Residency project for portlaoise town and surrounds

Unit Project:

A people centred arts project for Portlaoise Town and Surrounds
Commissioned by Laois County Council, Arts Office

Visiting Artists’  Profile – Theresa Nanigian
Unit is a new Artists residency project currently running in Portlaoise until February 2009.  There are five artists and four curators working together in the town in various venues and with different groups.  The concept behind this overall project is to conceive a unit as representing a single undivided aspect occurring in the composition of something else.   It is no surprise that visiting Unit Artist, Theresa Nanigian’s working practice and analytical approach fits the brief perfectly.  She is a natural researcher and has wasted no time investigating potential possibilities and areas of interest and engagement in Portlaoise.  
Through an introduction to Sandra Doyle of the VEC, Theresa is working with 25 people who have recently arrived here from all corners of the world – Algeria, Pakistan, Nigeria, Poland, Vietnam, the Congo, Lithuania, Sri Lanka etc. 
In attempting to find a way to communicate and expand her ideas for this project, Theresa drew inspiration from the poet WH Auden and a questionnaire that the poet had devised to ascertain how one could define paradise on earth.  As our individual notions of paradise are drawn from our own personal and cultural experiences, Theresa felt that it would be interested to further explore a similar technique in her interactions with the 25 people who were interested in participating.  Theresa therefore set about exploring and defining their “dream of Eden”.  This involves visiting and meeting with each individual.  Although it is a personal and intimate subject Theresa is delighted and amazed with the willingness on everyone’s part to engage and share their definitions.  The working process is also fascinating.  Theresa finds that while there is sometimes a language barrier the process of discussing and working one to one allows for their ideas to be shared.  It is a process of exchange that is mutually beneficial. Her project is aptly called “seeker”. 
Theresa is now reflecting on her findings so far and how she would like to further articulate and represent “seeker”.  She currently sees the outcome as being a publication which she feels would strike the right balance of representation between disclosure and intimacy, celebration and concern, fantasy and reality, private and public.
Theresa’s work is very relevant in the context of cultural and national diversity in Portlaoise and it will be very interesting to see how Theresa’s exploration and interaction will convey the complex stories of the people she is engaging with and how they are adjusting and connecting to their new home in Portlaoise.
Theresa is also collaborating with writer and curator Padraic E Moore on this project.  Throughout the project and as the Theresa’s work progresses, Padraic will have opportunities to discuss and interpret her working practice and its formal and conceptual qualities.  This process of interaction of shared research and dialogue not only offers relevant support to the artist but also assists in developing her art practice and exploring other possibilities that may not have been considered when working alone.
Theresa Nanigian was born in Maryland, USA and now lives and works in Dublin.  For further examples of Theresa’s art practice, please see http://theresananigian.com
It is intended to have a publication together with an exhibition of the final outcomes in the New Year.  The project is running until the end of February.

Visiting Artists’  Profile – Ruth Lyons
In continuing with our recent visiting artist profile series of artists involved in Unit, an artists residency project for Portlaoise, we are delighted to introduce the work of visiting artist Ruth Lyons.  Ruth is an emerging artist based in Daingean, County Offaly.  She is a recent graduate of the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.  She works in painting, installation and video.  Since graduating, Ruth co-founded The Good Hatchery artist space and residency programme in Daingean, County Offaly in 2007 and she has also participated in a number of residencies, group exhibitions and selected events culminating in a solo exhibition titled ‘God Ball’ at Grennan Mill, Thomastown as part of the 2008 Kilkenny Arts Festival.  For this project, Ruth has set up a temporary studio space in the Old Mill, Fitzmaurice Place, Portlaoise.  She is based there from Monday to Thursday and all visitors are welcome by appointment through the Arts Office.
Ruth’s working practice takes a very practical approach through her visual recordings and drawing concentrating on areas of interest and piecing these fragments of visual research together to form a final piece.  This process and method of accumulating visual research in response to her surroundings drives her daily activity and production.  It is an organic process and one which lends itself to the overall brief and concept of this project being to visually explore the seen and unseen visual cultural aspects of Portlaoise.  For this reason, Ruth has based herself in the heart of Portlaoise town, to better experience and engage with what is happening in the town for the duration of this project.  Interestingly it is the contrast of being in town as opposed to the country that has prompted Ruth to consider the new built environment and development that has taken place in Portlaoise and how it has altered the town and the movement of people to, from and within the town.  To do this she is working and researching town plans and the concept behind town planning and how it influences the lives of people living in this new or altered environment. 
Working in a town environment which has very evident signs old and new is providing a new stimulus.  Ruth is currently working on large scale drawings from maps of the town projected in the studio space.  She is considering the old and new elements of the town and is questioning and imagining the emotional context on the people who live in these new spaces.  Her drawings are forming colourful abstract maps.  It will be interesting to see how Ruth’s drawings and visual research will contrast and interact with the forward planning maps already devised for the town.
The Laois Arts Office is delighted to continue its support and development of a culture of research, conceptual exploration and investigation in contemporary art practice and how such practices as Ruth’s engage with various environments.  We look forward to seeing how Ruth’s eyes adjust and record the cultural changes within the town in comparison to her rural homeland. 
Ruth is collaborating with Sally Timmons, curator on this project.  This gives a further layer of interpretation and meaning to the work as Sally is not only providing one to one critical analysis and support throughout the project but Sally will also provide a written text.  This process of interaction between artist and curator is very relevant in the development of the critical context and artistic development of Ruth’s practice and how her work is mediated.  
For further examples of Ruth’s art practice, please see http://thegoodhatchery.wordpress.com

Unit Artists Workshop

held on Friday 5th December in The Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise
Unit, an artists residency project for Portlaoise town and surrounds

Professional practice workshops for artists and artist/curator discussion on current working practices for the Unit project.

A new initiative entitled Midlands Master Classes supported by the Arts Services of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath took place in the Dunamaise Arts Centre.  The morning workshop was aimed at artists and offered guidance on writing statements and visual representations when approaching galleries, selection panels etc.  Despite the recent cold spell, the morning's workshop was well attended by artists from all part of the midlands.  This workshop was facilitated by Sarah Searson and Claire Nidecker.  The artists who participated found it to be most beneficial and have expressed an interest in participating in similar training opportunities on a regular basis.

This was followed by the afternoon session which invloved presentations and conversations between artists and curators currently working on Unit, an artists residency project for Portlaoise.  The artists gave a visual presentation of their practice and work in progress for Unit.  After the presentation the curators then conducted a question and answer session on the expected outcomes of the project.  Again this proved to be  a very insightful experience for the audience in developing an appreciation and understanding of contemporary art practice.  It was very interesting to see the various processes employed by the artists and how they are engaging and communicating with their chosen subject in a regional context.

Theresa Nanigian is working with English language students in the VEC and is exploring the notion of Eden and paradise through converstions and one on one interviews with a number of people.

Hope Inherent (Tara Kennedy and Jennie Moran) are working and communicating with prisoners at Portlaoise Prison through letters in an effort to understand the prisoners altered environments and how they are adjusting to this controlled space.

Ruth Lyons will be based at the Old Mill, Portlaoise in a temporary studios space for the duration of the project as she investigates the town and its context in being a nuceleus to new suburbis and new housing develoopments.

Vera Kute who works in sound and animated media is looking at the hosopital in the town and how it supports the community during its entire life cycle.

It is intended to have a publication together with an exhibition of the final outcomes in the New Year.  The project is running until the end of February and further information is available from the Arts Office at 057-8674342 or email artsoff@laoiscoco.ie