The September / October 2020 issue of the VAN has arrived and been dispatched to members and arts organisations. As countries around the world continue to grapple with the shifting realities of COVID-19, the impact on the cultural sector is resonating far and wide. Thousands of museum and heritage jobs have already been lost in the UK and in the US, in a bid to offset looming deficits caused by the extended organisational closures. Coupled with the recent activism surrounding the Black Lives Matter campaign – which brought about the dismantling of problematic public monuments and their contentious histories – such instability provides a backdrop for current critical debate surrounding the shifting role of institutions in times of crisis. At the time of writing, the International Council of Museums continues its efforts to revise their working definition of a museum, which has not changed in almost 50 years. Opinions remain divided on whether institutions should be places that research, conserve and exhibit artifacts, or ones that actively engage with wider society in working towards global change.

Irish institutions are also finding ways to redefine their roles in the COVID-19 landscape, particularly with regard to audience engagement. On 30 July, NCAD Gallery convened an online event, titled ‘The Air We Breathe: Multiple Publics in Future Practice’, which focused on “social engagement in the age of social distance”. This fascinating panel discussion highlighted an urgent need for innovation in the sector, calling for diverse strategies for working with artists, assembling communities around projects, and creating physical presentations in the public realm, beyond artworks simply being “displaced into the online sphere”, which “prohibits conjunction”. Reasserting Arundati Roy’s analogy of the “pandemic as a portal” – which asked us to consider what we might bring with us, and what we might leave behind – Ailbhe Murphy (Director of CREATE) suggested that we need to think ambitiously about “recasting an infrastructure” within the Irish arts ecology. This includes reassessing the distribution of resources and the publicness of gallery spaces, while also questioning the validity of metrics as a way of attributing value to institutions.

Following a similar line of inquiry, Matt Packer’s column for this issue outlines the collective concerns of Ireland’s Strategically Funded Organisations. In addition, several feature articles describe how festivals and biennales are having to adapt to ongoing public health restrictions surrounding mass gatherings. Miguel Amado interviews Marie Brett about Day of the Straws, a work which draws upon the cholera pandemic of the 1830s to explore the experience of COVID-19 through ancient and contemporary cultural lore. Matt Packer also interviews Merve Elveren, guest programme curator for the 39th Eva International, about the pragmatic and curatorial challenges for the biennale, which will now be delivered in three phases, with the first phase opening on 18 September and continuing until 15 November.

The September / October 2020 issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN) has been dispatched to VAI members nationwide. Members of VAI receive a copy of the VAN delivered straight to their door. The VAN is also available to pick up free of charge in galleries and arts centres. You can also read articles on Visual Artists’ News Sheet website.

As ever, we have also have details on upcoming VAI Lifelong Learning workshops, public art roundups, news from the sector and listings of current artist opportunities.

On The Cover: Marie Brett, Day of the Straws, photograph; courtesy the artist.

The post Out Now | September / October Issue of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet first appeared on Visual Artists Ireland.

The November / December 2020 issue of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN) has arrived and been dispatched to members and arts organisations. With the ongoing closure of all cultural venues nationwide (due to Level 5 public health restrictions, aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19) once again galleries are having to find ways to supplement, extend or archive their exhibition programmes across a range of digital platforms. VAN’s November – December issue considers the pragmatic, conceptual, aesthetic and institutional benefits and challenges of these virtual and screen-based presentations – displaced from physical encounters and no longer dependant on bodily proximity.

The competition brief for the DCC/VAI Art Writing Award 2020 drew on current critical debate surrounding online exhibitions, with writers invited to consider whether this curatorial model, without significant precedent, is an alienating or democratising force for the presentation of art. Applicants responded to the complexity of the brief in diverse and interesting ways. Meadhbh McNutt’s winning essay is published in this issue, outlining the scope of current discourse and potential innovations in artistic practice.

Also in this issue, Matt Packer considers the proliferation of screen-based art as an important opportunity to reimagine the functionality and form of exhibitions. For the first time, VAN’s Critique section includes remote coverage of two online exhibitions, namely ‘Not Alone’ – a travelling exhibition of small-scale works, initiated by Golden Thread Gallery and disseminated via social media – and ‘Drawn From Borders’, a 3D virtual gallery, developed by Artlink in Donegal. Also reviewed in the November/December Critique section are: Sinéad Mi Mhaonaigh at The Dock; ‘The Sea Around Us’ at The Model; and Bernadette Doolan at GOMA Waterford.

Several regional exhibitions are also profiled in this issue, including: Austin McQuinn at The Source Art Centre; the ‘Connection’ project at Droichead Arts Centre; Orla Whelan at Rathfarnham Castle (Dublin); and ‘6’ group exhibition in Kilfane Glebe House Studio, Thomastown, which also coincides with the Regional Focus on County Kilkenny.

This issue also features coverage of several recent or ongoing festivals: Joanne Laws interviews Sarah Browne, Curator of TULCA Festival of Visual Arts 2020; Joanne also reports on key projects commissioned for Galway 2020 European City of Culture; while Theo Hynan-Radcliff reviews phase one of the 39^th Eva International. In addition, curator Alissa Kleist outlines various artistic projects realised as part of the Freelands Artist Programme.

In the last issue of 2020, we are profiling several Irish organisations who have been celebrating milestone anniversaries this year, namely 25 years of Hillsboro Fine Art and 30 years of Backwater Artists Studio.

The November / December 2020 issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN) has been dispatched to VAI members nationwide. Members of VAI receive a copy of the VAN delivered straight to their door. The VAN is also available to pick up free of charge in galleries and arts centres where possible. You can also read articles on Visual Artists’ News Sheet website.

As ever, we have also have details on upcoming VAI Lifelong Learning workshops, public art roundups, news from the sector and listings of current artist opportunities.

On The Cover: Eimear Walshe, The Land Question, 2020, courtesy the artist and EVA International.

Happy new year! After a difficult year, we hope you all enjoyed a peaceful festive season. The January-February 2021 issue of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN) has arrived and been dispatched to members and arts organisations. This issue has a broad thematic focus on artist-led practice, with timely profiles on various DIY projects, artist collectives, residencies, workspaces and other infrastructure.

As well as profiling various artist-led studios (including The Complex, Atelier Maser, Graphic Studio Dublin, spacecraft and Vault) we also hear from NINE, Angelica and Na Cailleacha – collectives and networks established during lockdown to enhance visibility and provide peer support for artists.

This issue also explores several experimental artist-led projects taking place outside the gallery and largely disseminated via social media. John Busher discusses ‘Sift’, a painting exhibition on the grounds of Wilton Castle in Wexford; while Rachel McIntyre interviews Eleanor McCaughey and Richard Proffitt about their temporary exhibition in East Wall, Dublin, titled ‘What Remains of This Place?’ Also in this issue, Róisín Foley discusses the artist-led residency, Oileán Air 2020 on Cape Clear Island, which recently hosted artists Brigid O’Dea, Vicky Langan and Noah Rose. We also hear from the students of NCAD’s second year MFA programme about their recent exhibition, ‘We Are Solitary’, which was installed at Rua Red Gallery in Tallaght, Dublin, in November 2020.

Among Career Development profiles, we hear from three Irish artists working across various disciplines – Aoife Dunne, Pascal Ungerer and Kevin Francis Gray – who offer insights into the progression of their practices to date. In columns for this issue, Miguel Amado discusses curating as civic practice, while Art Writing Award-winner, Meadhbh McNutt, reflects on her recent workshop at CCA Derry~Londonderry, titled ‘Should Artists Write?’ In addition, Albert Weis discusses ‘The border’ – a group exhibition featuring several Irish artists at Deutscher Künstlerbund, Berlin, which considered the historic legacy of the Troubles, while reflecting upon current restrictions and insecurities in the context of looming Brexit.

