PRESS RELEASE / INFO / INTERVIEWEES /

PRESS RELEASE:
Blow-In, Danger Museum (Miho Shimizu & Øyvind Renberg)
Commissioned by Cork Midsummer Festival, curator Grant Watson
Cork Public Museum, Fitzgerald Park, Cork, Ireland

Blow-In is the culmination of Danger Museum’s experiences as outsiders or 'blow-ins' to Cork city. 13 interviews are compiled in a publication, while collage pieces and a performance are shown in Cork Public Museum. The project uses the history of Cork as a backdrop for an exploration of the development of Cork´s cultural scene and the role that Cork 2005 is playing in further development of this.

Danger Museum has approached artists, institutions and administrations for interviews. Together they form a spectrum of the Cork art scene, starting with curator Grant Watson’s introduction to the project’s commissioner, Cork Midsummer Festival a year ago.
They speak about the framework for art in Cork, how to improve conditions and the significance of the Capital of Culture to the city. The moods shift between patriotism, scepticism, hope and cynicism about practicing in this city today.

A set of collages introduce other aspects of Cork, and form a commentary on its cultural condition. But rather than directly challenging the Capital of Culture, the collages have a more offbeat approach. They depict the city as sitting beneath a fog whose whiteness covers the buildings and seems to cast a blanket of silence over all the discursiveness thrown up by the year's events. Cork is portrayed as a small town, where being a big fish can be both good and bad. It is a retreat for many big city getaways, and a restraint for those with ambitions.

Cork Public Museum is located in Fitzgerald Park, the grounds of the Cork International Exhibition of 1902/03. The event would have outshone Cork 2005 many times over in terms of size and investment, yet today it has nearly disappeared from the city’s memory. A dried-up cigar given to the Lord Mayor of Cork, Fitzgerald, by King Edward VII on the King’s visit, is one of few remains. One can’t help wondering what will be left after Cork 2005 - proclaimed “the greatest year” since the International Exhibitions, by the current Lord mayor of Cork.

Blow-In uses the site of Cork International Exhibition to point at some of the questions regarding the long-term effects of Cork 2005. And to commemorate the potential of progress – or oblivion - of the year 2005 for Cork, Danger Museum donates a cigar-shaped textile testimonial made by Tokuko Shimizu. As a homage to the optimism of the Cork International Exhibition and a pun on the blown-in artist; the cigar is delivered by parachute on the day of the opening.

Danger Museum has been in operation since 1998 changing its form and travelling to various destinations. It is a mobile, ever evolving, international collective that adapts to each location and situation as required.

Opening and testimonial ceremony: Wednesday 6pm 15th June on the Cricket Field, Mardyke Walk next to Cork Public Museum.
Hours: 16th – 24th June at 11am—1pm & 2.15—5pm (Monday to Friday) & 3pm—5pm (Sunday)

Contact Cork Midsummer Festival: +353 (0) 87930549 / ali@corkfestival.com
www.dangermuseum.com / www.corkfestival.com
The project is supported by: Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture and EU JAPAN FEST

MORE DETAILED TEXT ON THE PROJECT IS AT EDITORIAL SECTION. click here


INFO:
Cork 2005: European Capital of Culture
www.cork2005.ie

Cork Midsummser Festival: It is a multi-arts festival that has been running since 1997. Its accent is generally on performance and live work. It has about 30 different strands, different projects, a lot of theatre, a good chunk of music, a moderate amount of dance and family events, quite a bit of visual arts and touches of literature. In 2005, it runs from 14th June - 25th June.
www.corkfestival.com

Project Arts Centre: Project Arts Centre began as a three-week festival at the Gate Theatre in November 1966. It has evolved into a key venue for theatre, live music and visual art in Dublin. Grant Watson is currently Visual Arts Curator.
www.project.ie

INTERVIEWEES:
David (Dobz) O'Brien is an artist living in Cork, and founding member of Art / not art. One of the curators of Cork Caucus.

