The Visual Artists’ News sheet
July – August 2011
11
REGioNAl PRoFilE
Visual Arts Resources & Activity: Galway Process & Pattern
Temporary & Permanent
Redress 2010, stills from video installation by Vivienne dick and Áine Phillips, photographs by declan Sheridan.
ben Sloat,Packages from China, April 2010
126 is Galway’s first artist-led exhibition space. A non-profit organisation, it was first established in 2005 by local artists Austin Ivers and Ben Geoghegan in response to the urgent need for more noncommercial gallery spaces in Galway. The goals of 126 are to provide local, national and international artists with a platform to develop new experimental artistic projects and exhibitions. 126 aims to create and develop new channels of communication through projects on location, as well as gallery exchanges. 126’s collaborative working process aims to be: open-ended; debatable; involve several individuals; gives identity to the group, create a system, a process, a pattern; make visible the invisible; represent national collective identities; formed around a unique set of relational terms; involved in activist concerns; a group collaboration united around a common set of practices and values; a collective which challenges and parodies bureaucratic structures. As a non-profit, publicly funded gallery space, 126 makes decisions on an artistic rather than an economic basis. As such, 126 has been gaining recognition and support as a place of cultural innovation in Ireland and is becoming an integral part of Galway’s cultural fabric. Each exhibition differs conceptually. Each show adds to the definition of contemporary art in Ireland today. As a result the gaps between the West, East and South of the country are reduced and opened up by 126. Our dynamics vary in comparison with the established art institution in the way 126 curates each individual show. The board strives to stand outside the capitalist mainstream of the institution and believes in Habermas’s theory of the ‘free public sphere’. 126 goes against the grain of the commercial and institutional remit, seeking to develop one working methodology. Networks and partnerships are created with the institution of 126, while remaining independent. Member artists contribute to the success of 126, as they offer a vital, alternative for the creation of an experimental programme that challenges the norm and questions our social, economic and political ideologies in Ireland today. 126’s ethos is based on the membership and the democratic curatorial strategy, as well as the healthy turn around of the board over a two-year period. This is vital to maintaining fresh opinions and ideas, which prevents stale repetition. Currently on the board are six practising artists: Vicky Smith, Siobhan McGibbon, David
Finn, Jereon Van Dooren, Zulaikha Engelbrecht and Tadhg Curran. 126 have just taken part in Influx Art Fair in a magnificent four storey building which Occupy Space, Limerick have successfully inhabited. This feeds into the current vision for 126 while developing healthy networks, exchanges and an exciting display of artist led experimental board of artists. This space is an asset for local artists in Galway. 126 provides resources for its members, artists and recent graduates. This develops a strong base for artists to meet, take part in events, talks, open submissions, members shows and attend the annual general meetings where new board members are voted in. By doing this they add to the vision of 126. The activities of 126 are generously supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Galway City Council and its membership. Our current exhibition ‘Beyond Guilt Trilogy’ is a new international exhibition by Ruti Sela and Maayan Amir who showed last year at the sixth Berlin Biennale. The Beyond Guilt addresses the undermining power relationship between photographer and the photographed, men and women, the public domain, the private sphere, object and subject. As the film’s directors Sela and Amir take an active part in the event. They seduce the interviewees on the one hand, and turn the camera over to them on the other as part of the relationship between the photographer and subject. Recent shows include ‘Darren Barrett: Artlessness: The Cultural Logic of Nonceptuality’; ‘Community Scratch Games’; ‘Let’s See What Happens Part 2’, ‘Maria Hannon: 126 Residency’; ‘Wishful Thinking’, curated by Matt Packer from The Lewis Glucksman Gallery; a travelling programme of selected 16mm film by contemporary international artists: Luke Fowler, Jaki Irvine, Ursula Mayer, Rosalind Nashashibi, Roman Ondak, João Maria Gusmão & Pedro Paiva, Deborah Stratman and Moira Tierne. The future of 126 is exciting. 126 aims to develop its programme internationally through exchanges, publish a 126 journal and expand the premises in the future by developing links with a new arts development ‘The Laundry’ in Galway. 126 may then develop experimental residencies, night schools and touring exhibitions. 126 decides its route. Vicky Smith 126 Chairperson and board member
gALWAY has always been known as a city of
This usually consists of screenings of films and
festivals and culture, but it seems to me that in
videos, live art, installation work and music –
recent years there has been a marked increase in
including sound installation. The evening is free
contemporary art events, new gallery spaces and
and is generally well attended. Each curator
experimental film in the city. The main
introduces a new set of artists’ work, a new approach
contemporary arts festival is Tulca, which takes
and emphasis, which results in a very eclectic and
place throughout the city each year. Throughout
lively mix which has simply taken off on its own
the year, The Galway Arts Centre showcases new
energy.
