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Freedom of the City

Rua Red, Tallaght 16 July – 6 August 2011

Two Group Exhibitions of Visual Artists working with MART.

Curated by: Aoife Giles & Ciara Scanlan

Assisted by: Matthew Nevin

Photographs by: Aoife Giles

SHOW 1 in Gallery 2 at Rua Red as part of Glitch Festival.

Show Runs July 16 – August 6 , Mon to Sat, 10am – 6pm.

Rua Red, South Dublin Arts Centre Tallaght, Dublin 24

Artists: Debbie Jenkinson, Nicky Teegan, Colleen Keough, Eleanor Lawlor, Darragh O’Callaghan, Emanuel Rohss, Emma Wade, Ane Sagatun, Laragh Pitman, Darragh O’Callaghan.

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SHOW 2 at The Big Picture as part of The Glitch Festival

Dates: 4th – 6th August

Thurs & Fri, 5pm – 11pm Sat, 12 noon – 11pm

For three days, six artists are taking over the Big Picture space with a series of performances and interactive installations that play with the underused resources of the Big Picture’s big screens.

Artists: Chris Flynn, Melissa Conlon, Shane McKenna, Killian Redmond, Jane Cassidy and Ed Devane.

—-“Freedom is the consciousness of necessity” Marx

In this time of socio-political upheaval are we on the precipice of a new way forward? Now more than ever artists have the power to step out side the system and utilise their power to transform the cityscape, whether it through intervention, subtle takes overs or insertion into the public consciousness. Freedom of the City references the medieval concept of “free status”. The recipient enjoyed privileges such as the right to trade and own property, and protection within the town. This tradition is especially popular in America-a place of Irish immigration to present day. MART are embarking on a 3 city tour with ‘Invite or Reject’ an exhibition exploring the preconception of Irish immigrants of the ‘American Dream’ versus the too often reality of rejection. The juxtaposition of the the US tour and the ‘Freedom to the city’ is poignant. Ireland being a relatively young independent state where ‘freedom’ is a powerful word in its history. The current economic crisis has placed our identity under scrutiny as we question our “Free Status”. The ‘Freedom to the City’ show in Rua Red is the ‘Homebase’ for the USA tour. The Artworks here are rooted in our right to stay,and to leave, our right to excel and our right to Freedom of The city!