In October and November 2020, galleries and museums were closed to the public, with no guarantee of reopening before Christmas. For this reason, we were reluctant to commission our usual series of exhibition reviews. Therefore, the Critique section for this issue focuses on art books recently published in Ireland, with reviews of: Small Town Portraits; Winter Papers, Volume 6; Curriculum: Contemporary Art Goes to School; Everything is Somewhere Else; and Art Ireland and the Irish Diaspora. This timely focus on art publishing resonates with the highly successful tenth edition of the Dublin Art Book Fair at TBG+S (23 November — 06 December 2020), which is discussed in Renata Pekowska’s profile on artists’ books.

The January-February 2021 issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN) has been dispatched to VAI members nationwide. Members of VAI receive a copy of the VAN delivered straight to their door. The VAN is also available to pick up free of charge in galleries and arts centres where possible. You can also read articles on Visual Artists’ News Sheet website.

As ever, we have also have details on upcoming VAI Lifelong Learning workshops, public art roundups, news from the sector and listings of current artist opportunities.

On The Cover:Louis Haugh, Or like a matchstick, 2020; photography © and courtesy the artist

The VAN Podcast is a new podcast series from Visual Artists Ireland, hosted by Joanne Laws, Features Editor of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN).

Published every two months, The VAN Podcast comprises online conversations, recorded remotely, with various contributors to each issue of the VAN. This gives opportunities to discuss some of the ideas arising from their published texts, while also offering insights into their wider practice.

Episode 1 features interviews with Cornelius Browne and Frank Wasser both of whom contributed columns for the November – December 2020 issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet.

Cornelius Browne is a Donegal-based artist whose practice has cultivated a devotion to plein air painting. As a regular contributor to VAN, Cornelius has beautifully articulated the seasonal fluctuations of painting outdoors, as well as exploring the many practical, theoretical and materials concerns in his work. His most recent column for VAN is titled Nocturnes, and focuses on his impulse to paint outdoors at night.

Frank Wasser is an Irish artist and writer who lives and works in London. He is a lecturer and art educator at Tate Modern and a PhD candidate at The Ruskin School of Art, which is the Fine Art Department of the University of Oxford. Frank’s column for the November – December issue is called ‘Word Upon Word Upon Fallen Word’ and traces the art historical significance of text-based art in the practice of American conceptual artist, Lawrence Weiner.

These podcast interviews are also available on Soundcloud, the Visual Artists News Sheet Online and in the Members Area of the VAI website.

About VAN:
The Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN) is the primary all-Ireland information resource for visual artists presenting case study articles on all aspects of the lives of professional artists, alongside features offering critical reflection and analysis of relevant aspects of the art world in Ireland and internationally. The Visual Artists’ News Sheet reports and reflects upon the broadest possible range of issues relevant to Irish visual artists across Ireland. The Visual Artists’ News Sheet is also committed to giving coverage to the diversity of contemporary Irish visual arts practice in terms of media, generation and geography. The Visual Artists’ News Sheet’s inclusive remit encompasses artists working in traditional and contemporary modes; established and emerging artists; artists who are based throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
visualartistsireland.com/

The VAN Podcast is a podcast series from Visual Artists Ireland.

Published every two months, The VAN Podcast comprises online conversations, recorded remotely, with various contributors to each issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet. This gives opportunities to discuss some of the ideas arising from published texts, while also offering insights into wider practice.

Episode 2 features interviews with Kiera O’Toole, as well as Jane Morrow and Moran Been-noon, who each contributed to the January-February 2021 issue of VAN.

Kiera O’Toole is a Sligo-based artist, a PhD candidate at Loughborough University, and cofounder of Drawing deCentred – an artist-led collective that explores contemporary drawing practice in Ireland. Her recent profile for VAN focuses on NINE – a new collective of 8 women artists, formed during lockdown.

Jane Morrow is an independent visual art curator and researcher based in Belfast, whose ongoing PhD research examines the precarity of artists’ studios and workspaces. Moran Been-noon is an Israeli, Dublin-based curator, artist and writer, who is currently Curator-in-Residence at glór in Ennis. In 2020, Jane and Moran established the Angelica Network, which was profiled in the January-February issue of VAN.

These podcast interviews are also available on Soundcloud, the Visual Artists News Sheet Online and in the Members Area of the VAI website.

About VAN:

The Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN) is the primary all-Ireland information resource for visual artists presenting case study articles on all aspects of the lives of professional artists, alongside features offering critical reflection and analysis of relevant aspects of the art world in Ireland and internationally. The Visual Artists’ News Sheet reports and reflects upon the broadest possible range of issues relevant to Irish visual artists across Ireland. The Visual Artists’ News Sheet is also committed to giving coverage to the diversity of contemporary Irish visual arts practice in terms of media, generation and geography. The Visual Artists’ News Sheet’s inclusive remit encompasses artists working in traditional and contemporary modes; established and emerging artists; artists who are based throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. visualartistsireland.com

VAN’s summer issue has just been despatched to arts organisations and VAI members nationwide, while the digital version is now available for subscribers in the members’ area of the VAI website.

To mark the much-anticipated reopening of galleries, museums and art centres, we have compiled a Summer Gallery Guide to inform visual art audiences about forthcoming exhibitions happening in July and August across Ireland and Northern Ireland. This guide is published on the VAN website here. 

We are thrilled to resume coverage of exciting and timely exhibitions in VAN’s summer issue. Colin Darke reviews ‘Sorry, Neither’ at the Naughton Gallery, as well as ‘Somnyama Ngonyama’ – the first solo exhibition of renowned South African photographer, Zanele Muholi, on the island of Ireland, which was presented in partnership with Belfast Photo Festival 2021. Matt Packer interviews Iranian-Irish filmmaker, Rouzbeh Rashidi, founder of the Experimental Film Society, marking its 20^th anniversary this year with a new publication and the exhibition, ‘Luminous Void’, at Project Arts Centre.

In addition, reviewed in the Critique section are: Sheila Rennick at Kevin Kavanagh; Fiona Hackett at RHA Ashford Gallery; ‘Light and Language’ at Lismore Castle Arts; ‘Home: Being and Belonging in Contemporary Ireland’ at The Glucksman; and Richard Moss at Butler Gallery.

This issue features an interview with members of Belfast-based art collective, Array, following their nomination for the Turner Prize 2021, along with four other UK collectives. Another significant development within the Irish visual arts community is outlined in Susan Campbell’s report on the million-euro acquisition fund (supported by the Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media) through which 422 artworks by 70 artists have been added to the National Collection of IMMA and Crawford Art Gallery.

Among other profiles for this issue, Claire-Louise Bennett and Ruby Wallis continue their collaborative project, Brian Fay interviews Michael Geddis and Joanna Kidney about their long-running collaborative drawing project, Rachel Botha outlines recent developments in her curatorial practice, while Joanne Laws interviews Ciara Roche about the evolution of her painting practice. Residency coverage for this issue includes Rosie McGurran’s text on the Inishlacken Project, celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year, and Bryan Gerard Duffy’s report on his experience of the inaugural Bolay residency in the Linenhall Arts Centre.

