Cad atá de dhíth Orainn? / What do we Want
Cad atá de Dhíth Orainn?
Jill Gibbon, Bernadette Hopkins, Eoin Mac Lochlainn, Manal Mahamid, Miriam McConnon and Tom Molloy. Leirithe le Olivier Cornet.
Ar dtús, sliocht ó Antonio Guterres, Ard-Rúnaí na Náisiún Aontaithe:
“Tá síocháin de dhíth inniu níos mó ná riamh. Tá cogadh agus coinbhleacht ag cruthú scrios, bochtaineacht agus ocras, agus ag tiomáint na mílte daoine óna dtithe.”Is freagairt é an taispeántas grúpa seo ar an staid gheo-pholaitiúil atá ag éirí níos contúirtí ar fud an domhain sa lá atá inniu ann. Saothar cúigear ealaíontóirí atá ann: Jill Gibbon, Eoin Mac Lochlainn, Manal Mahamid, Miriam McConnon agus Tom Molloy. Tugadh cuireadh don ealaíontóir taibhréime Bernadette Hopkins as Dún na nGall ionchur a bheith aici ar théama an taispeántais .
Is taispeántas meán mheasctha é ‘Cad atá de Dhíth Orainn?’ a chuimsíonn péintéireacht, scannánaíocht, grianghrafadóireacht agus dealbhóireacht. Cuireann gach ealaíontóir saothar i láthair a léiríonn freagairt phearsanta agus chruthaitheach ar bhagairtí geopholaitiúla reatha. Tríd is tríd, cuireann an taispeántas cur chuige dialógach seachas teagascach chun cinn chun an cheist a fhreagairt Cad atá de Dhíth Orainn? Cruthaíonn an saothar a thaispeántar stua a nascann coinbhleachtaí ó thús an 20ú hAois leis an lá atá inniu ann ina nochtar cogadh mar earra, trí mheasúlacht bhréige na trádála armán idirnáisiúnta.
Deir Jill Gibbon, ealaíontóir atá bunaithe sna Ríocht Aontaithe, nach mór dúinn aghaidh a thabhairt ar thrádáil na n-arm chun stop a chur le cogaí. Sa taispeántas seo, taispeánann an t-ealaíontóir rogha saothar a rinne sí in-situ ag aontaí arm idirnáisiúnta i bPáras agus i Londain. Agus í faoi cheilt mar thrádálaí arm, tarraingíonn sí lucht freastail agus bailíonn sí earraí inbhailithe ó na stainíní. Trí ligean uirthi gur bean gnó measúil í tá meafar á cruthú aici don mheasúnacht bhréige sa tionscal. Cuirtear líníochtaí óna leabhar sceitseála i láthair mar chonsairtín a nochtann an fhírinne atá i bhfolach. Áireofar sa taispeántas freisin rogha de ‘bhronntanas’ a thugtar do lucht freastail na n-aonach seo. Dúirt Gibbon “Ní chuireann aon ní in iúl na tosaíochtaí scanrúla atá ag trádáil arm chomh soiléir lena margaíocht”.
Is ealaíontóir Éireannach é Eoin Mac Lochlainn atá lonnaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath. Le blianta beaga anuas tá na céadta líníochtaí gualaigh agus leachtbhrait déanta aige chun tráma Chogadh Cathartha na hÉireann a fhiosrú:: "Rinneadh iarracht i ngach píosa anam a léiriú, duine le brionglóidí agus uaillmhianta, duine a raibh a shaol ciorraithe ag an gcoimhlint - ach chuir an tionscadal sin coinbhleachtaí domhanda i bpeirspictíocht domsa agus, agus mé ag leanúint ar aghaidh ag forbairt na hoibre, thosaigh mé ag féachaint ar Chogadh mar theip comhbhá, teip na Daonnachta. Agus is cuma cén chúis, ag deireadh an lae, is mac máthar é i gcónaí, is deirfiúr nó deartháir duine éigin é, comharsa duine éigin a maraítear."
Mar fhreagra ar an gcás imníoch ar fud an domhain, is meabhrúchán é corpas saothair an ealaíontóra nár cheart an tsíocháin a ghlacadh ar neamhchead choíche. Ní mór é a chothú - agus deireadh a chur le timthriall an fhoréigin. Dúirt an tUachtarán Michael D. Higgins: “Ní mór dúinn diúltú don mholadh gurb é an cogadh an riocht nádúrtha daonna nó go deimhin gur riocht nádúrtha daonna é an tseineafóibe, nó nach féidir le daoine de reiligiúin nó cultúir éagsúla réiteach (agus) maireachtáil go comhchuí… Caithfimid siméadracht nua a shaothrú. Braitheann marthanacht ár speiceas féin air sin anois, mar atá ar ár gcaidreamh le speicis eile.”
