The Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN ) is the primary all-Ireland information resource for visual artists.
Writer and researcher Joanne Laws is the guest editor and her column features on page 5. Several interviews are included in this issue: Joanne Laws spoke to Alistair Hudson about the Arte Útil movement; Conor McFeely interviewed Andres Serrano during his recent exhibition ‘Torture’ at Void, Derry; while Rayne Booth spoke to Benjamin De Búrca and Bárbara Wagner at the 32nd São Paulo Biennial.
In the Irish context, Gianna Tasha Tomasso reviews TULCA Festival of Visual Art and Kevin Gaffney outlines the making of his new film work, supported by Sky Arts Academy, which is currently showing at Millennium Court Arts Centre, Portadown. Internationally, Pádraic E. Moore discusses his event ‘Ectoplasm’ at 1646, The Hague, and Áine Phillips reviews the Guerrilla Girls exhibition at Whitechapel, London, which surveys levels of inequality across European art institutions.
On the subject of art writing , publishing and readerships, Marysia Wiezkiewicz-Carroll reports on the ‘Art & Writing’ programme organised by Paper Visual Art and Gorse journals. In a similar vein, Nathan O’Donnell offers insights into the panel discussion ‘Art, Writing, Narrative and its Territories’, which coincided with Katrina Palmer’s solo exhibition ‘The Three Stories are Flattened’ at Void, Derry.
A number of Irish residencies also feature: Suzanne Walsh reports on the ‘Resort Revelations’ residency programme in Portrane, Colin Martin provides an overview of the ongoing Tony O’Malley Residency for painters and Jessica Foley reflects on her participation in ‘The Centre for Dying on Stage #3’, an intensive six-week residency at Cow House Studios, County Wexford.
VAI Northern Ireland Manager Rob Hilken discusses the Belfast Open Studios event, while VAI Director Noel Kelly describes how the uncertainties of Brexit are already impacting on VAI and other cultural organisations across Ireland. The Regional Roundup for this issue comes from County Leitrim, outlining recent activities of The Dock, Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Creative Frame, Leitrim Arts Office and artist Daniel Chester. Reviewed in the Critique section are: Mary Patterson at Ballina Arts Centre; Benedict Drew and Miguel Martin at CCA Derry-Londonderry; Fiona Lowe Brunell at ArtisAnn Gallery, Belfast; Rayleen Clancy at Signal Arts Centre, Bray; and the Hennessy Portrait Prize 2016 at the National Gallery of Ireland.
As ever, we have details of upcoming VAI Professional Development Programme, exhibition and public art roundups, news from the sector and current opportunities.
Members of VAI receive a copy of the VAN delivered straight to their door. The News Sheet is also available to pick up free of charge in galleries and arts centres. Selected articles featured in the print edition are available at the Visual Artists’ News Sheet Online here: www.visualartistsireland.com