The opening night of Everyone is an Audience was a fantastic night, large crowds of people of all ages and backgrounds piled into the SoMa Contemporary Art Box in Waterford for the opening night. Heres some info about the night...........
SOMA Contemporary announces “
EVERYONE IS AN AUDIENCE”, an interactive exhibition celebrating the extraordinary creative production and physical communication of Art.
30 July – 21 August, 2010
EVERYONE IS AN AUDIENCE is an art exhibition with a difference taking place in SOMA Contemporary, Waterford from the 31st July to the 21st August, 2010. The exhibition opens as part of the Spraoi Festival on 30th July at 7pm. The exhibition, curated by Claire Meaney and Mary Grehan, asks the audience to do more than just look. Viewers are invited to dance, join in, answer questions, play games, be photographed, make things, vote, take shelter...and so the traditional boundaries between artist and audience are challenged. This exhibition features a range of diverse art experiences; Laura Fitzgerald considers the social and relational roles of art by photographing people’s eyes at close quarters. Brigid Teehan injects some fun into the gallery experience by inviting people to play with play dough. Aoife Casey invites the audience to interact with her performance that explores internal conflict and self acceptance. Aoife Flynn uses Victorian animation devices to look at the concept of ‘déjà vu’. Jennie Moran has built an Intentionally Conspicuous Device that acts as a beacon and shelter. Andrew Dodds draws the audience into a socio-political terrain through playful participation in a craft-based activity. Bern Roche Farrelly invites participation by combining the familiar social dynamics of meal times with the playful structure of a board game. Libby Seward asks the audience to ‘dance like nobody’s watching’. Fiona Hallinan prompts the audience to anonymously vote in response to certain questions and looks at notions of free market information exchange. David Bickley creates a space filled with sound and images to instigate an emotional response from the viewer that will be measured via a bio-feedback monitor. In the words of the curators ‘We wanted to curate a show that looks at the influence of community arts, collaborative arts and relational aesthetics on contemporary art trends whereby the audience has a creative say in the art making process. We wanted to demand more of the artwork than just being an object to be viewed and more of the audience than just looking.’ The Two Brians from London’s Fine Artistes will make a special visit to the exhibition on the opening night. This act is an irreverent homage to that wonderfully opinionated Evening Standard art critic, Brian Sewell.
For further information, contact Mary Grehan on 086 3703537 or Claire Meaney on 087 2758554.
ABOUT SOMA: SOMA Contemporary is a unique and expansive new environment in Waterford city, conceived and run by artists. The primary commitment of the gallery is to promote the public enjoyment and understanding of art. SOMA distinguishes itself by placing emphasis on providing to Waterford the city’s only independent, all-volunteer, artist-run gallery. SOMA hopes to become a major community resource and a vibrant new venue for the arts in Waterford, offering a wealth of exhibitions and events.
VISITOR INFORMATION: Exhibition continues until August 21st. The Gallery is open Thursday - Saturday, 1 pm – 5:30 pm and also by appointment. Admission is free. The Gallery is located at 6 Lombard Street, former tax office. Contact: SOMAwaterford@gmail.com. Visit: www.SOMAcontemporary.com
I was performing as part of the opening night where i encouraged the audience to become actively engaged with my piece, they pulled long lenghts of fabric through hoops on the wall, passing the fabric between eachother and making shapes in the space while i balanced my weight on the taught lenghts, l.e.d torches were built into the headpiece of the costume which gave it a glactic feel aswell as the fact that composer David Bickley was on hand to improvise sounds on his electonic synthesizor pad which mirrored the audience and my own movements.
A great show, some great pieces, especially loved installation/performance by
Bern Roche Farrell really enjoyed by the audience and highly engaging.......
