Dnote

Dnote sends weekly mailshots covering much of the best of art in Ireland. You’ll find on the Dnote website very many of the finest art venues, both public art spaces and private galleries, in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Limerick, Galway and elsewhere. Dnote brings you key artists showing in Ireland today.

Run by Peter FitzGerald.

Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 1 hour ago

Urban Survival Kits Exhibition 2023
Atypical Gallery
109 - 113 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FF

continuing to Friday 21 April


dnote.website/?dnote=urban-sur
Image: crayon and marker (?) and googly-eyes drawing on yellowish paper; we see a duck at a pond, singing, and a possible person taking a photo and playing or recording music on their phone • "Urban Survival Kits (USK) is an innovative Erasmus + programme led by the University of Atypical for Arts and Disability (UofA) in Belfast and devised by artist Julie McGowan. This exhibition is the result of a two-year long international creative learning project exploring how disabled and neurodiverse adults can develop and design personalised survival kits to support their local, national and international travel requirements. This partnership between the UofA, in collaboration with local participants from the NOW Group (Belfast) and European partner organisations Cotopaxi (Poland); Blauschimmel Atelier (Germany); Akdeniz University (Turkey) and Upset Theatre (Croatia) has been participant led with the aim of empowering d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse people…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 3 hours ago

Eoin Mac Lochlainn: Cogadh na gCarad / The War between Friends
Olivier Cornet Gallery
3 Great Denmark Street (beside Belvedere College)<br />Dublin 1

closing Sunday 2 April


dnote.website/?dnote=eoin-mac-
Image: Eoin Mac Lochlainn, Trauma 2d, charcoal on paper, 35 x 27cm – a rendition in charcoal of a face, eyes closed • "Launch Tuesday 7 March at 6:30pm • Guest speaker: Diarmaid Ferriter, historian, author and university professor • At 7:30pm, guests will be invited to view a video projection of the work in the Garden of Remembrance. A solo exhibition by gallery artist Eoin Mac Lochlainn The Olivier Cornet Gallery is delighted to present Eoin Mac Lochlainn’s fifth solo exhibition with us. Cogadh na gCarad / the War between Friends is a project that explores the trauma of the Irish Civil War. Over the last year Eoin Mac Lochlainn has been making charcoal drawings and developing a video projection for the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin to coincide with his solo exhibition at the Olivier Cornet Gallery…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 5 hours ago

The Matheson Creativity Hub
IMMA
Royal Hospital, Kilmainham Dublin 8

until Sunday 2 April


dnote.website/?dnote=the-mathe
Image – in strong blue, white and a small amount of red; shows architecture-style floor plan of rooms and spaces, with superimposed lettering (IMMA MATHESON CREATIVITY HUB, etc.) • "IMMA in partnership with Matheson are commissioning an architect, artist, or multi-disciplinary design collective to develop a design for ‘The Matheson Creativity Hub’. This will be a prominent space that is activated by IMMA’s Engagement & Learning Department, Visitor Engagement Team, community groups, creative partners, and artists, as well as a space for audiences to dwell and explore on their own. It will be an innovative reimagining of convivial space that invites exceptional architecture and design to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment that allows for experimentation, supports creative engagement, and social connectivity for audiences of all ages. The project will be implemented in two stages; the design competition in February 2023…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 7 hours ago

Living Arts Project Exhibition 2023
Wexford Arts Centre
Cornmarket Wexford

opening Saturday 1 April


dnote.website/?dnote=living-ar
Image: close-in photo of a pupil, seen from above and behind, hold a large white marker while working on an art piece, all inside a cloud shape • "In 2013, the Living Arts Project was established as an artist-in-residence scheme in primary schools, supporting the existing partnership between the Arts Department of Wexford County Council and Wexford Arts Centre. The aim of this project is to provide children with an understanding and appreciation of contemporary visual art. The Living Arts Project exhibition represents a selection of work produced by the participating primary schools and offers pupils a chance to see their work presented in a professional gallery. The following artists and schools were selected for this year’s programme: Deirdre Meehan-Buttimer Buttimer and Fernanda Ferrari with Castledockrell NS (Enniscorthy), Kate Murphy and Brid Colloton with St. Edan’s NS (Ferns, Enniscorthy), Jeni Roddy and Lynn Haughton with Scoil Mhuire (Rosslare), and Sonya Weston and Deirdre…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 1 day ago

80th Anniversary Collection Show Featuring New Acquisitions
Butler Gallery
Evans' Home John’s Quay, Kilkenny

closing Sunday 2 April


dnote.website/?dnote=80th-anni
Image: Vera Klute: Tolka Valley Park (Island), 2020, oil on board, 65 x 122cm – a nature scene painted fairly naturalistically; three people, ages hard to discern, plus a dog on a leash; they're by a wide sream in a woody area; a tree branch loops over the three and reaches out over the stream; the light is dappled • "In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the Kilkenny Art Gallery Society, as the Butler Gallery was first known, an exhibition highlighting new acquisitions and important donations to our Permanent Collection will take place alongside new long-term loans to the gallery. Since 1943 the Collection has continued to flourish through gift, loan and purchase embracing a variety of disciplines and genres from painting, drawing and printmaking, to sculpture, photography and video. Butler Gallery has always sought to be a platform for presenting the best of Irish art today along with demonstrating a strong commitment to presenting work by artists of…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 1 day ago