 In columns for this issue, Cornelius Browne reflects on the enduring legacy of painter, Joan Eardley, whom he refers to as the ‘patron saint’ of plein air painting, and Mel French discusses her recent training in silicone casting with model-maker, Paul McDonnell.

This issue includes a Regional Focus on County Donegal, with insights from Jeremy Fitz Howard, Acting Manager, Regional Cultural Centre; Martha McCulloch, Coordinator, Artlink; and Jean Kearney, Head Guide at Glebe House and Gallery. In addition, artists Laura McCafferty, Myrid Carten and Paul Hallahan offer insights into the realities of maintaining a visual art practice in the county.

In celebration of physical encounters with art – and the role of writing in recording these experiences – this issue focuses almost exclusively on the many interesting and vibrant exhibitions taking place around the country over the last few months.

Among numerous Exhibition Profiles, Mary Flanaghan interviews artist Anna Spearman about her recent solo show, ‘Loose Parts’ at Roscommon Arts Centre; Dr Yvonne Scott reflects on Mary-Ruth Walsh’s touring exhibition, ‘SKIN DEEP’; and Davey Moore outlines the recent group show, ‘Double Estate’ at the Pearse Museum, presenting works from the OPW State Art Collection.

In addition, Jane Morrow reviews the recent exhibition series, ‘Mediating Signals’ at Flax Art Studios, curated by Edy Fung; Luan Gallery outlines the thematic inquiries of their current show, ‘Queer As You Are’; Sinéad Keogh discusses the curatorial inquiries underpinning ‘I Am What I Am’ at Ballina Arts Centre; and Dr Barbara Dawson reflects on the 20th anniversary of the Francis Bacon Studio project.

Among festival coverage in this issue, Michael Hill’s column considers the resonance of large-scale international art exhibitions like the Venice Biennale, Jennifer Redmond reviews the visual art programme of Cork Midsummer Festival 2021, and Gwen Burlington considers some of the artworks presented during the second phase of EVA International.

Reviewed in the Critique section are: ‘Sweeny’s Decent’ at An Táin Arts Centre; ‘A Conversation Ensued, Nobody Said A Word’, a two-person show with Colin Darke and Yvonne Kennan at Belfast Exposed; Claire Murphy, ‘Here is Where I Am’ at South Tipperary Arts Centre; ‘The Loneliness of Being German’, a two-person show with Vera Klute and Thomas Brezing at Limerick City Gallery of Art; and ‘The Maternal Gaze’, an online screening programme at IMMA.
In Cornelius Browne’s latest Plein Air column, ‘The Painters in The Trees’, he reflects on painting with his children close to home, while Miguel Amado discusses collections, colonial legacies and ‘art from elsewhere’. John Graham outlines key aspects of his drawing process in his skills column, and Ann Quinn discusses her recent paintings, to be shown in a forthcoming solo exhibition at Taylor Galleries.

VAI member profiles include Carolann Courtney’s interview with John Conway about his durational and multi-disciplinary art practice, and Ingrid Lyons’s reflection on two recent installations by Liliane Puthod.

The Regional Focus for this issue comes from County Waterford, with organisational insights from Síle Penkert (Executive Director, Garter Lane Arts Centre), Paul McAree (Curator, Lismore Castle Arts), Claire Meaney (Director, Waterford Healing Arts Trust) and Jenna Whelan (Director, GOMA Gallery of Modern Art), while visual artists Clare Scott and Sarah Lincoln reflect on the realities of maintaining a visual art practice in the region.

VAI members can view the VAN online here.

VAN’s final issue of the year has just been despatched to members and arts organisations, while the digital version is now available for subscribers in the members’ area of the VAI website.

You can receive a copy directly in the post, as part of VAI’s membership subscription (Professional or Associate, €25/€50 per year). Alternatively, you can pick up a copy for free in galleries and art centres nationwide.

In VAN’s Nov/Dec 2021 issue, we reflect on some timely exhibitions and festivals taking place across Ireland, while profiling several new organisations.

On The Cover

Aideen Barry, Klostes, behind the scenes; photograph by Martynas Plepys, courtesy the artist and Kaunas 2022, European Capital of

Culture.

Columns

The Painter’s Friend. Cornelius Browne considers the marginal position of working-class artists.

An Ever-evolving Series of Projects. Pamela de Brí discusses her latest body of work, created by cycling around the Irish midlands.

Pluid: The National Comfort Blanket. Claire Halpin and Madeleine Hellier discuss their ambitious collaborative artwork.

Day Dream. The founders of trans-art in Cavan discuss the evolution of the platform to date.

Plan C: Whereabouts? Michaële Cutaya discusses the making of GMIT’s MA in Creative Practice graduate show.

Momentum. Emmett Scanlon reflects on a new exhibition programme at the Irish Architecture Foundation.

Regional Focus: Sligo

Take a Walk for Me. Catherine Fanning, Arts Development Worker, Sligo Arts Service.

The Model. Emer McGarry, Artistic Director and CEO.

It’s OK to be an Outsider. Emma Stroude, Visual Artist.

Conversations with Waters. Ruth Le Gear, Visual Artist.

Hamilton Gallery. Martina Hamilton, Director.

Hyde Bridge Gallery. Nuala Clarke, Chair of Board.

Queer Bodies, Rural Landscape. Bog Cottage, Artist Collective.

Exhibition Profile

Citizens of the Cosmos. Miguel Amado reflects on Anton Vidokle’s recent exhibition in Rampa, which was coproduced by Sirius.

Amongst the Daughter. Jennie Guy contextualises Cecilia Bullo’s show at Hillsboro Fine Art.

Critique

Pigsy, ‘Catharsis of Collapse’ at The Butter Market Gallery.

Emma Wolf-Haugh, ‘Domestic Optimism’ at Project Arts Centre.

Abigail O’Brien, ‘Justice – Never Enough’ at Highlanes Gallery.

Joe Caslin, Counterpart, mural at the Ulster Museum.

‘Queer Mind, Body and Soul’ at the National Gallery of Ireland.

Róisín Kennedy, Art & The Nation State (Liverpool University Press, 2021).

Exhibition Profile

Reliquary of Beasts. Meadhbh McNutt reviews a recent group exhibition at 126 Artist-run Gallery.

Feeling of Knowing. John Graham reviews a recent group exhibition at The Complex.

Festival

Klostės/Folds. Joanne Laws interviews Aideen Barry about her commission for Kaunas European City of Culture 2022.

Hyperobjects. Joanne Laws interviews three artists exhibiting at the PhotoIreland Festival 2021.

Member Profile  

Testing/testing. Brendan Maher speaks with Joy Gerrard about her current exhibitions.

Hypnagogia. Aifric Kyne interviews Ann Maria Healy about her recent exhibition at The LAB.

Organisation Profile

Grass Roots. Founders Mark Buckeridge and Leah Corbett discuss Muine Bheag Arts.

Dynamic Power. Matthew Wilkinson introduces The Horse – a new project space in Dublin.

As galleries and museums across Ireland and Northern Ireland remain closed to the public, we have once again had to temporarily shift our focus away from physical exhibitions. VAN’s March – April 2021 issue is loosely themed around artist publishing activities, while also covering a timely range of online film screenings and moving image programmes.

We seem to be witnessing an unprecedented return to publishing in the Irish visual arts community, evident in the vast array of artist books, catalogues, monographs and photobooks currently being produced. These exciting developments are reflected across this issue of VAN. In place of our usual Exhibition Roundup, we are presenting an inaugural Publishing Roundup, which profiles an assortment of recent Irish publications and zines, as well as current and forthcoming international art books.