work by artists from the West of Ireland and elsewhere.
We make sure the equipment is there and set up correctly and try to help the artists source what
Other long established galleries like Kenny’s
they require. We have found that the evening works
and Norman Villa have always had painting and
best with a programme, which is not over long,
print exhibitions but aside from these venues, there
when there are breaks between performances or
are a number of other active temporary and
screenings so people can talk and go to the bar and
permanent spaces and centres of activity such as
we try to have it start on time. Guest curators have
Mart, Enso Live Art Project, Artisit, The Engage
included Michele Horrigan, Tom Flanagan, Alice
Studios, Lorg Printmakers and Ard Bia gallery. 126 is
Maher, Ruby Wallis, Alan Lambert amongst others
an example of an artist-run gallery which has
and in the past three years hundreds of artists have
managed to survive well and new spaces continue
shown or performed there. People have been very
to appear with the recession – the dock shed being
generous with their time and energy and equipment
an example of an excellent space used by GMIT
loans. Jim Ricks has designed many of the posters
sculpture students for their recent degree show.
for the events. Tom Sheridan of Eight Bar has
We are somewhat deprived in Galway where
supported the event since the beginning, providing
cinema is concerned. We thought when the Eye
the venue and much of the equipment. We have
opened it might provide an alternative programming
also been supported by Tulca, 126 and have received
but that was not the case. We do have a programme
some funding from Galway City Council and the
of screenings on Sundays at the Town Hall during
Arts Council. We are hoping to take Live @ 8 on
the academic year, but this can be very selective and
tour this year. We already had a successful outing at
bypass many interesting films, which reach Dublin.
Occupy Space in Limerick recently and plan to go to
There are plans for a new repertory cinema right in
The Trades Club in Sligo on August 5th, and to The
the centre of the town opposite the museum.
Guesthouse in Cork in September and Exchange in
Hopefully, whatever is obstructing the completion
Dublin in December. See the blogspot at http://live-
of this building will be resolved soon. The Film
at-eight.blogspot.com for updates.
Fleadh takes place each year in July and for a
I moved back from London to live and work in
number of years it supported an experimental
Galway about 11 years ago. It can be challenging to
programme, several of which I was happy to
be making the sort of films I make without the sort
programme. Enso continued with this and
of community of like-minded filmmakers one finds
expanding to include a series of outdoor screenings
in cities. I have integrated myself more into the art
by the Spanish Arch. For the past number of years
world here and found the support I need there
we have had Different Directions, an excellent
instead. That has been very productive in terms of
weekend experimental film festival organised by
moving in other directions. An example of this
Fergus Daly, Katherine Waugh and Tom Flanagan
would be my work with Áine Phillips on her recent
and in June last year Julian Dorgere organised a
‘Redress Project’. Currently I am working with
Super 8 festival which was a great success.
Olwen Fouéré and Jennifer Walshe and others on a
Live @ 8 has been running since 2008. It is a
new film which I am in the process of making and
contemporary bi-monthly art evening which has
which has been funded by an Arts Council Project
been taking place in Galway at Bar 8 on Dock Road. Áine Phillips, Maeve Mulrennan and I administer it
Award. The film will be about war, vulnerability and
and have curated some of the evenings. We also
Vivienne Dick
invite curators from all over the country – and sometimes from abroad, to programme each event.
otherness.