Irene Murphy has participated in group and collaborative projects in Ireland and exhibitions in Germany, Belgium, Finland, London and Lithuania. She is a founder member and Director of the Cork Artists Collective.
Murphy is also an active agent participating in Ideal State Agency with Collette Lewis and Elinor Rivers, set up to present an artists interpretation of the city.
She currently works with Billy Foley on the Shandon Guest House, an old boarding house provided by the City Council. This will be used as a project space where artists are invited to respond to the building, its history and locality and create site-specific projects. The first project will be by the Ideal Estate Agency.

Liz Meaney is from Cork city. She joined Cork City Council in 2001 as Arts Officer. Having studied History and English in University College Cork, she worked with the Cork Film Centre: a resource for filmmakers. She worked with the Cork Film Festival and the Kino before managing a film centre in Galway for four years. Upon taking up her post as Arts Officer Liz was part of the bid team for European Capital of Culture and currently is a member of the Board of Directors of the company.

Tony Sheehan is Director of Community Projects in the programme team for Cork 2005: European Capital of Culture.

Harry Moore is Artistic Director of Art Trail. He practices as an artist in photography, performance and installation. During his 15 years in Cork he has worked in theatre, boat building and visual arts. He teaches at the St. John´s College in Cork.

Emma Johnston is Programme Curator at Triskel Arts Centre working on development for visual arts and live events with Artistic Director Penny Rae. Emma studied Fine Art in Limerick Art College. Following this she was involved in setting up the artists-run collective The Real Art Project in Limerick City in 1996 and 1997, which was concerned with initiating new exhibition opportunities and studio space for local artists. Before Triskel, Emma was working for Wexford County Council as a Public Art Advisor, developing policy for their public art programme.

Sean Kelly is Programme Coordinator at the National Sculpture Factory. He has worked as Director of Contemporary Art Services Tasmania in Hobart, Australia, running both in-gallery shows and off-site and site-specific projects, workshops and professional development activity for artists. Prior to this Kelly worked as Visual Arts and Literature Officer with the State Arts Council in Tasmania. He has initiated a journal and an art space and worked in theatre, as well as practicing as an artist.

René Zechlin is Curator for Exhibitions and Projects at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery. After finishing his studies in Art History, Philosophy and Economics with an MA in Stuttgart, Germany, he became first trainee and then curator at the Frankfurter Kunstverein in Frankfurt am Main. There René co-curated group exhibitions like deutschemalereizweitausenddrei or nation and worked together with Marcel Odenbach and Gerard Byrne on their solo presentations. He curated the exhibition series fresh & upcoming which presented international emerging artists. In Cork René Zechlin presented the first exhibition of the American artist Kerry Tribe in Europe and has just launched the project series Investigations.

Grant Watson is Visual Arts Curator at Project in Dublin.

Ciaran Bulman is a third year art student at the Crawford College of Art and Design, in painting.

John Adams was born in Dublin. He studied at four different colleges in Ireland. On leaving college he went to London playing drums in a band, working in carpentry, cooking, bar-work and set painting for theatre, film, and TV companies. In 1990 he jointly set up Cooltan Arts, a factory squat that became the alternative artistic hub of London. It held a gallery, theatre, cinema, and a café with live concerts. Cooltan Arts also ran art, yoga, meditation and music classes, organised degree shows and parties.
In London Adams also worked with Municipal galleries, organising shows such as the Southwark Open, with 650 artists in five venues. Arriving in Cork in 96 he set up the Art Trail with Suzy O Mullane in conjunction with the Backwater Artists Group.

Douglas Walshe has worked as porter at the Cork Public Museum for eight years. He has a special interest in Cork history.

Ali Robertson has been Artistic Director of the Cork Midsummer Festival since 2002.
Before this he was running the Granary Theatre in Cork.
The Cork Midsummer Festival has been running since 1997. Its main accent is generally on performance and live work but also includes visual arts and literature.

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