Glenkeen Garden is a masterwork of dynamic composition. Over 25 years, it has been designed, cared for, and constantly revitalised. While general sketches set the garden's tones, stages, and scenes, flora and fauna take over and constantly form and re-form the land from within the pre-given frame. For Composing Landscapes, the Glenkeen Variations' second iteration, artists Christiana Chiranagnostaki and Konstanza Kapsali, Markus Huemer, and Tania Rubio explore harmonious and discordant configurations of materials and inspiration drawn from the immediate surroundings of Roaringwater Bay. Using various creative techniques, such as cinematography, painting and music composing, the artists transform their observations and experiences into new forms of encounter.
Athens-based artists Christiana Chiranagnostaki and Konstanza Kapsali were attracted during their stay in West Cork to the seemingly primordial structures of the dry walls that contour the land. Departing from traditional views of these structures as mere boundaries, the artists discovered a complex relationship between the walls and their environment, characterised by notions of embodiment, shelter and allotment. Drawing on anthropomorphic language used by stone wall masons, such as referring to the walls as "she," the artists delve into the multifaceted roles these structures play through two complimentary video works, The distance we walked in this country I do not know and Throughs and Throughs, created by each of the artists respectively. From providing habitat for various species to embodying a fusion of human labour and natural elements, the artists present multifaceted narratives of reciprocal interconnectedness, of resilience, craftsmanship and property.
During her residency in Glenkeen Garden, Tania Rubio, Mexican sound artist and researcher specialising in biomusic, grew attentive to the specific soundscapes of the garden. Attentively listening to the sounds of rain dripping from leaves and waves gently hitting the pebbles on the shore, to bird calls, buzzing insects, distant cattle sounds, and rhythmic beats produced by percussion instruments made of everyday household items, Tania weaves intricate textures and resonant acoustics, creating a sonic tapestry reflecting the garden’s different topographies and water's pivotal role in shaping these landscapes. The piece, The Language of Water (2021), made available online, is an invitation to a stroll through a composed landscape, either in Dublin's Merrion Square Park or anywhere else where constructed landscape takes form.
Berlin-based Austrian artist Markus Huemer navigates between traditional painting and media art. His observations of nature, which have led to an extensive series of paintings in Glenkeen Garden, centre on the question of how painting can be continued in the digital age. Triggered by the appearance of an orange full moon upon his arrival in the garden, Markus has spent most of his residency attempting to capture that encounter and compose it anew. Two of these paintings, The Pumpkin Is the Largest Berry and Nearly a Dusty Rainbow Experience (both 2021), are on view at the Goethe-Institut. Utilising digital tools like computers and algorithms alongside traditional methods such as brushes and canvas, Huemer delves into perceptual realms that exist between worlds and allude to the unseen.
Following the exhibition at the Goethe-Institut in Dublin, a presentation and panel discussion will take place at the UCC’s Glucksman in Cork. In Ballydehob, at the Working Artist Studios, the artists will offer workshops and talks, inviting participants to delve into their creative processes and research.
Christiana Chiranagnostaki (*1981, Athens) is an Athens-based filmmaker working for many years on social issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis and the Greek financial crisis as a producer. Notable projects include directing the interactive documentary The Beggar and the short films The Day Humans Left and June Notes. Currently, she's immersed in crafting her debut feature-length documentary, Dear Future, supported by the Greek Film Center and the Greek Broadcaster (ERT). She recently screened her new work, Here Again, at the In Situ Realities Eleusis Documentary Festival.
Konstanza Kapsali (*1989, Thessaloniki) is an Athens-based filmmaker. She completed her studies in History and Archaeology and went on to acquire an MA in Heritage Management (NL) and an MSc in Documentary Filmmaking (DE). Her films have been featured in international conferences and international film festivals and were included in academic journals. Her first short film, Girls In Flower, was awarded the NIGHT AWARD at the 18th Signos da Noite Film Festival in Lisbon. She is a PhD candidate at LUCA School of Arts (BE), and she has been awarded the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artist Fellowship by ARTWORKS (2021).
Tania Rubio (*1987, Mexico City) is a composer, researcher, sound artist, and field recordist focused on biomusic. Her work explores environmental sounds through the lens of acoustic ecology, with a particular interest in the interaction between sound art, biology, and ethnology from an ecocritical perspective. Her artistic work engages in diverse concert formats, music theatre, chamber music, immersive multichannel sound installations, and hybrid formats. She is currently a PhD student at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität.
Markus Huemer (*1968, Linz) probes the essence of painting within the digital era, exploring the interplay between images and their digital manipulation. Studying at the Academy of Arts, Düsseldorf and the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, Markus is currently holding a professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts, New Media I, in Prague. By delving into the complexities of digital media, Huemer challenges perceptions of reality versus visual representation, fostering a dialogue on the evolving nature of artistic expression in the digital age.
The exhibition and event series is curated by Ben Livne Weitzman.
Gallery Opening Hours
Monday - Thursday 10:00am – 9:00pm
Friday 10:00am – 5.00pm
Saturday 10:00am – 3:00pm
Closed on Sundays, Bank Holidays and Saturday 1 June 2024.
Please note that due to the protected structure of the Georgian building the exhibition is only partially wheelchair accessible.