We have invited contributions from several independent publishing projects and imprints based in Ireland – Numbered Editions, Bloomers Magazine, Soft Fiction Projects and Stereo Editions – who each discuss their scope, evolution and future plans. In addition, Christopher Steenson outlines some key considerations for self-publishing; Sean Lynch interviews John Carson about his new book, produced by ACA Public; while VAN Editor, Joanne Laws, discusses several new photography publications, developed to accompany high profile exhibitions in Ireland this year.

In columns for this issue, Matt Packer considers the impact of art falling ‘out-of-sync’ with its intended proposal, and Miguel Amado calls for a curatorial resistance to the interdependence of finance and the institutions of art. Cornelius Browne reflects on the relations between art and walking in is column, ‘The Gentle Art of Tramping’, while Éilís Murphy and Grace Wilentz discuss their two-year collaboration.

In VAN’s Career Development section, Mary Flanagan interviews artist Jo Killalea about her painting practice; Gwen Burlington discusses the work of Irish artist, Renèe Helèna Browne; and Meadhbh McNutt interviews Jan McCullough about her current exhibition at CCA Derry~Londonderry.

Among other profiles, Susan Campbell outlines the evolution of the Golden Fleece Award, marking its twentieth anniversary this year; while Jennifer Redmond considers various artworks in ‘Cahoots: The Space Between’ – an artist-led digital exhibition, organised in collaboration between A4 Sounds (Dublin), Sample Studios (Cork), and Engage Art Studios (Galway).

VAN’s Critique section features recent online screening programmes: Patrick Hough, ‘Revenant Images’ for aemi; Jesse Jones, ‘We Interrupt This Apocalypse’ for Isolation TV; ‘Irish Short Reel Series’ for CIACLA & MART; Sasha Litvintseva, Every Rupture (2020) for the Douglas Hyde Gallery; and Phil Collins, Bring Down the Walls (2020) hosted by Void Gallery.

Members can view this issue online through their member portal.

Non-members can read a curated list of articles at visualartistsireland.com

Welcome to the May-June issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet.

In columns in this issue, Cornelius Browne considers the historical rejection of exhibitions by outsider artists in his Plein Air column for this issue. Conversely, tasked with developing a large-scale exhibition during a global pandemic, Niamh O’Malley outlines ongoing preparations for Ireland at Venice 2022. In other columns, Matt Packer reports from the recent Curatorial Ethics workshop at Void, Derry, while Miguel Amado tracks toxic philanthropy in the global art world. In addition, Shane Finan outlines open-source software and alternative platforms, and Ciarán Murphy reflects on the mysteries of the ‘self’ in relation to the creative process and its affinities with psychoanalysis.

Over the last year, we have been publishing a popular series of articles in which VAI members offer insights into the challenges of maintaining an art practice during a global pandemic. This issue features Member Profiles from artists Audrey Walshe, Elaine Hoey, Giulia Berto, Austin Hearne, Kate Murphy and Ellen Duffy, who each offer generous insights into the research and artworks they have been developing during lockdown.

In Project Profiles, Clare Scott outlines ongoing archival research on the Aileen MacKeogh Project, Barbara Knezevic discusses her recent artwork, ‘The Record Keepers’, commissioned for Cabra Library, while Kate Antosik Parsons reflects on Amanda Coogan’s new work, ‘They come then, the birds’, due to be exhibited at Rua Red, as the first in the series of Magdalene commissions.

VAN’s May-June issue includes an expanded Regional Focus on Belfast, with insights from Peter Richards, Chair of the Belfast Visual Arts Forum; Ben Crothers, Curator and Collections Manager at the Naughton Gallery; Jane Butler, Co-director of Household; the codirectors of Catalyst Arts; and Clodagh Lavelle, Project Coordinator of Reimagine, Remake, Replay. In addition, artists Justine McDonnell, Gerard Carson and several members of Queen Street Studios offer detailed insights into visual arts activities and infrastructure within Belfast city.

Reviewed in the Critique section are an interesting selection of recent online exhibitions and projects: Rory Tangney, ‘Tales of the Future Past’; Kurb Junki, ‘Meditative Monitor’; Vera Ryklova, ‘Aesthetic Distance’ at Cultúrlann, Belfast; ‘Passing-time’, passing-time.org; and ‘The Museum of Ancient History’ at University College Dublin.

In VAN’s first issue of the year, we profile a range of exciting projects, exhibitions, screenings and festivals taking place around the country, as 2021 came to a close.

On The Cover

Anthony Haughey, Anthem Art Intervention, Fort Dunree, on the Eve of the Anglo-Irish Treaty Signing, 5 December 2021; photograph by Anthony Haughey, courtesy the artist and Artlink.

Columns

Kites. Cornelius Browne considers aerial vantage points and objects of flight.

Patience. Andy Parsons discusses his residency at Sligo University Hospital.

Glimpses. Clíodhna Shaffrey chronicles ongoing preparations for the Venice Biennale.

Revising the Rainbow. Hannah Tiernan discusses the touring initiative ‘Rewind << Fastforward >>Record’.

Catalytic Intersections. Mary Catherine Nolan reports on a recent symposium organised by the Irish Artists’ Film Index.

The Black River of Herself. Gwen Burlington discusses Patrick Hough’s recent film.

The Sisyphean Task. Rod Stoneman discusses a recent exhibition in NUI Galway, presenting the work of practice-based PhD students from the Burren College of Art.

Regional Focus: Tipperary

To Be ‘Of a Place’. Helena Tobin, Artistic Director, South Tipperary Art Centre.

Source Arts Centre. Brendan Maher, Director.

Edgelands. John Kennedy, Visual Artist

Forest Bathing. Karen T Colbert, Visual Artist.

Vessels of Strength. Carissa Farrell, Writer and Curator.

Festival

Mutuality. Conal McStravick considers activist histories and communities of care at the 17^th Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival.

Ephemeral Permanence. Jennie Taylor interviews Eoin Dara, curator of TULCA Festival of Visual Arts 2021.

An Example of Something Inside Out. Frank Wasser reports on FIX 21 as both a performer and observer.

Critique

Alice Maher and Rachel Fallon, The Map, 2021, [Detail]; photograph by Ros Kavanagh, courtesy the artists and Rua Red.

‘Innate Flow’ at Market House, Craftwork, Cappoquin

‘Dear www’ at glór, Ennis.

Helen Hughes, ‘and Yes, daydreamer SurRender, Roscommon Arts Centre

Alice Maher and Rachel Fallon, ‘The Map’ at Rua Red.

Joseph Beuys and Asbestos at Hugh Lane Gallery.

Exhibition Profile

Practices of Emancipation. Miguel Amado reflects on Daniela Ortiz’s show at Sirius.

Water – More or Less. Susan Campbell reviews Marie Hanlon’s recent solo show.

Residency

Citizen Action. Seán Beattie interviews Anthony Haughey about his Artlink residency.

VAI Event

Sustainable Ambition. Joanne Laws reports on VAI Get Together 2021.

Project Profile 

Test Site. Róisín Foley discusses a recent project in Kyrls Quay, Cork City.

Breaking Cover. Cathy Fitzgerald reports on a recent performance event at IMMA.

Organisation Profile

Stack. Gabrielle Flynn speaks to Elizabeth Kinsella about her exhibition at Solas Art Gallery.

The Global Contemporary. Kate Antosik-Parsons interviews Annie Fletcher about IMMA’s 30^th anniversary.