Is ealaíontóir ildisciplíneach Palaistíneach é Manal Mahamid atá lonnaithe i Haifa agus i mBaile Átha Cliath ón bhliain 2020 i leith. Treoraíonn Gasail na Palaistíne (2017) lucht féachana ar thuras meafarach trí thírdhreacha stairiúla na Palaistíne, ag seachaint d’aon ghnó na bacainní agus seicphointí iomadúla a chuir fórsaí coilíneacha Iosrael i bhfeidhm. Agus ceann dá dealbha Gasail na Palaistíne ina láimh aicí, téann an t-ealaíontóir Manal Mahamid ar ais go fisiciúil agus go siombalach chuig críoch réamh-Nakba, ag éileamh saoirse agus féiniúlachta ar ais. Móitíf na gasaile - a cruthaíodh nuair a bhuail Mahamid le gasail le trí-chos i zú Iosraelach, lipéadaithe "gasail na Palaistíne" i Araibis agus i mBéarla ach "gasail Iosrael" san Eabhrais - leagann sé seo béim ar an leithreasú cultúrtha atá leabaithe i scéalta coilíneacha. Tríd an ngníomh reatha corpraithe, déanann The Palestine Gazelle ceistiú ar cheangail na talún, na beatha, agus an choilíneachais lonnaitheoirí, ag spreagadh an lucht féachana chun machnamh a dhéanamh ar ghluaiseacht, ar mharthanas, agus ar chastacht na hoidhreachta.
Is ealaíontóir Éireannach í Miriam McConnon atá lonnaithe sa Chipir. Cuireann saothar is déanaí Miriam McConnon i láthair scéalta aonair na ndídeanaithe fireanna óga i bpictiúir agus i dealbhóireacht de réada pearsanta a insíonn aistear an díláithrithe, an chomhtháthaithe agus a gcuid mianta don todhchaí. Féachann an saothar ar na sraitheanna iomadúla a bhaineann leis na scéalta seo, ag díchumasú an chatagóiriú ‘dídeanaí’ chun na fir óga seo a shainiú ag leagan béime ar an smaoineamh gur pribhléid agus ní ceart daonna í an tsaoirse gluaiseachta.
Sa tsraith pictiúr The Refugee’s Armour, tá seaicéad de chulaith fhir ar crochadh as sreang don lucht féachana. Tá patrún maisiúil ag gach seaicéad a eascraíonn as rudaí pearsanta a bhaineann le haistear aonair an díláithrithe. Seasann na seaicéid seo d’armúr nó do líontán sábhála gach dídeanaí fir óga i gcoinne na saincheisteanna a bhíonn rompu agus iad ag iarraidh saol nua a bhunú tar éis coinbhleachta agus cogaidh.
Leis na saothair seo, is é an sprioc atá ag Miriam ná insint an chomhtháthaithe i sochaí nua tar éis coinbhleachta a nochtadh, ag fiosrú leochaileacht an fhir óig i bhfianaise na claontachta. Chonaic an Chipir agus Éire (imill theorainn an AE) teannas ag ardú i gcoinne pobail inimirceach le agóidí eagraithe le déanaí lasmuigh de chóiríocht dídeanaithe a bhfuil an chuma orthu go bhfuil siad dírithe ar fhir óga a chumadh mar bhagairt agus mar chontúirt don tsochaí. Déanann Miriam an scéal pearsanta a leithlisiú ón insint chomhchoiteann sa chorpas nua oibre seo, ag scrúdú an armúr síceolaíochta chun rudaí a chosaint, rudaí pearsanta le nascadh agus éadaí le bheith mar fhinné agus ag soláthar guth chun na scéalta is daonna a insint.
Is ealaíontóir Éireannach é Tom Molloy atá lonnaithe sa Fhrainc. Tugann sé aghaidh ar gheopholaitíocht chomhaimseartha i líníochtaí, i ngrianghraif agus i ndealbhóireacht pháipéir. Baineann a chleachtas le scrúdú na cumhachta i gcomhthéacs polaitiúil agus stairiúil agus conas is féidir, agus a shaobhadh, a ardaíonn ceisteanna fealsúnacha faoin moráltacht. Tá Tom ag tabhairt dúshlán do bhraistint an bhreathnóra trí shaothair débhríoch a chruthú a fhiosraíonn an forluí idir ionadaíocht agus comhlachas. Mar shampla, in ‘Contact’ (2010) cruthaíonn sé leathán eangaí ina bhfuil 36 íomhá íocónacha cogaidh atá as ord cróineolaíoch ionas gur rolla scannán dodhéanta é i ndáiríre. Cruthaíonn a shaothar scéal nua ar stair an chogaidh a thástálann ár dtuiscint ar amúlacht líneach agus ar léiriú.
