To Never Look away at TØN Gallery Dublin – Talks & Events Programme
As curator of the exhibition To Never Look Away at TØN Gallery Dublin, participation and engagement inclusion and dialogue are hugely important through my programming of a wide range of different events, talks, tours and conversations during the exhibition for all ages and backgrounds – from the students of Central Model Primary School to Grandparents Against Racism, and everyone else in between! Thanks to Temple Bar Gallery ans Studios for including the exhibition in their Art Walk tour too! Here is some images from the programme of events. Firstly above – 3rd Class, Central Model SNS for a VTS/ Visual Thinking Strategies discussion with myself and Rachel Fallon.
TALKS@TØN DUBLIN: Poetry Reading at To Never Look Away
Sunday 24th March/ 1.00 – 2.30pm
Poets Nasouh Hossari and Fíona Bolger joined with friends performing poetry in Arabic and English and music by Gaza musician Abdulaziz. Followed by an open mic for Gaza. Works by Palestinian poets encouraged and warmly welcomed.
TALKS@TØN DUBLIN: Artists In Conversation at To Never Look Away
Wednesday 27th March/ 6.00 – 7.30pm
Sara O’Rourke, (Dept. of Anthropology, Maynooth University), Claire Halpin (Curator/ Artist/ Arts Educator), Rachel Fallon (Artist), Brenda Aherne (Artist/ Mini Placard Movement) & Exhibiting Artists
Another great evening of though provoking conversation responding to the prescient themes, subjects, concepts, artworks and art practices in the exhibition To Never Look Away at TØN Gallery.
All were welcome, no bookings necessary. Donations to Médecins Sans Frontières Gaza Appeal.
A huge thank you each of the exhibiting artists – Rachel Fallon, Joy Gerrard, Claire Halpin, Myra Jago, Paul Mac Cormaic and Amna Walayat, and the poets Fióna Bolger and Nasouh Hossari – who participated and facilitated discussions as part of the exhibition programme. And a huge thank you to all of you who came along to some or all of the events. It really has been an amazing experience – thought provoking, inspiring, discursive, important, emotive and moving in equal measures.
Thanks to Mark and Helen at TØN Gallery for the invitation and opportunity to curate and produce this important and timely exhibition and programme of events – opening up new spaces for collaboration and discussion.
To Never Look Away at TØN Gallery/ 7 – 31 March 2024
Winter Newsletter 2023 – Happy Christmas and New Year!
Welcome to my Winter Newsletter 2023 and what a year it has been! A huge thanks and appreciation to all the galleries, museums, artists, curators, writers, patrons, podcasters, viewers and buyers who have supported my work throughout the year and made 2023 a great year. Here’s a look back to some of the highlights from this year. Looking forward to very exciting exhibition plans being hatched with TØN Dublin in early 2024…watch this space!
Happy Christmas and New Year to one and all!
Claire
2023 brought many international exhibition opportunities, most significantly my first international solo exhibition – Primo Piatto at Galleria Cabaret Voltaire in Rome in March. Such an honour, experience and opportunity to exhibit in the Monti in the great city of Rome! The exhibition was very well received and reviewed and included paintings from the Augmented Auguries series. newly created Migrant Souvenir plates and a site specific historic sculpture – The Lost Heart of Daniel O’Connell.This intriguing work, through a sequence of events was bequested to the Church of St. Agata dei Goti, Rome for permanent exhibition in the church…My Body to Ireland, My Heart to Rome…. Donal Fallon, historian chats with me about it in his great podcast Three Castles Burning.
During the summer my work was exhibited in Summer Salon at Red Sheep Gallery, Klockestrand, Sweden, In the Cross Fire at SEAS Brighton as part of International Refugee week. Other group exhibitions included Mermaid 21 at Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Chaos/ Order at dlr Municipal Gallery, Dún Laoghaire, Here and Now at TØN Dublin. Another brilliant collaboration with Madeleine Hellier at Sculpture in Context 2023 – this year Glassophere a three part large scale installation across the Botanic Gardens. I am delighted also to have new work selected for the Winter Exhibition at Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin currently on exhibition until 13th January 2024.
Another huge honour in 2023 was the inclusion of my work in this seminal publication –
LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT IN CONTEMPORARY IRISH ART
by YVONNE SCOTT, published by CHURCHILL HOUSE PRESS
This book identifies a representative selection of compelling and intriguing artworks by a range of around one hundred of the most challenging and vibrant artists from, or working in, Ireland or whose work addresses Irish landscapes and environments. Examining them both individually and collectively, this book reveals primary motivations behind strategies of representation.
Claire Halpin Artist 