To exhibit 64 A3 artworks mounted on foam board in a 1,830 square foot double height studio space in daylight.

The images consisted of 48 pieces of cover art and 16 portraits from online magazine Le Cool Dublin. Collectively Le Cool now reaches over 300,000 people every week across Europe (Barcelona, London, Madrid, Lisbon, Budapest, Istanbul and Moscow).

Concept

The concept came from the combination of the size of the art work in relation to the large exhibition space, and our observations about how the public engage with art, and each other, in a gallery.

The response was to make a gallery structure within the larger space that would contain the art work as well as provide a sculptural object that would respond to the scale of the room. This gallery, 900mm wide and 2100mm high internally with art work stacked on both sides, means the viewers must enagage with each other as well as with the art work.

The concept references a 1970’s installation by Marina Abramović & Uwe where visitors to the ‘show’ must squeeze between the 2 naked artists in order to gain admittance. We inverted this by making the spectators the ‘artists’ whose experience of the art is tempered by their interaction with each other within the structure.

Execution

A cut-out is made from a standard sheet material, 18mm MDF. The 150mm borders make a series of structural ribs, and the cut-outs form all the internal surfaces – walls, floor, roof. This economy of construction leaves 0% waste from the raw material. This strategy is then extruded to form a 6.3m long corridor, pivoting or ‘snaking’ on the module of 2100mm, the length of the cut-outs

The structure is internally lit making the Nathair Nimhe a lantern within the otherwise blacked-out space and so the structure and the art becomes the focus of the space. The open nature of the structure also allows for some innocent voyeurism as people on the outside watch the legs of the people on the inside who are looking at the art.

The installation featured work from the following artists/stylists/painters/illustrators/photographers/collectives: Keith Walsh, Ruan van Vliet, Lauren Crothers, Gaetan Billaut, Aidan Weldon, Loreana Rushe, Mario Sughi, Shane O’Driscoll, Jon Cheung, Isabel Reyes Feeney, Brian Coldrick, Niall Sweeney, Synth Eastwood, Richard Gilligan, Dave Comiskey, Paddy Lynch, Stephen Ledwidge, Dragana Jurisic, Stephen McCarthy, Alan Clarke, Gary Farrelly, Jamie Saunders, Trevor Finnegan, Faye George, Raul Arantes, Eleanor Reilly, Fergal McCarthy, Aaron Brady, Justine Le Guil, Niall O’Brien, David Turpin, Owen Kane, Aisling Farinella, Tamara McCarthy and studioseventyseven photography.

We’re very grateful for the assistance of Cillian Johnston Joinery in the construction of this installation.

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The 2 shots are ‘giveblood.ie’ and a blood droplet which is the logo for the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. For the shoot we ultimately prepared 2 drawings which on the morning of the shoot were staked out onto the sand with bamboo. For the giveblood.ie shot the position of every umbrella was tagged and numbered.

The site is Sandymount in Dublin which has an extensive tidal area of very even gradient. The photo’s we’re all taken approaching hightide with the water level increasing at a rate of 220mm for every half hour so both of the final shot’s involving over 150 volunteers we’re taken within a half hour.

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Recently completed, progress photographs above, will hopefully have finished pictures shortly. (gc)

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Refurbishment of 1840’s seafront villa. New green technology is carefully integrated into with the original fabric, maintaining the character of the original dwelling while providing an airtight ‘green’ house and upgrading the energy rating from G to A/B.

Contractor: Oaklawn Construction

Landscape Architect: thitythreetrees

Ecological Consultant: Jay Stuart of DWEcoCo

The brief was the flat pack itself and the March 26th deadline.

This exhibition was a co-production between the Illustrators’ Guild of Ireland and South Studios with a tremendous line up of illustrators and other creatives including Gaetan Billault, Paula, McAntee, Kevin McSherry, Aisling Farinella, Rich Gilligan, Cliona O’Flaherty, Chris Judge, Steve Simpson, Una Gildea, Brian Coldrick, Conor & David, Fintan Taite, Dara NiBheachain, Studioseventyseven Photography, Rossi McAuley, Rory McCormick,  Joven Kerekes, Padhraig Nolan, thirtythreetrees, David Rooney, Brian Gallagher, Adrienne Geoghegan, Roger O’Reilly and Steve Doogan.

