
Sarah Pierce
Atoosa Pour Hosseini
Alice Rekab
Nigel Rolfe
Dermot Seymour
Rajinder Singh
Anne Tallentire
Cléa van der Grijn
Eimear Walshe