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An Irish vision of contemporary arts in Indonesia
An exhibition of contemporary Irish women artists in Jakarta showcases their distinct yet universal take on the arts and today’s world, as told from Ireland’s standing as a crossroads between Europe and America.
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Fickle: Lucy Peters' Buy Wear Dispose takes on excess consumerism. (JP/Tunggul Wirajuda) (JP/Tunggul Wirajuda)
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n exhibition of contemporary Irish women artists in Jakarta showcases their distinct, yet universal take on the arts and today’s world, as told from Ireland’s standing as a crossroads between Europe and America
The visual installation continuously dissolved into pixelated fragments, leaving one to wonder if there are issues with the LED TV used for the work. Traditional wooden tools and boat parts showed up between the apparent malfunctions, baffling yet piquing one’s interest. Yet there is a method to this seeming madness in the video art piece by Irish contemporary artist Orla Comerford.
Titled Oidhreacht (Legacy) and referred to by her as ‘glitch art’, the work highlighted the National College of Art and Design alumnus’ background as well as her visually impaired condition, and how these factors influenced her view of the world.
“As a visually impaired artist, [Comerford’s] glitch art and distortion of images […] [is shaped] by what she sees and how she encounters the world,” said curator Mark Joyce. “[Oidhreacht] follows [Comerford’s] fathers [sic] construction of a classic wooden boat.” He said Oidhreacht encouraged one to engage other senses.
“As the viewer moves through the space, they must rely on the audio to contextualize the piece. As they move forward the video sharpens and the reality emerges, which mirrors the reality of Orla’s interaction with the world around her.”
An eye for common ground
Oidhreacht is one of the artworks shown in Ireland’s Eye, an annual exhibition of contemporary Irish art at the World Trade Center corporate offices in Jakarta. Organized by the ISA Art and Design gallery and the Irish Embassy, Ireland’s Eye casts, according to Joyce in the exhibition’s online catalog at www.isaartanddesign.com, “a critical ‘eye’ on an increasingly connected, yet polarized world,” through the works of Irish women artists. Ireland’s ambassador to Indonesia, Padraig Francis, agreed with the aims of the exhibition, which is held for the second consecutive year.