Thinking Publicly. Megs Morley speaks to Francis McKee about how institutions learn and think publicly with artists.

VAN’s March/April 2022 issue has a thematic focus on painting. Among specially commissioned feature articles, a series of Artist Interviews between painters at different career stages aims to generate expanded discussion on the nature of contemporary painting.

In Member Profiles, we observe the diversity of practice among VAI members, whose primary medium is painting – ranging from figurative, expressive or pastoral approaches to abstraction and hyper realism.

Reviewed in the expanded 60^th special edition of the Critique section are ten recent high-profile shows, which collectively attest to the scope and ambition of current painting and exhibition-making practices.

On the Cover

Vanessa Jones, Cabbage Baby (self-portrait), 2021, oil on linen, 80 x 60 cm; image courtesy of the artist.

Column

7. Alfred Wallis: In Belfast & Memory. Cornelius Brown discusses the Alfred Wallis exhibition currently showing at the MAC in Belfast.

Artist Interviews

8. This Energetic Thing. Nick Miller and Salvatore of Lucan discuss the alchemy and melancholy of painting.
9. Art Pervading Life Diana Copperwhite and Cecilia Danell reflect on the ways in which painting infiltrates every aspect of life.
10. Paintings As Places. Selma Makela and Fionna Murray consider the idea that a painting can be a place in itself.
11. Beyond Language. Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Dominique Crowley reflect on the narratives of painting.
12. The Impulse of the Work. Ciarán Murphy and Merlin James consider the intimacies and connections of painting.
13. Surface History. Serena Caulfield and Stephen Dunne discuss their painting practices and recent working methods.

Exhibition Profile

16. Beginnings. Nick Miller reflects on the life and work of Patrick Hall.
17. Remembering Zagreb. James Merrigan reflects on ‘Dubliners’ at the 6th Biennial of Painting.

Critique – Special 60th Edition

17. Cover Image: David Eager Maher, Hotel Regina, 2021, oil on panel; image courtesy of the artist and the Oliver Sears Gallery.
18. ‘Patrick Graham: Taking Leave’, Hillsboro Fine Art

Ian Gordon, ‘The September Paintings’, RCC Letterkenny

19. Nano Reid, ‘Adamantine’, Highlanes Gallery
20. Mark Swords, ‘Tribuna’, RHA
21. Ronnie Hughes, ‘Isobar’, The MAC
22. David Eager Maher, ‘Pinked’, Oliver Sears

John Kennedy, ‘Edgelands’, South Tipperary Arts Centre

23. Melissa O’Faherty, ‘Turning It Over’, RHA Ashford Gallery
24. Winter Group Show, Molesworth Gallery
25. Mick O’Dea, ‘West Northwest’, Molesworth Gallery

Member Profile

30. Abstraction As A Felt Sensation. Sarah Wren Wilson

Not Now Death, I’m Painting. Alan Raggett

31. A Gesture of Othering. Stephen Doyle

Indo-Persian Miniature. Amna Walayat

32. Vibrant Matter. Natasha Pike

Embodied Movement. Joanne Boyle

33. Revenants. Kevin Mooney

Transitions in Scale. Joan Sugrue

34. Sian Costello: Performing Apparitions. Theo Hynan-Ratcliffe
35. Embodied Knowledge. Julia Mitchell

What Makes Me A Painter. Mollie Douthit

36. Great Work in Marginal Places. Michelle Boyle

Hoarder of Images. Brian Kielt

37. Marriage Story. Chanelle Walshe

The Power of Things. Comhghall Casey

Career Development

38. Look At Us, We’re Here. Catherine Marshall discusses the work of Pat Curran.
39. One of Many. Jane Morrow interviews Jennifer Trouton at QSS, Belfast.
40. Enclosed Garden. Vanessa Jones outlines the evolution of her painting practice.
41. Ghosts of the Revolutionary Past. Paul Doherty, Visual Artist.

Fail Better. Cormac O’Leary, Visual Artist.

42. Perseverance is Key. Kaye Maahs, Visual Artist. 

Residency

43. Work and Vision. Róisín O’Sullivan reports on her Tony O’Malley residency in Callan.

Member Organisation Profile

44. CIAS at 60. Brenda Moore-McCann interviews Mary Pavlides, chair of the Contemporary Irish Arts Society.

September/October 2022 issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet

VAN’s September/October 2022 issue has a renewed international focus, which includes reviews of the Whitney Biennial (New York), Rencontres d’Arles, and Arthur Jafa at LUMA (France). Laragh Pittman outlines the participation of Art Nomads in documenta 15 in Kassel (Germany), while Ingrid Lyons reports on her residency at Est-Nord-Est in Quebec (Canada).

This issue also has a timely focus on recent art publishing, including reviews of Negative Space and England on Fire, and an interview with Gregory Sholette about his latest book, The Art of Activism and the Activism of Art. 

Among columns for this issue, Iarlaith Ni Fheorais outlines the curatorial ideas underpinning ‘Speech Sounds’ at VISUAL, while Bridget O’Gorman shares her experiences of sustaining an art practice with a disability. Thaís Muniz reflects on the evolution of her career as an interdisciplinary artist for the Angelica Column series, which invites timely contributions from members of the Angelica Network who self-identify as women or minority gender from underrepresented cultural or ethnic backgrounds. 

On The Cover: Kumbirai Makumbe, Pre-Intertopia, 2022, sculptural installation, ‘Speech Sounds’, VISUAL; photograph by Ros Kavanagh, courtesy the artist and VISUAL.

Columns

9. Workshops and Wheelbarrows. Cornelius Browne discusses his recent painting workshop at Dublin Plein Air Festival.

Head Orientation. Thaís Muniz reflects on her practice.

10. Speech Sounds. Iarlaith Ni Fheorais outlines the curatorial methods and ideas underpinning a recent show at VISUAL.
11. Ghosting Contemporary Art. Bridget O’Gorman shares her experiences of sustaining an art practice with a disability. 

12. A Manifesto of Tiny Victories. Paul Roy uses mark-making as a metaphor for losses experienced with chronic illness.

The Art of Enactment. Day Magee considers phenomenology, performance, and the body’s experiences of chronic pain.

13. Cats in the Archive. Eve Parnell discusses the Irish Exhibition of Living Art archive, which is housed in NIVAL.

Kunstverein Aughrim. Kate Strain discusses a new venture.

Exhibition Profile

14. Made X NW. Phillina Sun discusses a group show at The Dock.
15. Lament. Jennie Taylor reviews ‘Lament’ at Pallas Projects.

Seminar

18. A Sense of Place. Marek Wolynski on ‘Art in the Landscape’. 

Critique

19. Sean Hillen, The Great Cliffs of Collage Green, Dublin, IRELANTIS, 1997; courtesy the artist and PhotoIreland Festival.
20. PhotoIreland Festival 2022.
21. ‘Beyond Drawing’at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre.
22. Kevin Atherton at Butler Gallery
23. Summer Show at The Engine Room Gallery.
24. Patrick McAlister at Mermaid Arts Centre.

Festival / Biennial

27. Many Rivers to Cross. Laragh Pittman outlines the participation of Irish group, Art Nomads, in documenta 15 this summer.
28. Quiet As It’s Kept. Chris Clarke reviews the Whitney Biennial.
29. Reclaiming the Contrast. Varvara Keidan Shavrova reviews works at the Rencontres d’Arles and Arthur Jafa at LUMA.

