Rhona Byrne, Mitch Conlon, Harrell Fletcher, IM Heung-soon, J Ross & Sons
Curated by Alissa Kleist
You and I is a group exhibition curated by Alissa Kleist that includes new and existing video, sculptural, installation, and event-based works by Rhona Byrne, Mitch Conlon, Harrell Fletcher, IM Heung-soon, and J Ross & Sons. The exhibition examines the social, political and formal functions of art at a time when individualisation, capitalism, neoliberalism, and privatisation –which benefit few, whilst disadvantaging and alienating many others – hegemonise our society. You and I features artworks that emphasise the role the artist in making visible and questioning these systems, and propose counterstrategies to address their effects.
In the film Factory Complex, South Korean artist IM Heung-soon gives voice to the often-invisible marginalized female labourers whose lives have been affected by the demands of a growing global economy. Through the stories of women working in the South Korean textile industry in the 1960’s and those of contemporary precarious workers, he examines the historic evolution and impact of a deregulated labour market and drastic economic development.
J Ross & Sons’ sculptural installations explore the ‘useful object’ and suggest alternative uses for, and interactions with, architecture and place. The work commissioned for You and I proposes another way to navigate the urban topography of Portadown, questioning how art objects can highlight the visible and invisible tensions present within – and potentially interrupt the official management of – public space.
Dublin based artist Rhona Byrne’s social sculptures encourage their users to engage in collective activity. Huddlewear, a series of wearable artworks/social garments, allow visitors to inhabit new communal spaces where shared experiences can take place. On 25 March, Byrne will lead a collaborative Speed Moaning workshop at MCAC where participants can explore the productive potential of anxiety/negativity.
Together with Jay, the owner of a garage in central Portland, and his employees and customers, US based artist Harrell Fletcher created Blot Out The Sun; a conceptual re-working of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. The work includes lines from the novel that contemplate the human condition, social inequality, and the relationship between individuals and the universe.
Places where men go to die, a new collective performance choreographed by Mitch Conlon, explores the spaces and temporalities where individual and collective narratives can co-exist and from which new communities emerge. His research includes how cities and people are rebuilt after a crisis; the theatrics of public gatherings such as carnivals and football matches; and the applications of humour, absurdity and subversion. Places where men come to die will launch at the opening of You and I on Friday 17 February at 8pm.
On Saturday 25 March, You and I curator Alissa Kleist will give a guided gallery tour (12noon –1pm) of the exhibition, followed by a Speed Moaning workshop (2pm – 4pm) presented by artist Rhona Byrne.
Events are free and all are welcome to attend. Please contact johnny@millenniumcourt.org to book a place.
