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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

ALL HUMANS DO

Curated by Aoife Tunney

Associate curator: Chris Fite-Wassilak

Opening Reception: Friday, January 20, 2012, 6-9pm

12 Irish Artists: David Beattie, Rhona Byrne, Brendan Earley, Aleana Egan, Fergus Feehily, Mark Garry, Kevin Kirwan, Bea Mc Mahon, Niamh O'Malley, Locky Morris, Dennis Mc Nulty & Tamsin Snow.

“I don’t even know who I am anymore. Who am I? Do you know who you are?” Hari asks. “Yes, all humans do,” Kelvin replies...

It is a function of our biology to strive to survive day to day. Our futures – and our forming identities – depend on the choices we make. Once we make a choice, we are oblivious to other possible futures; but we sometimes remain transfixed by the path not taken, its unknown and unfilled potential. We can have regret, imaginings and even memories of that unknown possibility.

In Andrei Tarkovsky's film of the sci-fi classic Solaris (1972), psychologist Kris Kelvin meets his dead wife on a space station in mysterious disarray. She is confused and asks Kelvin who she really is. Michel Foucault wrote in The Politics of Truth, "One of the main moral obligations for any subject is to know oneself, to tell the truth about oneself, and to constitute as an object of knowledge both for other people and oneself.”

The artists in this show reflect on the everyday experiences of materials, of literature, music, our interaction with knowledge and the incomprehensible phenomena of aspects outside of ourselves, which we accept but may not understand. The artists’ processes and the physical outcome is the telling of their journey, and the choices and mistakes made are perhaps analogous to getting to know oneself.

Aleana Egan solo show, The Drawing Room, London, 2010, Berlin Biennale, 2008, Art Statements, Basel 2009. Dennis Mc Nulty, Performa NYC 2011, Centre Cultural Irlandais, Paris, 2011. Rhona Byrne, Tasmania 2011 Commonage Callan, Mark Garry, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh 2010, solo show Hugh Lane Gallery IRL, 2010, represented Ireland at Venice Biennale, 2005. Bea Mc Mahon, 2011 two person show CCA Glasgow, 2011 John Latham Foundation, London, Locky Morris, 2011 solo show

Dennis Mc Nulty, 2011 Performa NYC, Centre Cultural Irlandais, Paris, Rhona Byrne, Curators’ Paul O’Niel, project, Tasmania, 2011, Commonage, IRL, 2011. Brendan Earley, RHA, solo show, Dublin, 2012, solo show Mother’s Tanksation, Dublin, 2011. Niamh O’Malley, Dublin Contemporary 2011, Screening, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, solo show Green on Red Gallery, 2011. Kevin Kirwan, Limerick City Gallery, 2012, Cake Contemporary, solo show, 2011, Gracelands, 2010.

Curatorial Panel members

Gavin Delahunty, Head of exhibitions & displays, TATE Liverpool.
Seamus Kealy, Director, The Model, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sligo.
Caoimhin Mac Giolla Leith, critic & curator.
Declan Long, Course director, Art in the Contemporary world, NCAD, Dublin.

For press inquiries please contact press@whiteboxny.org or 212-714-2347.

Aleana Egan, shining element 2011. Image courtesy The Artist; Mary Mary, Glasgow Photographer credit: Stephen Robinson. Cardboard, tape, filler, paint, varnish, Sikabond, bonding coat, roofing felt, steel, split pins

David Beattie, particle accelerator, 2010. Image courtesy of the artist.

Fergus Feehily, 2011. The Rag Palm, 2011. Image courtesy of the artist. Oil and acrylic on MDF, found cloth.

Kevin Kirwan, image object, 2011. Image courtesy of the artist.

Niamh O'Malley, stones, still from video, Island, 2011. Courtesty Green on Red Gallery.

Locky Morris, Dog and Chair, 2010. Courtesy of Mother's Tankstation.

Rhona Byrne, Its all up in the air, 2011. Courtesy of the artist.

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