Is físealaíontóir Éireannach atá lonnaithe i nDún na nGall í Bernadette Hopkins. Sa léiriú seo ‘Cyber Horse and I’, tugann sí aghaidh ar roinnt príomhdhúshláin sa chibearshlándáil dhomhanda, go háirithe do thíortha neodracha. Tarraingíonn sí aird ar an easpa aitheantais uilíoch agus cur i bhfeidhm an dlí idirnáisiúnta sa chibearspás. Cruthaítear timpeallacht chasta do thíortha neodracha ar nós na hÉireann mar thoradh ar chumas lagaithe na Náisiún Aontaithe le déanaí freagairtí domhanda a chomhordú, agus iad ag iarraidh ceannasacht a choinneáil sa chibearspás agus d’fhéadfadh sé nach mbeadh stáit níos cumhachtaí chomh so-ghabhálach i leith brú idirnáisiúnta nó iarmhairtí do chibearchoireanna. Tá rioscaí féideartha le sárú ag tíortha neodracha freisin agus córais chibearchosanta á suiteáil agus d’fhéadfadh go mbeadh earraí spiaireachta ó thíortha eile i láthair sna córais. D’fhéadfadh go mbeadh gá le comhar níos dlúithe le stáit eile maidir le cibear-acmhainneacht a fhorbairt ach d’fhéadfadh sé go gcuirfí as do neodracht docht agus go gcruthófaí cibearchoilíniú…meascán contúirteach d’Intleacht Shaorga agus de chórais údarásacha.
Is é Oliver Cornet a bhunaigh Dánlann Olivier Cornet atá suite ag 3 Sráid Mhór na Danmhairge i gCeathrú Cultúrtha Chearnóg Parnell, i mBaile Átha Cliath. Tá an gailearaí ar cheann de na gailearaithe mínealaíne comhaimseartha is iontaí in Éirinn, ag déanamh ionadaíochta ar na hamharcealaíontóirí atá ag obair i meáin éagsúla ar nós péintéireacht, dealbhóireacht, criadóireacht, grianghrafadóireacht agus mionphriontaí. Bíonn taispeántais aonair mar aon le seónna grúpa coimeádaithe sa ghailearaí. Comhoibríonn Olivier le hoibrithe cultúrtha eile agus le cleachtóirí foirmeacha éagsúla ealaíne chun dul i ngleic leis an bpobal ar bhealaí nua agus suimiúil. Cheap sé an coincheap ‘Cad atá de Dhíth Orainn?’ agus taispeánadh an taispeántas den chéad uair i nGailearaí Olivier Cornet in Aibreán/Bealtaine 2024 sular thaistil sé go QSS i mBéal Feirste i Lúnasa/Meán Fómhair 2024.
What do we Want?
Jill Gibbon, Bernadette Hopkins, Eoin Mac Lochlainn, Manal Mahamid, Miriam McConnon and Tom Molloy. Curated by Olivier Cornet.
To begin, a quote from Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations:
“Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes.”
This group exhibition is a response to the increasingly dangerous geo-political situation in the world today. It features the work of five artists: Jill Gibbon, Eoin Mac Lochlainn, Manal Mahamid, Miriam McConnon and Tom Molloy. Performance artist Bernadette Hopkins from Donegal was invited to make a contribution to the theme of the exhibition.
‘What do we want?’ is a mixed-media exhibition that includes painting, film, photography and sculpture. Each artist presents work that reflects a personal and creative response to current geo-political threats. Overall, the exhibition is one that promotes a dialogical rather than didactic approach to answering the question what do we want? The work on show forms an arc that connects early 20th Century conflicts to the present day wherein war, through the faux respectability of the international arms trade, is exposed as a commodity.
Jill Gibbon, a UK-based artist, makes the point that to stop wars, we must address the arms trade. In this exhibition, the artist shows a selection of work she made in-situ at international arms fairs in Paris and London. Disguised as an arms trader, she draws attendees and collects ephemera from the stalls. Her pretence as a respectable businesswoman is a metaphor for the facade of respectability in the industry. Her sketchbook drawings presented as a concertina reveals the hidden truth. The exhibition will also include a selection of ‘gifts’ given away to attendees of these fairs. To quote Gibbon “Nothing conveys the chilling priorities of the arms trade as clearly as its marketing”.
Eoin Mac Lochlainn is an Irish artist based in Dublin. In recent years he has made several hundred charcoal and wash drawings to explore the trauma of the Irish Civil War: "Each piece was an attempt to represent a soul, someone with dreams and ambitions, someone whose life had been cut short by the conflict - but that project put global conflicts in perspective for me and, as I continued to develop the work, I began to view War as a failure of empathy, a failure of Humanity. And whatever the cause, when it comes down to it, it’s always some mother’s son, it is somebody’s sister or brother, somebody’s neighbour who is killed."
