• Picture This: Your National Visual Arts Guide – Education

    June 13, 2016 - By 

    The three shows that make up this week’s edition of Picture This are as diverse and seemingly contrasting as the come. One features the retrospective of an Irish painter born a hundred years ago (Ulster Museum in Belfast), another is a graduation show of 16 photographers (Gallery of Photography in Dublin), while the third (Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda) takes a look at an altogether more national subject – The 1916 Rising. While the dates of 1916 and 2016, as both departure and reflection points, feature in each exhibition it’s the themes of education and understanding the ring out loudest from these four…

  • Picture This: Your National Visual Arts Guide – Retrospective Viewpoints

    May 27, 2016 - By 

    Merlin James, Fence, 2002 The themes of retrospectives and viewpoints, in terms of personal, institutional and national culture, resonate in the shows from Dublin, Carlow and Limerick chosen in this edition of Picture This. In Dublin, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios’ latest exhibition looks at the last 100 years history of Trinity College and casts a light on some of the institution’s lesser known fables. A more critical look at the role of educational institutions can be found in Limerick and Ormston House, this show also looks at the cultural appropriation of languages in Ireland and further afield. Cultural appropriation…

  • Picture This: Your National Visual Arts Guide – Collaboration and Identity

    May 13, 2016 - By 

    A multitude of practices across a wide-range of disciplines are featured in this edition of Picture This – and in some cases this diversity can be found in a single show. A general thematic arc of Collaboration and Identity exists within the four shows highlighted in Dublin, Cork, Belfast and Laois. Collaboration, be they between artists, spaces and mediums, is present in all shows and forms the core of These Days are Persistent and Changeable (Belfast) and You Make Mine/I Make Yours (Cork) both of which feature works by groups rather than individual artists. Steven Maybury’s Anicca (Dublin) is built…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (18/8)

    August 18, 2015 - By 

    We are at that midpoint in the month where things tend to quiet down a bit. However, don’t panic, I do have some recommendations to whet your artistic appetite for the week. If you’re feeling like a party on Friday night head out to Public Indecency a Fundraiser for Household Collective at the Hudson Bar Belfast on Friday Night. This is sure to be a good party hosted by the wonderful Venus Dupree. Household is a curatorial collective based in Belfast who are currently planning for an exciting  three day programme of screenings and events at the beginning of September…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (15/6)

    June 15, 2015 - By 

    June is always a nice month to see some exciting new arts projects due to the College shows and the lovely summer weather (hopefully!). If you haven’t been to your local end of year degree show, I would very much recommend you do! Aligned, the NCAD awards exhibition (undergraduate) is on this week 1pm-5pm Monday – Friday. There is also the continuation this weekend of the BASS Belfast Artists’ Sonic Showcase Event #4 with artists Bernadette Comac, Die Hexen and Aghori at FRAMEWERK. This will be happening on Saturday evening at 7pm so be sure to check it out. If…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (12/5)

    May 12, 2015 - By 

    This week’s main event in the Visual Artists Ireland “Get Together” which happens on Ireland’s National Day for Visual Artists. This year at IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) the “Get Together” is the best way for emerging artists to network and see what’s out there for them. There will be established artists talking about their practice, speed curating for advice and discussion of your work, the announcement of the VAI members award and the launch of the 126 Gallery Footfall Report on Artist Led Spaces in Ireland. This all takes place among a whole host of other events and…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (13/4)

    April 13, 2015 - By 

    There are so many events happening this week in Belfast and across Ireland so please get out there and support them, writes Mary Stevens. We’re travelling from Cork, to Limerick and back to Belfast for this weeks outlook, seeing a huge variety of art practices. This week also saw the Dublin Launch of the Irish National Pavilion for the 56th Venice Biennale.  Sean Lynch will present Adventure: Capital  in the Irish pavillion. The Biennale will open to the public on the 9th May and continue into November. Much more information to follow in the coming months… Blue House Gallery –…