Sérgio Leitão: UILLINN_THE FALLOUT
Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre
Skibbereen, Co Cork

opening Saturday 1 April


dnote.website/?dnote=sergio-le
Image: photo of man standing on wet road in rain, facing a series of larger modern housing developments in the distance; he's wearing a very long light-blue cape or train • "Over three residencies at Uillinn (2022/2023), Portuguese artist Sérgio Leitão developed a contextual mixed media installation titled UILLINN_THE FALLOUT. The exhibition addresses Skibbereen's past and present contexts, from the 1631 Sack of Baltimore, that led to development of the Capital of the Carberies (a video entitled How This is Different From Westphalia_Islands II), to a colourful and vibrant town (as presented in the whole installation), including found graphic elements and objects as well as different production and research tools, as is current in the artist’s practice. The artist will continue to develop the installation throughout the 5 weeks of its installation, bringing in new elements and interacting with the public."
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 1 day ago

Padraig Cunningham, Caoimhe Kilfeather, Nollaig Molloy: Extract
Roscommon Arts Centre
Circular Road Roscommon Town

closing Saturday 1 April


dnote.website/?dnote=padraig-c
Image: photo of what seems to be a large piece of yellow plastic, in a green, grassy field; the plastic is fairly rigid, and has been bent into a sort of leaning L, with its foot capturing a small pool of water. • "This exhibition looks at deep spaces and resources we draw from, it will explore the physical space of underground systems, materials found and extracted there, as well as the human relationship with these particular sites that tend to be a realm of other matter rather than a human space…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 1 day ago

John Short: New Works in 2D and 3D
Solomon Fine Art
Balfe Street, Dublin 2

closing Saturday 1 April


dnote.website/?dnote=john-shor
Image: John Short: Two Bathers, Male, copper and steel – flat-metal (though curved) sculpture of two men drying off and changing clothes after a swim • "Solomon Fine Art is delighted to present a much-anticipated solo exhibition of recent paintings, sketchbook drawings and sculptural works by artist John Short. This vibrant exhibition includes Short’s renowned watercolour studies of popular Irish bathing spots and landmarks alongside a collection of his delightful 3D figures of sea-swimmers and wildlife. Sketched bathers from Galway’s Salthill to Dublin’s Forty Foot are accompanied by their humorous 3D counterparts, while a flock of cheeky starlings are captured perfectly on paper and in sculptural form. Short is largely inspired by interactive groups and their behaviour; be they people, birds or animals. He contributes to the feeling of spontaneity and immediacy by carefully considering his composition and often taking an unusual or unexpected view of his subject…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 2 days ago

Emma O’Hara: Strangers we will stay
SO Fine Art Editions
Powerscourt Townhouse Dublin 2

closing Saturday 1 April


dnote.website/?dnote=emma-ohar
Image: Emma O'Hara: Trickling pink, oil pastel & oil bar on BFK mounted on board, 70 x 60cm – leaves of tropical plants in Malaysian jungle • "‘Strangers we will stay’ is the new exciting solo exhibition by Emma O’Hara. Following a recent residency in Rimbun Dahan Arts Centre in Kuala Lumper, O’Hara’s new work builds on her experience of living and working in the jungle to generate sensory explorations of imagined paradises. These boldly colourful and abstracted dreamscapes exist outside of time and space, immersing the viewer in O’Hara’s vision while granting them access to her experiences, ambitions and motives. These emotionally charged works depict lush and verdant fantasy landscapes, evoking a sense of reverie, nostalgia and wanderlust through vivid works on paper and ceramic vessels. O’Hara’s confidence with colour and use of strong abstract shapes paired with the spontaneity of her mark-making remind the viewer that this is a dream, a fluid…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 2 days ago

Róisín O’Sullivan: I See Skies
Triskel Arts Centre
14A Tobin Street, Cork City

closing Saturday 1 April


dnote.website/?dnote=roisin-os
Image: Róisín O'Sullivan: I Flow, I Float, 2022, oil on carved plywood, 26 x 27 cm – semi-abstracted organic-looking objects painted on wood • "Róisín O’Sullivan is an artist based in Callan, County Kilkenny, and Cork City. O’Sullivan has presented her work in exhibitions throughout Ireland and overseas, including institutions such as the Rathfarnham Castle, Office of Public Works (upcoming solo show, 2023), the Butler Gallery, Kilkenny and Lethaby Gallery, London. She recently completed the Tony O’Malley residency, administered by the Royal Hibernian Academy. She holds an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and a BA in Fine Art from the Centre for Creative Arts & Media, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. She is a recipient of multiple awards from the Arts Council, including the Visual Arts Bursary 2022. Her work is held in private and public collections, including the Office of Public Works."
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 2 days ago