Project Profile

32. In a Contrary Place. Ruth Clinton and Niamh Moriarty discuss their new film and accompanying storytelling performance.
33. Love and Odd Posters. Marie-Louise Blaney speaks to Ciara Phillips about her recent solo exhibition at The Model.

Art Publishing

35. Brian Curtin reviews Negative Space.
36. Sinéad Gleeson reviews England on Fire.
37. The Activism of Art. Miguel Amado and Georgia Perkins interview Gregory Sholette about his latest book.

Residency

38. Entre Chien et Loup. Ingrid Lyons on her recent residency.

VAI Member Profile

39. Citizens. Belinda Loftus on her show in Rathfarnham Castle.

VAN November/December 2022 issue profiles several recent exhibitions by artists at different career stages, working across a diverse range of media. Nick Miller interviews Philip Moss about his recent exhibition of painting at the RCC Letterkenny; Maximilian Le Cain covers Evgeniya Martirosyan’s ‘To Ashes’ at GOMA Waterford; Aengus Woods considers Lucy McKenna’s mixed-media works, recently presented at Solstice Arts Centre; and Jonathan Brennan reviews Ron Mueck’s hyper-realist sculptures at The MAC in Belfast.
In his latest Plein Air column, Cornelius Browne considers the sea as an omnipresent force in the work of Donegal painters; while in other columns, Chronic Collective discuss their advocacy for improved accessibility in the arts, and The Arts Council outline their new EDI toolkit.

For our Ecologies section, Cleary Connolly and collaborators discuss their Eco Showboat tour of Irish waterways to raise awareness about climate change. This issue also includes performance art, member profiles, a Regional Focus on Galway City, and much more.

On the Cover: Enda Burke, Deirdre by the Window, 2021, photograph; image courtesy of the artist

Columns
9. Sea Interludes. Cornelius Browne considers the sea as an omnipresent force in the work of Donegal painters.
Reflections on a Radical Plot. Clodagh Emoe chronicles the evolution of a long-running ecological project.
10. Chronic Collective. Tara Carroll and Áine O’Hara discuss the art collective and their advocacy for improved accessibility in the arts.
Oh Infamy. Iarlaith Ni Fheorais discusses a new film.
11. Making Change Happen. The Arts Council’s EDI toolkit.
Reflections on Making. Pauline Keena’s residency at BAG.

Regional Focus
12. Civic Contribution. Megs Morley, Director, Galway Arts Centre.
13. Engage Art Studios. Rita McMahon, Managing Director.
Evolution of Artist-Run. Lindsay Merlihan, Director, 126.
14. New Directions. Kate Howard, Galway City Council.
Full Steam Ahead. Anne Marie Deacy, Visual Artist.
15. Galway: A Suburban Perspective. Hilary Morley, Visual Artist
Rainy Metropolis of Ambition. Enda Burke, Visual Artist.

Ecologies
16. Eco Showboat. Connolly Cleary outline their recent tour of Irish waterways to raise awareness about climate change.
Land-made. Padraig Cunningham outlines his contributions to the Eco Showboat Shannon expedition this summer.
17. Mesocosm. Christine Mackey assembles a glossary of key terms pertinent to her Eco Showboat research and project.

Art Publishing
18. The Story of Art Without Men. Varvara Keidan Shavrova reviews Katy Hessel’s book, published by Hutchinson Heinemann.

Critique
20. ‘Bones in the Attic’ at Hugh Lane Gallery
21. Eithne Jordan at Highlanes Gallery
22. Michelle Malone at The LAB
23. Caoimhe McGuckin at Riverbank Arts Centre
24. ‘Braid’ at Lord Mayors Pavilion

Exhibition Profile
26. Unseen. Nick Miller interviews Philip Moss about his painting practice and recent exhibition at the RCC Letterkenny.
28. To Ashes. Maximilian Le Cain reviews Evgeniya Martirosyan’s recent solo exhibition, ‘To Ashes’, at GOMA Waterford.
29. Kurnugia NOW! Celina Muldoon outlines her recent collaborative research project and current exhibition at The Dock.
30. A Dormant Light. Aengus Woods reviews Lucy McKenna’s recent solo exhibition at Solstice Arts Centre in County Meath.
32. Staggering Verisimilitude. Jonathan Brennan reviews Ron Mueck’s ongoing solo exhibition at The MAC in Belfast.

Performance Art
34. Live Art Ireland. Deej Fabyc outlines the renovation of Milford House
in Tipperary and the founding of Live Art Ireland.
36. Ritualistic Repair. Day Magee reflects on ‘Performance Ecologies’ at Interface
in the Inagh Valley, Connemara.

VAI Member Profile
37. Alive and Picking. Kathryn Crowley discusses her practice.
Remotely Radical. Emma Campbell reflects on a recent exhibition at Vault Studios in Belfast featuring the work of VAI members Sally O’Dowd, Charlotte Bosanquet, and Grace McMurray.
38. Augmented Auguries. Brenda Moore-McCann interviews artist and VAI member Claire Halpin about her painting practice.

We wish to extend a happy new year to all VAN readers – may the Irish visual arts community go from strength to strength this coming year.

In the first issue of 2023, we profile a range of interesting exhibitions that took place around the country as 2022 came to a close – some of which are continuing into January and beyond. This includes Periodical Review at Pallas Projects/Studio, Corban Walker at Crawford Art Gallery, Grace Dyas at Rua Red, ‘In and of Itself’ at The RHA, Kevin Mooney at IMMA, Isabel Nolan at VOID Gallery, and  Brian Fay at Limerick City Gallery of Art.

In columns for this issue, Iarlaith Ni Fheorais introduces the radical potential of access in the visual arts, while Matt Packer discusses the history of international curatorial invitation in Ireland.

We are delighted to include Member Profiles on two octogenarian members of VAI – Mike Bunn and Gillian Deeny. This issue also includes Organisation Profiles on Artform School of Art in Dunmore East, the Grilse Gallery in Kerry, and Temple Bar Gallery + Studios on the occasion of their 40^th anniversary.

In festival profiles for this issue, Emma Campbell interviews Clare Gormley about her curatorial vision for TULCA 2022, while Thomas Pool interviews the EVA Platform Commission artists making new work for EVA International 2023. And lastly, Brenda Moore-McCann discusses the Italian townhouse, Casa Dipinta (meaning ‘painted house’), once owned by the late Brian O’Doherty and his wife, Barbara Novack.

On The Cover

Isabel Nolan, Desert Mother (Saint Paula) and Lion, 2022, water-based oil on canvas; photograph by Lee Welch, courtesy the artist, Kerlin Gallery, and Void Gallery.

Columns

9          The Signature of All Things. Cornelius Browne discusses the origins of artistic anonymity.

Mashq. Kip Alizadeh outlines their participation in ACNI’s Minority Ethnic Artists Mentoring and Residency programme.

10        Through Care, Towards Access. Iarlaith Ni Fheorais introduces the radical potential of access in the visual arts.

Curating in a Negative Spectrum. Matt Packer discusses the history of international curatorial invitation in Ireland.

11        Practical Magic. Siobhán Mooney outlines the 12th iteration of Periodical Review at Pallas Projects/Studio.

We Need to Talk About Painting. Karen Ebbs reports on a series of talks she recently organised at IMMA and The Complex.

12        The Kerr Shoe Collection. Eve Parnell considers a collection of twentieth-century Irish shoes housed in NIVAL.

Direct Support. Elida Maiques outlines her participation in Mermaid Art Centre’s Transform Associate Artist Scheme.

