** Warning contains images that some may find disturbing.
The Royal Hibernian Academy Gallery (RHA Gallery) in Dublin was one that I had not been to before and I had read about the Daphne Wright exhibit that they were hosting I decided to pop along. And I certainly am glad that I did. Today, I want to share about the exhibition so you can pop along before it ends if it interests you.
The gallery itself is in central Dublin – close to Merrion Square on Ely Place. I walked down Grafton Street and then found it quite quickly! The building itself is beautiful and has both a cafe and shop on the premises. I didn’t quite check the opening times so turned up at 1100am and the museum was just unlocking its doors. It was great that there were no crowds but to be honest – museums/galleries are creepy when you are the only person inside!!
Daphne Wright: Emotional Archaeology
This is the exhibit, in collaboration with Arnolfini, Bristol, that I was excited to see and had previously read about. Daphne Wright is an Irish Artist and it was great to see her pieces from the past 25 years on display in the capital. She is an artist who creates a certain depth in her work and she really tests the boundaries of the mind through the thought provoking, and sometimes disturbing works of art.
When you first walk into the area where her pieces are you are instantly are drawn to the large cast of a dead horse lying on its back. The animals are reproduced in a white sparkling marble dust compound. I was utterly shocked at the scale of the piece when I entered the room and the attention to detail from nose to hoof was remarkable if not disturbed. Her exploration of death in this exhibit also extended to a primate lying on a slab and a hung up lamb.
Following on from that was the part that I wanted to see – Domestic Shrubbery, 1994. And it was beautiful. There was a continuous sound loop of a cuckoo bird playing which I was not expecting, and it was great to be in the room on my own as I could fully take it in the wallpaper styled trellis of inter-connecting plaster roses.
I then walked through the Where do Broken Hearts Go?, 2000 and onto the Kitchen Table, 2009. By being down the end of the room it was quite like something in a horror movie as there was no one else around and nothing but the old style TV for noise. But when you got closer – wow is Daphne talented – the attention to detail was just amazing, even down to the boy’s toes! It was modelled on her own kitchen and you can sense the love that went into the piece.
There are other works within the exhibition but the above were the main ones that stood out to me personally. This exhibit is on from January 20, 2017 – February 26, 2017. There were two other major exhibitions on as well as some smaller art galleries to browse. I have included a small overview below of both of the larger exhibitions as there is more to see than just Daphne’s work.
Amanda Jane Graham: A Tribute to the Irish Community, Butte Montana 1916 – 1919
What was so interesting about this tribute is that is based on her family history that was told to her by her grandmother based on her own childhood memories. I love the linking of storytelling from grandmother to granddaughter. Ireland used to be known for being c country with great storytellers and it is one tradition that I hope doesn’t end. It is so important to keep old stories alive nad pass them along – and this exhibition does just that.
Graham uses many different textiles throughout her work and although dealing with serious topics – the work is funny in points but all the time having a sense of nostalgia. This exhibit is on from January 20, 2017 – February 12, 2017.
Joy Gerrard: ‘Shot Crowd’
Irish artist Joy Gerrard was a new artist to me. Her work was really striking. She explores the themes of protests and urban spaces. ‘This exhibition marks the latest development in this project, presenting an abstract film work alongside monochrome paintings and drawings of the Arab risings of 2011, anti-Trump demonstrations and ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests from 2016′ {via}. I actually found her work quite profound and her work with marks is just astounding.
In the pieces that were on display, we were up at a higher vantage point looking down at the protests. It felt slightly like the view point a security camera might have. There is also a video in a room all on its own. I did not know what was happening when I first walked in – but it shows the constant flow of individual objects and is quite chaotic when you first see it but all the ‘dots’ still move within one space. Very powerful in the dark room. This is on from January 20, 2017 – March 26, 2017.
The museum had free entry (though you can make a donation upon entry if you wish) and further details can be found on their website. The Emotional Archaeology exhibit was unlike anything else I had seen and would certainly recommend going as it has a limited runtime so make sure to go before it moves on. If you do go I would love to know what you thought of it.
Not Paid or Sponsored | No Press Samples| No Affiliate Links
