Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Finally, something worth going to...

January is usually a depressing month but this particular January tops the lot. On top of all the doom and gloom - I'm not going to mention that ubiquitous four letter word, think job losses - there hasn't been a single show worth going to in the first two weeks of the year.. plus I'm nearly finished series five of the Wire, to top everything off.

Well, things are about to change in the coming days and weeks with the arrival of several good shows including the return of the Belltable Sessions this Thursday (more on that shortly), and legendary folk-singer/activist Arlo Guthrie next week, with whom I have an exclusive interview in this weekend's Limerick Leader.

In the meantime, opening this Thursday in the Limerick City Gallery of Art is internationally acclaimed artist Clare Langan's art/video installation (I hope that description is correct) The Ice Above, the Fire Below, and Other Works, 2007-2009. I managed to get a sneak preview from Clare this week in the LCAG when I interviewed her for the paper, and I was blown away, even with the exhibition barely set up properly.

Essentially there will be three separate rooms housing three different works, the centrepiece of which is The Ice Above, the Fire Below - Clare's latest work - a film of the sea shot with high speed digital camera, enabling the use of slow motion. Set to atmospheric music by local composer Jurgen Simpson, this is a sensational piece from the Dublin artist, who apart from exhibiting pieces all over the world, worked as Art Director on, among others, Braveheart and Far and Away. Not only that but she created a video for Sigur Ros' song I Gaer (released on the recent double album Hvarf/Heim) that can be viewed here

This exhibition opens at 7pm this Thursday in LCGA and deserves to be seen. I'll be there anyway.


A still from The Ice Above, The Fire Below. See www.clarelangan.com for more.

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