New exhibition at Goethe-Institut takes inspiration from sights and sounds of West Cork
Second instalment of ‘The Glenkeen Variations’ exhibition series features sound art, video works and paintings by four international artists
The sights and sounds of West Cork’s Roaringwater Bay and its surroundings have served as the inspiration for ‘Composing Landscapes’, a new multimedia art exhibition, which will open at the Goethe-Institut Irland on Wednesday, 8th May 2024.
Presented jointly by the Goethe-Institut Irland and the Crespo Foundation, the exhibition is the second instalment of ‘The Glenkeen Variations’, a series of art exhibitions at the Goethe-Institut, which features the work of ten international artists who have participated in the Glenkeen Garden Residencies, an artist-in-residence programme in West Cork.
Curated by coordinator of the Glenkeen Garden Residencies, Ben Livne Weitzman, ‘Composing Landscapes’ features the work of four international artists, who participated in the Glenkeen Garden Residencies in 2021 and 2022. The work on display at the Goethe-Institut includes:
Two complimentary video works by Athens-based artists Christiana Chiranagnostaki and Konstanza Kapsali which explore the fusion of human labour and natural elements in the construction of dry stone walls, as well as their role as habitats for different species. In the two videos, entitled The distance we walked in this country I do not know and Throughs and Throughs, the artists offer multifaceted narratives of interconnectedness, resilience, craftmanship and property.
An original piece of music entitled The Language of Water, composed by Mexican sound artist Tania Rubio. The piece mixes sounds perceived at Glenkeen Garden – including rain dripping from leaves, bird calls, buzzing insects and distant cattle sounds – with rhythmic beats to create a sonic tapestry that reflects the garden’s different topographies and the pivotal role of water in shaping these landscapes. Created for 12 instruments and electronics, the full composition will be premiered later this year. For ‘Composing Landscapes’, the electronic part of the composition will be available online [insert hyperlink - note: link on left is broken] and serve as an invitation to take an attentive stroll through a composed landscape such as a park or other locations where constructed landscape takes form.
Two paintings by Austrian-German artist Markus Huemer, whose practice navigates between traditional painting and media art. Triggered by the appearance of an orange full moon upon his first arrival at Glenkeen Garden, his paintings The Pumpkin is the Largest Berry and Nearly a Dusty Rainbow Experience attempt to capture that encounter and create it anew. Utilising digital tools like computers and algorithms alongside traditional materials such as canvas and brushes, Huemer delves into perceptual realms that exists between worlds and allude to the unseen.
Located in Ballydehob along the Roaringwater Bay, Glenkeen Garden was created by German photographer, psychologist, and philanthropist Ulrike Crespo (1950-2019) and her partner Michael Satke over a period of 20 years. Since 2021, the Crespo Foundation has welcomed artists working across different disciplines to the Glenkeen Garden estate for three-month residencies. The residency programme invites artists to explore the relationship between art and nature during their stays and offers them opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange through collaboration with humanities scholars and scientists.
‘Composing Landscapes’ will open at the Goethe-Institut in Dublin on 8th May and run until 8th June 2024. The series will conclude with the exhibition ‘With or Without You’ (8th November – 7th December 2024). The exhibitions are free to visit, and no advance registration is required.
Artist presentations and a panel discussion will take place at the UCC’s Glucksman in Cork on 10th May 2024. On 11th May 2024, the artists will offer a series of workshops and talks at the Working Artist Studios in Ballydehob, inviting participants to delve into the artists’ creative processes and research.
For further information about ‘The Glenkeen Variations’ exhibition and event series, visit: goethe.de/ireland.
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