The exhibition is part of the 2021 programme, Gaze Upon - How artists view the world. Within the artistic world, movements tending towards unification of idea and thought are powerless when confronted with the explosion of artistic practice, research and the wealth of emerging and established multidisciplinary visual artists. Contemporary visual arts in Ireland now tend to pursue ideas across all human experience, it pushes to inform or create, to form new experiences or ways of looking at the world. Artists have always had the power to create new, important and meaningful connections for viewers to ideas of anthropological relevance and importance, which in turn facilitates meaningful encounters with culture. The Gaze Upon project seeks to explore the many faceted ways artist look at and interpret the world around us across many important issues, media and style. Curated by Simon Fennessy Corcoran
Irish artist Niamh McCann studied at Chelsea College of Art & Design, London. Within her diverse practice, incorporating drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and video, McCann considers themes of globalisation, urbanisation, travel and the self. McCann has exhibited nationally and internationally since 2000, including solo exhibitions at Void, Derry; Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane and The Cable Factory, Helsinki. Her work is represented in public and private collections, including Limerick City Gallery and the London Institute Collection, Chelsea.
Damien Flood b. 1979, is an Irish artist based in Dublin. His work is grounded in early writings on philosophy, theology, alchemy and the natural sciences and explores the mutability of 'reality' and language. Solo shows include: Shape of Things, Diane Rosenstein Gallery, LA, 2019, The Figure in the Carpet, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, 2018, Theory of Two Centres, Stephane Simoens, Knokke, 2017, Infinite Plane, Grey Noise, Dubai, 2015, Interior Sun, Green On Red Gallery, 2014, Theatre of the World, Ormston House, Limerick, 2012, History of the Visitation, Green On Red Gallery, 2011, Counter-Earth, Green On Red Gallery, 2010.
Recent group shows include: DF/HW, Thomas Rehbein Gallery, Cologne, 2018, Known Unknowns, Limerick City Gallery, Wouldn’t it be nice if we could dream together? Diane Rosenstein Gallery, LA (both 2017), The Studio Chronicles at RH Contemporary, New York (2015), Product Recall, Galway Arts Centre, Galway (2015), NGORONGORO, Lehder Strasse 34, Berlin (2015), Cú Chulainn Comforted, Basic Space, Dublin (2015), Promise of Palm Trees, Breese Little, London, (2015), Pull Bite Rally, NCAD Gallery, Dublin (2014). Renew, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin (2014,) Was Uns Trend, Glue, Berlin (2014). In 2013, he exhibited in the group exhibition Island: New Art From Ireland in Galleria Civica diModena, Italy; in the three-person show Flood/NiBhriain/Vari at DOMOBAAL, London; and the group show Cafe Paradiso (Least common denominator, or Rustenschacher) at M1, Hohenlockstedt, Germany. In 2012, he was part of the group show Making Familiar at Temple Bar Gallery, Crystalline at Millennium Court Arts Centre and Last at Douglas Hyde Gallery.
Flood has been selected for the John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize in 2008 and 2010. In 2014 he was the recipient of the Elizabeth Fitzpatrick Travel Bursary administered by the Royal Hibernian Academy and in 2015 was awarded the DLR Lexicon 2016 Commission. Most recently Flood was awarded the Eigse Hotron Award 2017. Publications include: The Figure in the Carpet, 2018, Theory of Two Centres, 2017, Afterworlds, 2013, Spectral Gallery, 2011, Selected Works, 2010.
He has been a tutor at Belfast College of Art, Limerick College of Art, Wexford College of Art, Sligo College of Art, Burren College of Art and has been a Visiting Lecturer at the National College of Art, Dublin and currently teaches at the RHA School and Bray Institute of Further Education. Damien Flood is represented by Green On Red Gallery, Ireland and Stephane Simoens, Belgium.
www.damienflood.ie
