This trip will feature a visit to the MAC and a tour of their current exhibition, Mac International 2018, with senior curator Hugh Mulholland.

MAC International is the largest arts prize in Ireland and one of the few major art prizes in the UK, offering artists from around the world an opportunity to exhibit at the MAC in Belfast. Now in its third edition, MAC International presents a snapshot of the most exciting and ambitious art practices from across the world.

The 13 artists shortlisted for the MAC International 2018 are Anca Benera & Arnold Estefan / Ali Cherri / Larissa Fassler / Nikolaus Gansterer / Invernomuto (Simone Bertuzzi & Simone Trabucchi) / Ronan McCrea / Aisling O’Beirn / Vesna Pavlović / Renata Poljak / Larissa Sansour / Özge Topçu.  Chosen from more than 800 submissions, this shortlist includes artists from Ireland, Italy, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Canada, USA, Palestine, Austria, France and Turkey, working across a range of mediums including photography, film, installation, sculpture and drawing.

The MAC International 2018 Prize of £20,000 GBP will be awarded at the exhibition preview on 8 November to the artist judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the exhibition.

Previous winners of the MAC International prize are Mairéad McClean (2014), whose work is in the IMMA Collection, and Jasmina Cibic (2016).

Following lunch at the MAC’s Native restaurant we will visit the Golden Thread Gallery for a tour of their current exhibition. Founded in 1998. Golden Thread Gallery is recognised for its engagement with recent histories and re-imagined futures: the majority of its programme is engaged with offering the public a contextual experience of the visual art of our time. Creating a context, challenging perceptions, promoting creativity, delivering contemporary visual art for all

Our final stop before returning to IMMA will be Belfast Exposed, Northern Ireland’s premier contemporary photography organisation. Acknowledged for their commissioning, publishing and showing of work by artists and photographers from Northern Ireland and across the world, their vision is to create and inspire a culture of photography.

Please note that you must be a Member to attend this event. Membership starts at €50 for the year. Join Today