In response to the increasingly worrying situation across the world, the artist's body of work is a reminder that peace should never be taken for granted. It needs to be nurtured - and the cycle of violence brought to an end. To quote President Michael D. Higgins: “We have to reject the suggestion that war is the natural human condition or indeed that xenophobia is a natural human condition, or that people of different religions or cultures cannot reconcile (and) live harmoniously… We have to pursue a new symmetry. Our very species’ survival depends on that now, as does our relationship with other species.”
Manal Mahamid is a multidisciplinary Palestinian artist based in Haifa and Dublin since 2020. The Palestinian Gazelle (2017) leads viewers on a metaphorical journey through the landscapes of historical Palestine, deliberately bypassing the numerous barriers and checkpoints imposed by Israeli colonial forces. Holding one of her Palestinian gazelle sculptures, artist Manal Mahamid physically and symbolically retraces pre-Nakba territory, reclaiming a sense of freedom and identity. The gazelle motif—sparked by Mahamid's encounter with a three-legged gazelle in an Israeli zoo, labelled "Palestinian gazelle" in Arabic and English but "Israeli gazelle" in Hebrew—highlights the cultural appropriation embedded in colonial narratives. Through the embodied act of running, The Palestinian Gazelle interrogates the entanglements of land, life, and settler colonialism, prompting viewers to reflect on movement, survival, and the complexities of heritage.
Miriam McConnon is an Irish artist based in Cyprus. Miriam McConnon’s recent work presents the individual stories of young male refugees in paintings and sculpture of personal objects that narrate their journey of displacement, of integration and of aspirations for the future. The work looks at the many layers to these stories, disenabling the categorization of ‘refugee’ to define these young men highlighting the idea that the freedom of movement is a privilege not a human right.
In the series of paintings The Refugee’s Armour, the viewer is presented with a male suit jacket suspended from a wire. Each suit jacket bears decorative patterns that originate from personal objects related to the individual journey of displacement. These jackets represent each young male refugee’s armour or safety net against the issues they face in their attempt to establish a new life following conflict and war.
With these works, Miriam’s goal is to expose the lesser told narrative of integration into a new society following conflict, exploring the vulnerability of the young male in the face of prejudice. Both Cyprus and Ireland (the edges of the EU border) have seen rising tensions against immigrant communities with recent organised protests outside refugee accommodation which seem focused on framing the young males as a threat and a danger to society. Miriam isolates the personal story from the collective narrative in this new body of work, examining the psychological armour to protect, personal objects to connect and clothing to bear witness and providing a voice to tell the most human of stories.
Tom Molloy is an Irish artist based in France. He addresses contemporary geopolitics in drawings, photographs and paper sculptures. His practice is concerned with the examination of power in a political and historical context and how it can be, and has been perverted, which raises philosophical questions about morality. Tom challenges the observer’s perception by creating ambiguous works that investigate the overlap between representation and association. For example, in ‘Contact’ (2010) he creates a contact sheet of 36 iconic war images which are out of chronological order so that in reality it is an impossible roll of film to have taken. His work creates a new narrative of the history of war which tests our understanding of linear temporality and representation.
Bernadette Hopkins is an Irish visual artist based in Donegal. In this performance ‘Cyber Horse and I’, she addresses several key challenges in global cybersecurity, particularly for neutral countries. She draws attention to the lack of universal recognition and application of international law in cyberspace. Recent weakened ability of the UN to coordinate global responses creates a complex environment for neutral countries like Ireland, as they attempt to maintain sovereignty in cyberspace while more powerful states may be less susceptible to international pressure or consequences for cyber crimes. Neutral countries also face potential risks when installing cyber defence systems with the possibility of spyware from other countries being present in the systems. Closer cooperation with other states for cyber capacity building may be necessary but could potentially compromise strict neutrality and create cyber colonisation…a dangerous fusion of AI and authoritarian regimes.
Oliver Cornet is the founder of the Olivier Cornet Gallery which is located at 3 Great Denmark Street in the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter, in Dublin’s Northside. The gallery is one of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary fine art galleries, representing accomplished visual artists working in a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and fine prints. The gallery hosts solo exhibitions as well as curated group shows. Olivier collaborates with other cultural workers and practitioners of diverse art forms to engage with the public in new and very interesting ways. He conceived the concept for ‘What do we want?’ and the exhibition was first shown in the Olivier Cornet Gallery in April/ May 2024 before it travelled to QSS in Belfast in August/September 2024