Excavations is currently showing at the He Gallery Laipeng Golf Art space until June 3rd 2018 .
This rendition of Excavations opened on Sunday 22nd April and I would like to thank Gallery manager Liu Meijun, Mr Zhou Chen of Chen Gallery, Mr Huang Zhongjin of Laipeng golf grounds. Many thanks to curators Jia Jingjing and Liu Meijun for all their hard work. Sincere thanks to deputy Head of Mission Tim Harrington who came to officiate the opening along with cultural attaché Aoife Fleming of the Embassy of Ireland. Thank you to Dublin City Council for sponsoring this project celebrating the twinning programme between Dublin and Beijing .
The opening was very special as five of the six participating artists were present : Fion Gunn, Gulistan, Monika Lin arrived from Shanghai and Lee Sheungha came from Korea and myself. Sadly Audrey Mullins could not be present .
Gulistan: http://www.gulistan-art.com
Fion Gunn: www.fiongunn.org
Monika Lin: www.monikalin.com
Lee Sheungha:
Audrey Mullins: www.audreymullinsartist.weebly.com
Niamh Cunningham www.niamhcunningham.com
I was showing the ‘three phases’ of landscapes,
Phase one : traditional oil :
Niamh Cunningham , Yunnan River, oil on board 40 x 30cm (2013)
Phase two : digital manipulation using oil :
Niamh Cunningham, Water City Huiyuan oil on canvas 2017 100x 300cm (2018)
Phase three : digital print on cotton sucrose mixed media
Niamh Cunningham, Huiyuan Yayuncun D, sucrose on digital print, mixed media , 30 x40 cm oval
Niamh Cunningham, Ha’penny Bridge, sucrose on digital print, mixed media , 2018, 30 x 40 cm oval
The four oval sucroses were of Dublin and Beijing scenes such as the Ha’penny bridge and other Dublin and Beijing scenes. The Sucrose work is my most recent work.
Panel Discussion:
After the opening we had a panel discussion on different aspects of facilitating and supporting artists who happen to be female. Some of the conclusions of this session were:
*A system of mentoring younger artists can be facilitated within exhibition projects
*Counting matters: Every curator can accept the responsibility to count the numbers of participating artists who are female in their projects. This simple action of counting and recording instills an awareness of their curatorial practice.
*The importance of not labelling projects as female to prevent limitations and ‘ghettoization’ of projects.
*The significance of collectors who are female who are stepping up and investing .
*In 2009 Tate contemporary collection had 3% of it art collection by artists who were women. In 2015 the figure had risen to 17% and the trends are increasing in every major and national collection so this means it make financial sense to invest in art by female artists.
Many thanks to Summer Wang for facilitating the live translation for this seminar.
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Excavations is currently showing at the He Gallery Laipeng Golf Art space until June 3rd 2018 .
Media Links
Running concurrent to Excavations is another exhibition called Age of Exploration by artist and friend Fion Gunn. My next post will take a look at this work .