The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Siamsa Tíre welcomes crowds to ‘Truth or Dare’ exhibition
FORGET the film just realeased in cinemas, the real ‘Truth or Dare’ exhibition that you need to see this weekend is inside Tralee’s Siamsa Tíre theatre.
The art exhibition was officially opened on Friday April 6 and to say that there was a great attendance on the day would be an understatement.
The exhibition is the brainchild of artists Grace Roberts, Suzanne Mortell and Nuala O’ Sullivan, all of whom were left overwhelmed by the support shown on the opening night.
“In this exhibition these three artists explore how meaning, and a sense of identity is fashioned through social interactions and how the narratives we construct help make sense of our world,” said a release on the exhibition.
“The artists examine how we give things meaning in order to expose the idea of a socially constructed reality, and the structures placed on us as we live our lives; pressures of conformity, regulation and monitoring.”
“Art allows us to explore and express the space between illusion and reality and feeds from our dreams, memories and our life experiences of myth, symbolism, and traditions. In this process the artist is the interrogator and the audience is the witness,” the release finished.
Nuala O’Sullivan is an artist whose work uses both photography and painting to explore how concealed repression can seep through from the past.
Alongside this the aesthetic and culture of the 1950s have strong visual resonances for her.
Grace Roberts is someone who is fascinated by the discourse of power relationships, in particular through visual representation, and how to think about the other, and uses symbols to produce abstract images to challenge dominant ideologies.
Suzanne Mortell’s work alludes to stories with insinuations, inspired by memories, her childhood and local countryside.
Her paintings are ones that try to re-create generic images with qualities that trigger associations for the viewers.
“In the art world, it can sometimes feel as if painting and wall-based art is going out of fashion, that artists no longer need to express their thoughts on canvas or board. This exhibition really demonstrates the impact of 2 dimensional artworks, whether in paint (as used by Nuala and Suzanne), or in Grace’s works which are a more complicated mixed media.,” said Caitriona Fallon, Siamsa Tíre, CEO, speaking on the night.
“One strong element of this exhibition, and its impact on us as viewers, is the really vibrant use of colour and a strong sense of the feminine - three female artists, whose work is bold, adventurous, colourful, and in parts magical and mystical. It has been a pleasure working with these three talented artists.,” Caitriona finished.
The ‘Truth or Dare’ exhibition is running in Siamsa until May 4 during the gallery’s normal working hours.