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14/12/2005

The Nature of Things

Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast

Artists from Northern Ireland

curated by Hugh Mulholland

Patrick Bloomer, Ian Charlesworth, Factotum, Seamus Harahan, Michael Hogg, Sandra Johnston, Nicholas Keogh, Katrina Moorhead, Darren Murray, Mary McIntyre, William McKeown, Aisling O’Beirn, Peter Richards and Alistair Wilson.

Ormeau Baths Gallery is pleased to host The Nature of Things - Artists from Northern Ireland on its return from a highly successful showing at the 51st Venice Biennale. This exhibition, curated by Hugh Mulholland, was the first presentation of work from Northern Ireland, exhibited as part of the collateral events at the 51st Venice Biennale. The Venice Biennale is arguable one of the most important events in the contemporary arts calendar and Northern Ireland’s participation this year represented a unique opportunity to showcase the very best of Northern Ireland artists to an international audience.

The Biennale attracted 915,000 visitors between 12th June and 6th November, 256,000 visitors to the The Experience of Art, curated by Mari'a de Corral, and Always a Little Further, curated by Rosa Marti'nez; and 370,000 visitors to the exhibitions of the 40 Participating Countries held around the city; plus a further 280,000 visitors to the 31 Collateral Events.

The Nature of Things located at Istituto Provinciale Per L’Infanzia, Santa Maria della Pieta' presented a range of practices including sculpture, photography, video and drawing and ilustrated the diversity and confidence of contemporary visual art practice produced in Northern Ireland. The exhibition attracted over 15,000 visitors with countless others experiencing The Long Weekend, a series of live events and interventions programmed during 6th - 11th October. The work profiled in this element of our programme made visible a range of artists’ practices which are well established in Northern Ireland, work which responds to site and is often ephemeral in nature but consistently challenges our understanding of accepted practice. Each of the artists involved in this strand of activity in some way responded to Venice as a location or the Biennale as an event. These artists will re-interpret these ideas for the purposes of this exhibition.

While it is impossible to fully represent the impact our participation in the Biennale outside of the context of Venice this exhibition at Ormeau Baths Gallery will give visitors here an opportunity to see for themselves the quality and range of work produced by the participating artists.

Colm McGivern, Director of the British Council:

“After the critical success in Venice, where thousands of people viewed this outstanding work, it’s great to be able to take it home with pride. Our first venture to Venice excited the arts scene there as well as at home, and it was clear that work from Northern Ireland was some of the strongest in the world. This was further proof of the vitality of practice here in Northern Ireland. The British Council was proud to support this exhibition in Venice, and is delighted that it can now be seen by audiences at home."

Roisi'n McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland:

“Northern Ireland’s first official presence at the Venice Biennale was perhaps the most significant event in this region’s visual arts for a generation. The showcase exhibition presented an invaluable opportunity for our artists to gain international exposure, and helped to put our contemporary visual arts practice on the map. Just as we supported the work in Venice, it is important to the Arts Council that local audiences should not miss out on the chance to appreciate the show that has established the international standing of these exceptional artists."

Hugh Mulholland, Curator:

"I am very pleased to have been associated with this exhibition. The credit for its success in Venice is due to the talent and commitment of all the artists involved as well as our team of invigilators who were the first point of contact for visitors in Venice. I am particularly pleased that the exhibition will be shown here at Ormeau Baths Gallery, a venue which has consistently promoted the very best of local and international art to audiences in Northern Ireland".

The Curator, Hugh Mulholland, the British Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland would like to thank all those who contributed to the success of the exhibition in Venice. In addition to the exhibiting artists, special thanks are due to the team of invigilators who maintained the exhibition during its 6 month run: Fiona Larkin, Maeve Walsh, Helen Sharp, Duncan Ross, Naomi Dawson, Helen McAleer, Aoife Maguire, Emma McClintock and Aine McClintock.

Image: Patrick Bloomer and Nicholas Keogh 'Bin Boat' - at the Venice Biennale 2005

Ormeau Baths Gallery
18A Ormeau Avenue - Belfast

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