Sirius Arts Centre Presents Cork Harbour Project, Beyond the Myths. Opening Saturday 13 September

Exhibition & Public Seminar 13th September 2008

Cork Harbour Project, Beyond the Myths is a dynamic exhibition including a public seminar, a site specific installation, walking tour and schools project was developed through a series of interactive meetings and workshops/laboratories supported by Sirius Arts Centre’s artist in residence programme. International and local artists, community groups, experts in natural history and representatives from the local authority were brought together with the aim of raising awareness about this unique Irish natural habitat. Cork Harbour Beyond the Myths is the first phase of projects drawn from these laboratories. The resulting projects are a reflection of unique partnerships formed during the 2007 laboratories.

Cork Harbour is in the process of change, a vital natural resource which offers a remarkable opportunity for investigation. The size and unique mixture of environments provide a perfect source to develop a project of this type. The natural places of Cork Harbour hold great significance for the people of Cork as well as visitors from beyond the boundaries of Cork in terms of industry, agriculture, fishing and other maritime enterprise, and leisure activities.
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Seminar Saturday 13th September / 2-5.30pm
Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork €5 (booking required)

On Saturday 13th September at 2pm, Sirius will hold a seminar exploring how the art work in this resulting exhibition evolved and how unique partnerships created through this project affected the artists and experts involved.

The seminar, hosted by Sarah Iremonger, will involve case studies from some of the lab participants including Lieutenant Commander Cormac Rynne from Haulbowline Naval Base and exhibiting artists, Martin Sims from Australia and Danny McCarthy from Cork. Community engagement activities evolving from the Harbour Project by Cork Greenmap and Middleton artists, John McHarg & Ned Cotter with Windy Lane Puppet Theatre will also give presentations. Allan Giddy will discuss his Sonic Wells installation in Cobh followed by an open public discussion.

For more information contact Sarah Iremonger at:
Tel: 00353 (0)21 4813790
email: cobharts@iol.ie
www.siriusartscentre.ie

Sonic Wells Site Specific Installation Opening 13 September 8:30pm Ryan’s Pub, Casement Square

Wells, water holes, hot springs and billabongs were until recently central meeting points for communities worldwide. For this installation Australian artist, Allen Giddy will construct two sonic wells: one in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland and the other in Sydney, Australia, creating a virtual hole (12,720km long) through the earth connecting Ireland with Australia.

Each well will collect ambient sounds which, transmitted live, will be emitted from its sister well. Thus for instance, people near the well in Cobh will hear live audio from its sister well in Sydney and vice versa!

The aim of this project is to create a contemporary gathering place that mirrors both the history of wells and expand its potential by connecting geographically separate but related communities through collective soundscapes. An additional aim is to highlight the immigration patterns between Ireland and Australia and its special significance to Cobh.

Each well will be relatively small and will be constructed to compliment the local architecture (see simulated site images below) the wells will integrate with the aesthetics of each site whilst incorporating a minimal aesthetic reference to the site of the sister well. The aesthetic of the wells is currently being determined through consultation with local stone masons and will be designed to complement and merge with the overall site aesthetic.

Installation runs until 5 October

Sirius Arts Centre Travels to China Pingyao International Photography Festival with Three Irish Photographers.

Peggy Sue Amison, Director of Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh, County Cork, has been invited by China Pingyao International Photography Festival (http://www.pipphoto.com/) and the European Photography Festival Union (http://www.festivalunion.com/) to present the work of three Irish Photographers at this prestigious festival taking place from 19 – 26 September. Additional support from Culture Ireland has helped to make this presentation of Irish photography in China possible.

Founded in 2001, the China Pingyao International Photography Festival is the world’s largest photography exhibition. Past editions of this festival have hosted many well known contemporary photographers such as Robert Frank, Annie Leibowitz and Don McCullen.
Exhibited at the festival will be works by three Irish photographers: David Farrell, Mark Curran and Seán Hillen. This will be the first exhibition of their works in China.

In addition, Peggy will give a presentation about photography in Ireland and will discuss issues affecting international curators of photography in a one day workshop along with representatives from China, England, Greece, Finland, Bratislava, Poland and other members of the European Photo Festival Union..

Exhibited at this year’s festival will be selected works of photomontages by Seán Hillen, images from Mark Curran’s well known projects including “The Breathing Factory ”and “Southern Cross” and a selection of David Farrell’s images from works “Innocent Landscapes” and “Né Vicino Né Lontano. A Lugo”.