Legacy

13        Casa Dipinta. Brenda Moore-McCann discusses the Italian townhouse owned by Brian O’Doherty and Barbara Novack. 

Organisation

14        The Space to Grow. Members of TBG+S consider the organisation’s legacy and continued importance on its 40^th anniversary.

17        Ireland’s St. Ives. Martina O’Byrne outlines the evolution of Artform School of Art in Dunmore East in Waterford.

18        Defining an Arena. Lucy and Robert Carter on Grilse Gallery. 

Critique

19. Tinka Bechert, Handlanger, 2018, mixed media on raw canvas.
20. ‘UPHOLD: New Collections’ at 35DP
21. Grace Dyas ‘A Mary Magdalene Experience’ at Rua Red
22. ‘In and of Itself – Abstraction in the age of images’ at The RHA.
23. Kevin Mooney ‘Revenants’ at IMMA
24. Brian Fay ‘The Most Recent Forever’ at Limerick City Gallery of Art

Exhibition Profile

25        Re_sett_ing_s. John Graham reviews a recent exhibition by Jaki Irvine and Locky Morris at The Complex, Dublin.

26        Corban-scale. Jennifer Redmond reviews Corban Walker’s solo show continuing at Crawford Art Gallery until 15 January.

28        Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict. Kevin Burns reviews Isabel Nolan’s current solo exhibition at VOID Gallery, Derry.

VAI Event

30        Get Together 2022. Joanne Laws and Thomas Pool report on VAI’s annual networking event for visual artists.

Festival / Biennial

32. The World Was All Before Them. Emma Campbell interviews Clare Gormley about her curatorial vision for TULCA 2022.
33. EVA International 2022. Thomas Pool interviews the EVA Platform Commission artists making new work for the festival.

VAI Member Profile

37. The Man Who Sees Through Shadows. Mike Bunn.
38. Up in the Sky with the Swallows and Swifts. Gillian Deeny.
39. Oonagh Latchford. Catherine Marshall on Oonagh Latchford.

In columns for VAN March/April issue, Iarlaith Ni Fheorais’s outlines a forthcoming access toolkit for curators and producers, while Cornelius Browne considers some of the pragmatic and conceptual connections between underground filmmaking and plein air painting. For our latest new column series, Memento Mori, Day Magee reflects on the significance of losing their father and the profound art of human grief, while Neva Elliot discusses her new body of work, ‘How to Create a Fallstreak’, which is dedicated to her late husband.

The March/April issue also features Career Development interviews with George Bolster and Alice Rekab about their solo exhibitions in West Cork and Munich respectively. Exhibition reviews in this issue include: Seán Fingleton at Copperhouse; John Beattie, ‘Reconstructing Mondrian’ at the Hugh Lane Gallery; ‘Image as Protest’ at Cristea Roberts Gallery in London; and Siobhan McGibbon, ‘Xenophon: Making Oddkin with Japanese Knotweed’ at Galway Arts Centre. Also profiled are Greywood Arts, The Museum of Everyone, Léann Herlihy’s recent performance at Project Arts Centre, and Doireann O’Malley’s new 3D theatre play, Conversations on a Crosstown Algorithm (2022).

On The Cover

George Bolster, ‘Communication: We Are Not The Only Ones Talking…’, installation view; photograph by Tomasz Madajczak, courtesy the artist and Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre.

Columns

9. Guerrilla Painting. Cornelius Browne considers some of the pragmatic and conceptual connections between underground filmmaking and plein air painting.

Turning Towards a Rupture. Fiona Hallinan discusses the demolition of ireland’s second largest catholic church.

10. Intrinsic Models of Accessibility. Iarlaith Ni Fheorais outlines a forthcoming access toolkit for curators and producers.

The Fabric of Nostalgia. Belfast-based artist, Anushiya Sundaralingam, reflects on her multidisciplinary practice.

11. Unruly Forms of Care. Cecilia Graham and Grace Jackson discuss their curatorial residency at PS² in Belfast.

To Huddle. Saidhbhín Gibson outlines an informal art discussion group she has been convening since 2017.

12. How to Create a Fallstreak. Neva Elliott discusses her recent solo exhibition at Linenhall Arts Centre.

An Art to Grief. Day Magee reflects on the significance of losing their father and the profound art of human grief. 

Organisation Profile

13. Greywood Arts. Jessica Bonenfant outlines the evolution of a multi-disciplinary artist’s residency and community hub in East Cork.

Career Development

14. Older Than Our Gods. Brian Curtin interviews artist George Bolster about the evolution of his practice.
15. Home, Architecture, Territory. Miguel Amado interviews Alice Rekab about the artist’s solo exhibition at Museum Villa Stuck in Munich.

Critique

19. Fiona Kelly, No Such Thing as Away #3, 2023.
20. John Beattie, ‘Reconstructing Mondrian’, Hugh Lane Gallery
21. Anthony Luvera, ‘She Her, Hers, Herself’, Belfast Exposed
22. Fiona Kelly, ‘A Demarcation of Time’, RHA Ashford Gallery
23. Raymond Watson, ‘Apis Mellifera: The Honey Bee’, ArtisAnn Gallery

International

25. Leaking Lands. Miguel Amado and Georgia Perkins outline a solo show by Ofri Cnaani presented at Rampa in coproduction with SIRIUS.
26. Image as Protest. Varvara Keidan Shavrova reviews an exhibition by Joy Gerrard and Paula Rego, currently showing at Cristea Roberts Gallery in London.

Exhibition Profile

28. Xenophon: Making Oddkin. Michaële Cutaya reviews Siobhan McGibbon’s recent solo exhibition at Galway Arts Centre.

Project Profile

30. Centre Becomes Margin. Léann Herlihy reflects on their recent performance at Project Arts Centre.
31. Inclusive Platform. Curator Brendan Fox outlines recent and forthcoming projects from the Museum of Everyone
32. Systemic Crisis. Maximilian Le Cain reviews Doireann O’Malley’s new 3D theatre play, Conversations on a Crosstown Algorithm.

VAI Member Profile

34. Shetland: An Archaeology of the Unknown. Jackie Flanagan outlines a recent body of tar paintings made in Shetland.
35. Vision Over Visions. Pat Boran reflects on a recent exhibition by VAI and Aosdána member, Seán Fingleton.

36.       Rural Mythologies. Shane Finan discusses some of his recent site-responsive projects.

The May/June issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet opens with a diverse series of columns: Veronica Sanchez discusses the contemporary relevance of Latin American art, Aoife Banks outlines the rationale underpinning her long-running curatorial project, The Queeratorial, and Sarah Browne outlines a recent collaborative film-making project with autistic young people in North Dublin.

VAN May/June issue introduces a new section, In Focus: Irish Arts Abroad, with insights from VAI members living overseas – Suzanne Mooney in Tokyo, Arno Kramer in The Netherlands, Kira O’Reilly in Helsinki, and John Kindness in London – and we also hear from several Irish cultural organisations about their visual art programmes: Contemporary Irish Arts Center Los Angeles, Irish Arts Center in New York, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, and Irish Cultural Centre in London.

Exhibitions reviewed in this issue include: Niamh O’Malley at The Model, Richard Gorman at Hugh Lane Gallery, Philip Mosse at Molesworth Gallery, Bernadette Kiely at Lavit Gallery, Clare Langan at Luan Gallery, Eoin Mac Lochlainn at Olivier Cornet Gallery, Alice Maher at Golden Thread Gallery, ‘Mam­malia and the Psyche’ and ‘Come on Baby’ at Limerick City Gallery of Art, and ‘Fix Your Pony!’ at Naughton Gallery.