Eilis O’Toole: In a Landscape
Garter Lane Arts Centre
O'Connell Street Waterford

closing Saturday 1 April


dnote.website/?dnote=eilis-oto
Image: painting of wintry landscape in reddish purples and purplish blacks; bare tree towards left, at the top of a hill (?) • "‘In a Landscape’ is an exhibition of paintings by artist Eilis O’Toole. These paintings are part of an evolving series of works which provide a space for reflection and contemplation. O’Toole is concerned with paying attention to the seemingly ordinary or insignificant. Moments and thoughts that disappear as easily as they appear and before you have a chance to fully grasp them. She is exploring the essence of these moments which allow for a spontaneous drift of thought. Her process for making these works begins with walking and spending time in her local landscape. It is these landscapes and the relationship between the visual and emotional response, which concerns her. By shifting her focus of attention, she allows a state of openness to observe and experience a space. The paintings do not imitate but evoke and reveal…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 2 days ago

Laura Wilson: SEAMS
CCA
5-7 Artillery Street Derry~Londonderry

opening Friday 31 March


dnote.website/?dnote=laura-wil
Image: Laura Wilson, Seams (detail), 2023; courtesy of the artist – what looks likes skeins of grey wool intertwining with each other • "SEAMS is a solo exhibition by Laura Wilson comprising three installations including a significant new body of work entitled Winding then Winding. Laura is interested in how everyday materials such as bricks, textile, wheat, salt and bread dough transmit historical and embodied knowledge between people over time and place. Laura develops research-led projects, working with specialists and experts to communicate relationships between materiality, memory and tacit knowledge, explored through sculpture, performance, drawings and video. This exhibition is a survey of Laura’s recent works connected by the body, learning, movement and labour."
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 3 days ago

Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh: Deep Mapping: Unseen Landscapes
Solstice Arts Centre
Navan, County Meath

closing Friday 31 March


dnote.website/?dnote=sinead-ni
Image: Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh: Monument No.2, 2020, oil on canvas, 182 x 182cm; courtesy the artist, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery & 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel, New York – painting depicting a roughly sketched grey-and-black, chunky monument (?) resting on a chemical-green plain • "For her solo exhibition at Solstice Arts Centre, Ní Mhaonaigh presents a series of new paintings that characteristically feature prominent elements of the built environment: vernacular structures, houses, factories, sheds. However, one notes that over time, some of these buildings have been demolished, therefore reframing the durational function of painting as one of recording a landscape in flux. These works portray absent forms in a moment prior to their erasure; however, they also trace the enduring hum of subatomic particles, or the ways in which enigmatic shadows continue to haunt the horizon. Movingly, the artist describes this kind of spatial and temporal dislocation as “working with an ever-present void.”"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 3 days ago

Irina Gheorghe: Principles of Space Detection
NCAD Gallery
100 Thomas Street Dublin 8

closing Friday 31 March


dnote.website/?dnote=irina-ghe
Image: Irina Gheorghe, 2023 – photo of four coloured strips of paper (?) standing proud from a flat surface; the wrist and palm of someone's right hand are visible towards the left, behind the leftmost, pale-blue strip • "In Principles of Space Detection, Irina Gheorghe continues her extensive study into the speculation of hypothetical, unobservable or invisible entities and how this act of speculation manifests within banal everyday situations. In conjunction with a newly commissioned performance that gives the project its title, the exhibition presents a site-specific installation, functioning as the environment in which the performance itself inhabits, which subsequently maps the space that visitors can interact with outside of the live event. Within this constructed space, the individual is invited to speculate, to pursue their own hypothetical engagement with things that are present and things that are not."
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 3 days ago

Dorothy Hunter: fully conscious movements, fully different time
Golden Thread Gallery
84-94 Great Patrick Street Belfast BT1 2LU

continuing to Saturday 20 May


dnote.website/?dnote=dorothy-h
Image: photo showing view looking out from underground cavern into what seems to be damp, green woods • "In March 2023 The Golden Thread Gallery will present new work in the project space by Dorothy Hunter titled fully conscious movements, fully different time. Having been awarded ACES from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the exhibition in the Project Space will focus on the changing underground terrain in the caves of Fermanagh and Cavan, through video and installation artwork. Hunter uses careful interventions within her installations, creating space to contemplate different geographic sites and aid our interpretation of time and space. She is interested in different modes of displaying artwork and the act of collecting…"
Dnote
dnoting@mastodon.ie 3 days ago

Rachel McClure: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Photo Museum Ireland
Meeting House Square Temple Bar, Dublin 2

continuing to Saturday 15 April


dnote.website/?dnote=rachel-mc
Image: very textured colour photo of an old, very tall tree, view looking upwards right next to the trunk • "This ongoing body of work explores photography’s ability to engage and challenge the psyche. It questions the authenticity of using photography as a tool in healing. Can photography help us to process traumatic events and confront unpleasant memories? Through photography, we can we free ourselves from the constraints of language and explore our emotions on a deeper level, or does the process just act as a distraction? This series uses a range of approaches and interventions in image-making, allowing for new narratives to be created out of old, to reimagine and question. The MSPI program is designed to improve the way collections are managed in museums and galleries in Ireland by setting higher standards for professionalism. Those who meet these standards are recognised through accreditation."