In addition to the exhibition of Irish work, Ms. Amison has also curated a slide presentation in partnership with the European Photography Festival Union featuring work by International artists who have participated in the Artist in Residency Programme at Sirius Arts Centre. The presentation will include works from, “Tide” by South African photograph Michelle Sank, works from a documentary project in progress on fishing by French photographer Gilles Perrin and additional images by David Farrell.

Peggy Sue Amison, Artistic Director of Sirius Arts Centre said, “I am really pleased to be invited to promote Irish photographers to a whole new audience. It’s a great opportunity both for the Irish photographers and for Sirius Arts Centre.”

Travelling to China with Peggy Amison will be artist Séan Hillen. For more information on the artists please visit their websites at:

Séan Hillen: http://www.seanhillen.com/

David Farrell: http://www.davidfarrell.org/

Mark Curran: http://www.belfastexposed.org/exhibitions/index.php?exhibition=2&year=2006&show=past

For more information contact Sirius Arts Centre at +353 21 481 3790

Upcoming music concerts at Sirius Arts Centre in September, October and November

Monday 8 September 8pm (doors 7:45pm)
Colm Mac Con Iomaire
fiddle player from the Frames will perform for one night only celebrating the release of his debut album "The Hare's Corner (Cúinne An Ghiorria). Tickets €15

Tuesday 23 September 8pm (doors 7:45pm)

The National Chamber Choir / Director Paul Hillier
Singing Stories and Telling Songs
CHRISTCHURCH, RUSHBROOKE
Ireland's most Distinguished choral ensemble, with their new award winning artistic director, Paul Hillier, perform a dynamic programme with words and music by: John Cage, Philip Glass, Arvo Parte, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce and others. This is one evening not to be missed.
Tickets €18/€16 concession. Made possible with support by Cork County Council

Saturday 11 October 8pm (doors 7:45 pm)
An evening with Brendan and Declan Murphy from
The 4 of Us
An encore performance by this well known Irish duo.
Advanced booking reccommended!
Tickets €15

Friday 24 October 8pm (doors 7:45pm)

GUGGENHIEM GROTTO

promoting their eagerly awaited second release "Happy the Man", and following on massive praise for their first album. Guggenheim Grotto play a mix of pop, rock and folk.
Tickets €15

For more information or to book tickets contact Sirius at 021 481 3790

Marie Brett Exhibits "The Loan Bush" until Sunday 7 September at Sirius

A live Hawthorn Tree forms the centre piece for an exhibition in Sirius Arts centre in Cobh, by Bantry artist Marie Brett.

The artist has made a new collection of work combining oak and stainless steel, photography and a DVD, which explore tradition and folklore surrounding the native Hawthorn and pre-historic archaeological sites.

Marie said she was delighted to have an exhibition at Sirius and said of her artworks inspiration: “The Hawthorn, especially the lone bush, has always been regarded with a mixture of fear and respect. There are many stories of harm, even death, coming to those who interfere with a thorn tree. Likewise, the veneration of stones in the context of pilgrimage and patterns, still flourish. Private and public symbolic gestures of walking around, touching, scraping, kneeling, and leaving tokens on sacred stones are evident. I did months of research and investigation and built up a body of stories which helped inform the artwork”.

Marie is Irish descent, with her Mother coming from Mallow and her Dad from County Waterford. Both her parents were at the exhibition opening, as were many people from Cobh and Cork, where Marie is well known for her community arts projects. Sirius Director, Peggy Sue Amison says of the exhibitionsays of the exhibition:“Marie’s work connects her audience to something that is basically intrinsic in every culture – a universality of ritual and myth, a visual language of symbols, taking one beyond the verbal to a place of silence and imaginative contemplation”.

Marie Brett was awarded a Masters Degree with distinction in visual art from London University Goldsmith’s College. She lives and works in County Cork with her family, towards Bantry.

Contact Sirius for more information - gallery hours are as posted on this site.

Tide - an installation by Aileen Lambert opens at Sirius on Saturday 14 June with a special performance at 3pm

Sirius Arts Centre presents Aileen Lambert's most recent project
Tide - Video Installation, Sound and Video Works

Official Opening Saturday 14th June at 3pm Sirius Arts Centre Galleries With a performance of
One Mouthful of Water by the artist at the opening

Exhibition runs Saturday 14th June – Sunday 6th July

Following a short residency at Sirius earlier this year, Lambert presents a show including sound and video works and featuring a new video installation, Tide in the Centre Gallery. This new work was developed in response to the unique aspect of Sirius Arts Centre and it's relationship to the sea.