In an interesting twist the illustrators completed their entire piece in the exhibition space on the day of the show working from 8am (not a lot was going on at this stage in fairness) to 6.45pm when we cleaned the floor, opened the door and let the show begin!

You can see images of all the other Drawers here.

We’re grateful to Rich Gilligan and Diarmaid Frain for the use of the photographs of our piece “Libertees 1261.03.10″.

You can subscribe to Le Cool for weekly updates or if you’re interested in writing for LeCool Dublin contact ciaran or michael, and if you can’t read the ’screen grabs’ of our articles above, we’ve them all reformated for your enjoyment below.

Cheers,

andrew & gearóid aka andróid

Fix A Bike/Seamus McNulty

Seamus McNulty is the Dr. Frankenstein of the cycle world (complete with Igor assisting on a Saturday). You have to hunt a bit for his lair, but once there you’ll find a museum, graveyard and shop floor all in the one corrugated shed. Move past the tangled pile of frames, duck to avoid the Russian Gas Mask hanging from a rafter, and you find an immaculate refurbished postman’s bike, just finished and ready to cycle away. It’s a swan in amongst the ugly ducklings, but not the only one, and you can cycle most of its aesthetically challenged sisters away for less than €100-200. 15 years now Seamus has been fixing up bikes, he does repairs as well – he even does a collect and return service to your door! [Truly] Hidden Dublin at it’s best! (Thursday, February 18, 2010)

Wounded Knees

A one night only gig and a one night only art installation upstairs in Whelans. The band, The Wounded Knees, is composed of 4 musicians; Jimi Shields (Rollerskate Skinny, Lotus Crown, Martina Topley-Bird), Suzanne Thorpe (Mercury Rev), Phil Williams (Hopewell) and Mickey Pinaud (Airiel). They’re on their way to the ATP festival and play a warm up gig here which is being promoted by Foggy Notions, who as we all know are good people too. Ratcheting things up a little, Jimi Shields asked the creatives at South Studios (which consists of photographers, illustrators and fashion stylists as well as designers of landscape, architecture and print) to provide a bit of visual incongruity to counterpoint the sonic activism and produce work using the medium of coloured packaging tape. Heads UP! (Thursday, November 26, 2009)

Wax Museum

We were not expecting to be impressed by the Wax Museum. To guarantee some return for our morning we brought a 7-year-old, figuring at least one of us would be amused. Well, we all had a hoot. Located in fabulous setting of Francis Johnson’s Armoury/Guard house (1808-1811), the waxes are cleverly organised with succinct commentary, and it transpires you can induce a 36-year-old man to scream louder than a 7-year-old girl. Extra fun comes from a music video green room, a full recording studio and the mini science museum is great, though several of the pieces are already broken and the museum has hardly opened its doors ! We got 1.5 hours of quality time and that included the trying to look Jack Charlton in the eye – exactly 2 seconds. Skip the ‘gift shop’ it’s bunkum. (Thursday, November 19, 2009)

Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra

Doing the splits between the two stools of classical music and surreal comedy is the quite ridiculous looking Bill Bailey. Die-hard fans and the downright curious can witness his talent for deconstructing music with his Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra featuring The RTE Concert Orchestra. It begins with some just-like-it-says-on-the-tin explanations and introductions to the instruments, occasionally dissolving into the usual musical styling’s of Bailey with a grander accompaniment. Mostly though, it takes advantage of a rare situation where the stuffed shirt of classical music meets the hairy troll, punctuated with Bill’s austere meets mad professor expressions and some healthy irreverence – like the rendition of The Swan played by four men. And fifty cow bells. (Thursday, November 19, 2009)

The 40ft.

