31 Aug 2006

Cooling Out: Two New Exhibitions in the UCC's Glucksman Gallery


Cooling Out - O n the paradox of feminism
1 September - 26 November 2006

A collaborative exhibition with the Kunsthaus Baselland in Muttenz/Basel, Switzerland and the Halle für Kunst in Lüneburg, Germany. The exhibition is curated by Sabine Schaschl-Cooper, Bettina Steinbrügge and René Zechlin.

Participating Artists:
3 Hamburger Frauen, Shannon Bool, Cabello/Carceller, Esra Ersen, Dani Gal, Andrea Geyer/Sharon Hayes, Jaki Irvine, Katrin Mayer, Josephine Meckseper, Michaela Meise, Elodie Pong, Aurora Reinhard, Una Quigley, Pernille Kapper Williams

The exhibition Cooling out – on the paradox of feminism examines the situation of women and the role of feminism today through works by international contemporary artists. Many of the original objectives of feminism such as the right to vote, legal equality, opportunities for education for women and criminalisation of male violence against women have been achieved within the western world. Although some of these developments are very recent, a younger generation of women often react negatively towards the term feminism. How can a political or social movement create so many positive changes, while simultaneously developing negative connotations? Such is the paradox of feminism.

Gender can be understood as a social identity, which constantly has to be analysed and reconstructed. But what are the factors that constitute this social identity? Cooling out examines the influences of media, education and existing social structures on female identity. The artistic works in the exhibition present the current attitudes of young women towards their role in society and their struggle to create their own identity.

Gendering Irish Landscape
1 September - 26 November 2006

This exhibition is based on research by Dr. Sighle Bhreathnach-Lynch, Curator of Irish Paintings at the National Gallery of Ireland and is

curated by Fiona Kearney and Ciara Healy.

Participating Artists:

Paul Henry, Mainie Jellett, Sean Keating, Charles Lamb, John Lavery, Maurice McGonigal

Gendering Irish Landscape looks at the representation of Ireland during the early years of the Free State in Ireland. The exhibition considers the gendering of the land as female and highlights the concerted effort made by more zealous nationalists of the 1920’s and 1930’s to assert masculinity as the essential characteristic of the Gael (the new Irishman). Irish women were encouraged to be, first and foremost, mothers whose duty was to teach their children to love Gaelic traditions and freedom. Excluded from politics and the work place, the 1937 Constitution made it clear that a woman’s place was in the home. She was defined as the passive embodiment of nature. Images of the cottage, romanticised by so many paintings from that time became a metaphor for her exclusion from the public arena and the site of power. Although the subject of women and nature has featured in artworks all over the world for hundreds of years, this exhibition focuses specifically on the representation of Ireland and the construction of female identity.  Much of the exhibition draws inspiration from and reflects upon the arguments of Sighle Bhreathnach-Lynch, curator for Irish art in the National Gallery of Ireland in her essay Landscape, space and gender: their role in the construction of female identity in newly independent Ireland.

International artists featured in the exhibition Cooling Out will discuss their work at 4.30 pm. The exhibitions will be open for viewing from 2pm. The private view is followed by a Glucksman Unplugged session at 6.30pm with music by Niwel Tsumbu and Yuichiro Taro Shida.

The Lewis Glucksman Gallery is open:
Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm (Late night Thursday until 8 pm), Sunday 12 - 5 pm
Closed Mondays

T: +353 21 490 1844
F: +353 21 490 1823
info@glucksman.org
www.glucksman.org

 


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