Tide is defined as "a point or portion of time" or "the rise and fall of the sea". Each new tide carries with it the promise of erasing a previous impression and the potential of something new and unknown. This work investigates the body's relationship with time in relation to the changing landscape, and through the use of sound explores feelings of loss and longing so often associated with the sea.

The West Gallery will feature a number of video and sound works in which the artist mediates her encounters with the environment. Performative gestures varying from short determined actions to extended periods of stillness are re-presented by employing a variety of recording and editing devices. Much of the Lambert's work is concerned with a futile attempt to preserve something which is intangible, as she uses metaphors such as the voice, breath and shadow to explore archetypal notions of life and death and the passing of time.

Aileen Lambert - Biography
Lambert's practice spans video, performance and sound work, as well as participatory public art projects. Aileen graduated from LSAD, Limerick in 1997 with a degree in Fine Art was awarded an MA in Visual Arts Practice from DLIADT in January 2007. She recently presented a solo show entitled Come and Gone, featuring video, sound and performance in Wexford Arts Centre in January/February 2008. Group shows include 7000IS, (Egilsstadir, Iceland), Anti Festival of Contemporary Art (Kuopio, Finland), Tract (Cornwall, England), EV+A (Limerick), Tulca (Galway), Visual Deflections (London), Castle of Imagination (Poland) and SWGC, (Newfoundland). Aileen was in receipt of a Bursary from The Arts Council of Ireland in June 2007, and Wexford County Council in June 2008. Public art projects include The Soft Edge, which was commissioned by Wexford County Council and culminated in a publication launch in January '08. She is currently working on a public art commission for Fingal County Council and is developing new work for Sculpture at Kells, August 2008, and Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, in April 2009.

Composer, musician and visual artist, Charlotte Hug in Residence at Sirius

Charlotte Hug, composer, musician and visual artist, lives in Zurich and travells extensively. She graduated in Visual Arts and Music, from London, Bern, Zurich & Berlin, and has received several awards, including "artist in residence" in London, Paris, Cork, Berlin and now in Cobh for the month of June.

Charlotte is well known for her spatial scores and performances in unusual places around the world. Charlotte tries to maximize amplification of playing techniques through the use of these alternative spaces. She has, among others, developed the "softbow" and specializes in mixing the sounds of viola and voice.

In addition to exhibitions, she performs as a soloist playing her own compositions at important international festivals in Europe, USA and Canada. ( for more inforamtion visit http://www.charlottehug.ch). Sarah Iremonger, Artist in Residence Co-ordinator took a few moments out to find-out more about Charlotte and her aspirations for her residency.

Sarah - Can you tell us a bit about what you've been working on recently and your plans during your residency at Sirius?

Charlotte - I was in the area during Cork Capital of Culture 2005, at that time I did an installation and performance for the Soundworks Festival as part of Arttrail. The high and low tide near the Dockyard in Rusbrookewere was inspiring for me. At low tide I was standing on the slipway... it made me think of "anderwelten" (the Celtic discription for otherworlds).

At that time I was looking for special places allover Europe which were under the earth, or under the water, or in between. Since then I played in the Rhone Glacier in Switzerland and the house of detention, a prison from the 16th century which was a air raid shelter during the second worldwar in London. I also performed in a half destroyed bunker in Berlin and in the subterranean hot springs in the cellar of a former luxury hotel of the 18th century in Switzerland.

I am currently working with Swiss TV to make a documentary film about this project, "Anderwelten". The filmmaker Alberto Venzago and his cameraman will come at the end of my residency to the Sirius Art Centre and film my work here in Ireland. My focus this year is "Anderwelten" and my time at Sirius provides me with an opportunity to continue my work on this project. I have plans for a future exhibition, including an installation and a performance which will be shown at the Kunstkeller Bern in Switzerland and at the Swissnex in San Francisco this autum.Currently I am the soloist (viola & voice) in the piece "Oedipus on Kolonos" from Sophokles /director Jossi Wieler, where I will play the psyche of Oedipus at the Münchner Kammerspiele.

For more information on Charlotte Hug visit her website at: www.charlottehug.ch