Also in this issue, EL Putnam reviews Hettie Judah’s new book, How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents); Noelle English reports on the MAKE Symposium 2023 at MTU Crawford College of Art and Design; and Brendan Maher interviews Therry Rudin and Patricia Hurl about ‘Homeland’, an open-submission exhibition of video art, now in its tenth year.

On The Cover

Irina Gheorghe, Principles of Space Detection, 2023, performance; photograph courtesy of the artist and NCAD Gallery.

First Pages

6. Roundup. Exhibitions and events from the past two months.
7. News. The latest developments in the arts sector.

 Columns

9. The Eviction. Adam Doyle discusses the rationale behind his digital image and its historical and contemporary relevance.

The Queeratorial. Aoife Banks outlines the rationale underpinning her long-running curatorial project.

10. Paintings on Your Pillow. Cornelius Browne reflects on his ancestral landscape and its significance in his childhood paintings.

Why Latin American Art Matters Now. Veronica Sanchez discusses the contemporary relevance of Latin American art.

11. On Parallel Play. Sarah Browne outlines a recent collaborative film-making project with autistic young people.

Communicating Access. Iarlaith Ni Fheorais applies principles of access to the TULCA Festival curatorial brief.

12. Back to School. Jennie Ridyard outlines her experience of continuing education in art and design at NCAD.

Making and Place. Noelle English reports on the MAKE Symposium 2023 at MTU Crawford College of Art and Design.

13. Saying Hard Things. Neva Elliott discusses the role of vulnerability in her art practice.

Keening Garden Door. Day Magee considers the ancient funerary custom of keening as a performative device.

 In Focus: Irish Arts Abroad

14. From Capel Street to Koganecho. Suzanne Mooney, Tokyo

The Meandering Road. Arno Kramer, The Netherlands

15. Untitled (Bodies). Kira O’Reilly, Helsinki
    16. Appetite for Visual Culture. John Kindness, London

Irish Arts in California. Contemporary Irish Arts Center Los Angeles

17. National and International Hub. Irish Arts Center, New York
18. Cultural Flagship. Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris

A Home for Irish Arts. Irish Cultural Centre, London

Critique

19. A Klass, Untitled skateboarding photographs, 2022
20. Niamh O’Malley at The Model
21. Richard Gorman at Hugh Lane Gallery
22. Philip Mosse at Molesworth Gallery
23. Bernadette Kiely at Lavit Gallery
24. ‘Fix Your Pony!’ at Naughton Gallery

Ecologies

26. The Bogs Are Breathing. Nessa Cronin interviews Siobhán McDonald about her current exhibition at The Model.

Exhibition Profile

28. 28. Tactical Intra-Actions. Gianna Tasha Tomasso reviews two recent exhibitions at Limerick City Gallery of Art.
29. At the Gates of Silent Memory. Colin Graham reviews Clare Langan’s exhibition at Luan Gallery.
30. The War between Friends. Brenda Moore-McCann reviews Eoin Mac Lochlainn’s recent show at Olivier Cornet Gallery.
31. Vox Hybrida. Colin Darke reviews Alice Maher’s recent exhibition at Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast.

Performance Art

33. Principles of Space Detection. Jennifer Fitzgibbon reviews Irina Gheorghe’s performance and show at NCAD Gallery.

Project Profile

34. Through Light and Shade. Brendan Maher interviews Therry Rudin and Patricia Hurl.
35. Fictional Reconfigurations. Georgia Perkins outlines a recent online workshop series with artist Amanda Rice.

Remaking the Crust of the Earth. Gavin Murphy discusses his project shown at the Irish Architectural Archive. 

Book Review

37.  Hettie Judah, How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents)

The July/August issue of The Visual Artists’ News Sheet continues VAI’s commitment to ecological practice with the section, In Focus: Field Notes, presenting insights from VAI members and organisations on recent landscape-based art projects.

Among exhibition coverage for this issue, there is a strong emphasis on photographic practices and processes, which includes reviews of Dorje De Burgh’s show at South Tipperary Arts Centre, Roseanne Lynch at Photo Museum Ireland, and ‘This Rural’ at Lismore Castle Arts.

Other exhibitions profiled in this issue include: Sarah Pierce ‘Scene of the Myth’ at IMMA; ‘Bodywork’ at Crawford Art Gallery; Ellen Harvey at Butler Gallery; Dominic Thorpe, ‘Aftermath: Perpetrator Trauma’ at Linenhall Arts Centre; Shell/Ter Artist Collective at the National Gallery of Ireland; and Mike Nelson ‘Extinction Beckons’ at Hayward Gallery in London.

On The Cover

NCAD FIELD as ‘taskscape’, Hempcrete structure by Helen McLoughlin; photograph © and courtesy Gareth Kennedy.

First Pages

6. Roundup. Exhibitions and events from the past two months.
7. News. The latest developments in the arts sector.

Columns

9. Notes on Grammar. Joanne Laws outlines the conversation surrounding gender-neutral pronouns.

Reading Time and Infrastructure. Christa-Maria Lerm Hayes reflects on Brian O’Doherty’s social practice legacy.

10. The Heavenly Order of Humble Materials. Cornelius Browne considers the salvaged and the handmade.

Molecular Revolutions. Shannon Carroll discusses her recent curatorial projects including a show at The LAB Gallery.

11. Fully Whole. Iarlaith Ní Fheorais responds to Holly Márie Parnell’s latest film, made with her brother David.

Grief Weaving. Donegal-based artist Emily Waszak considers recent developments in her textile practice.

In Focus: Field Work 

12. Drawn With Nature. Lisa Fingleton, VAI Member

Glossaries for Forwardness. Marie Farrington, VAI Member

13. Holdings. Belinda Quirke, Director of Solstice Arts Centre
14. The Green Cube. Sandra Murphy, IMMA Biodiversity Tours

Tracing a Lightning Path. James Kelly, VAI Member

15. Living Sculptures. Katerina Gribkoff , VAI Member
16. NCAD Field. Gareth Kennedy, Artist and Lecturer
17. Sustainment Feasts. Deirdre O’Mahony, VAI Member

Seminar

18. Collective Space. Sarah Long reports from Cobh in Cork on the SIRIUS Summer School 2023 programme.

Critique

19. Dragana Jurišić, Hi, Vis 3 from the series ‘Hi-Vis (2020-21)
20. Sarah Pierce at the Irish Museum of Modern Art
21. ‘Bodywork’ at Crawford Art Gallery
22. Ellen Harvey at Butler Gallery
23. Dorje de Burgh at South Tipperary Arts Centre
24. Roseanne Lynch at Photo Museum Ireland

    Project Profile

Exhibition Profile

29. Aftermath: Perpetrator Trauma. Mary Flanagan considers Dominic Thorpe’s exhibition at the Linenhall Arts Centre.
30. This Rural. Selina Guinness reviews a recent exhibition at Lismore Castle Arts focusing on photographic practices.
    32. Shelter. Anne Hodge discusses an exhibition by the Shell/Ter Artist Collective at the National Gallery of Ireland. 

International

34. Extinction Beckons. Frank Wasser reviews Mike Nelson’s recent survey exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London.
35. Twilight Zone. Alannah Robins outlines the involvement of Interface at Supermarket Art Fair in Stockholm.

Member Profile

36. The Grammar of Clouds. Martin Finnin discusses the evolution of his painting practice.
37. Expanded Painting. Amy Higgins outlines the development of her artistic practice.