Naturist park and last bastion of defence against Napoleon, Dublin’s 40ft has reputedly been in use as a bathing spot for some 250 years and with good reason. Carefully maintained by volunteers, the thick walls of an old gun battery are the backdrop to a longstanding social ritual. To the East, where the crowds gather on Christmas Day, a conveyor belt of board shorted dive bombers, shrieking sissies and giblet pouched heroes slap into the open sea, but follow the wall past the open air urinal and you’ll discover the more sheltered domain of the daily dippers, enjoying a chat and taking in the calmer waters that reflect the general mood. Please, have a go. Witness watching the sun set through the Poolbeg chimneys when your eyes are at water level. You can wear a wet suit if you like – beginners are more than tolerated here, but there’s no class system in speedos. Or wear nothing at all. When you think about it, it’s easier to look a man in the eye when he’s naked. Believe me, you don’t want be looking anywhere else. (Thursday, November 5, 2009)

DEAF ‘09, Soap & Skin

Anja Plaschg, aka Soap&Skin, will perform a mainly acoustic set on piano, and therefore something of a coup, to open this year’s DEAF festival. Plaschg’s is that age-old story; swine herding classically trained Austrian pianist meets Berlin techo-punk DJ. One Shitkatapult release later we’re all queuing up to watch this beautiful 19-year-old sing. Her youth only belies the overall emotion she imparts. It’s less the current glut of bagel‘n’cream cheese heart-on-sleeve female singer songwriters and more like she’s been possessed by a 600 year old demon. Her voice and delivery simultaneously terrify and enchant, the stark piano and chilling lyric will either inspire or leave you standing on the ledge. Our tally of the media gravy suggest it will be the former but have the phone-a-friend handy to talk you down in case it goes the other way. (Thursday, October 22, 2009)

Moore Street Mall

If you think Parnell St is the beating heart of Ireland’s change to a multicultural society, then this place is its painted toenails; part fugee vaudeville, part UN subterranean striplit wonderland, but it’s so difficult not to love the place. Pick up a €1.50 Lavazza in Gurman’s and browse the Caribbean hair extensions on your way to the tanning salon or some oriental nail painting voyeurism. There’s gut busting culinary bargains in the food hall and just try and leave without that diamante G-Unit belt buckle. Our personal highlight was the shrine to everyone’s favourite goalkeeper Pope John Paul outside U Wejka, but there’s a moment of modern Ireland magic for everyone here. So who needs Ryanair? Go Northside for your next vacation, to the relaxed, Paddy-free haven of the Moore St Mall. (Thursday, October 15, 2009)

Hard Working Class Heroes

Feel like a philanthopist for €40 at the 7th Hard Working Class Heroes Music Festival, where Angela Dorgan and FMC serve up their annual state of the nation address. With 100 acts from 32 counties – that means 40c a band – you can enjoy a few honest ones while you amble through the 3 night schedule and with no main sponsor nobody’s telling you what to drink for a change. Extras include daytime acoustic gigs, a flash mob organised for Thursday and mentoring sessions for aspiring acts explaining the music industry’s ‘who’s riding who’. But where this festival nails it is when you get to stand in a room where some kids you’ve never heard of tear paint off the walls within about 30 seconds of their first chord. Who’s it going to be? No idea – but we’re going to be there to find out. This is going to be great. (Thursday, October 15, 2009)

Parking Day ‘09

Remember when you wished your living room was right beside the pub? PARK(ing) Day is an experiment to reclaim public space, originated by San Fran artist collective Rebar – a one-day global event during which individuals and groups transform parking spaces into places for people to congregate, socialize and play. Normally you’d need a microscope to find an artist activist in the Venn Diagram of Dublin City, but this is not just for bearded socialists, this is for anybody with an interest in public space, or questions the merit of organizing a city to facilitate the movement of cars. Previously ‘artists’ have used Sound, Light, Installation and Dance but we’re thinking potted begonias, 2 deckchairs, a packet of Hobnobs and a thermos of Lyons Gold Blend could also do it. And maybe some Dance. (Tuesday, September 15, 2009)

An exhibition from last October’s Design Week Dublin had left us with a pile of discarded pallets. Having survived Hallowe’en bonfires, Christmas kindling and our urges to construct some goals for indoor 5 aside in our main studio space, we decided to have a go at making a small arm chair. The timber was good, so after a morning’s sanding and sweat we’d made the splinters soft and smooth. A few runs of the circular saw, some assembly and 4 Ikea castors later we had our first pallet chair. This Mark 1 version still has a few clints and grikes so we’re already thinking about Mark 2, but Sean from studioseventyseven photography took it down to Old Bailey Gibson Salvage Yard, 326-328 South Circular Road and made it look presentable when we combined a bit of counterpoint photography (Sean) with an afternoon of Perec Flaneurity (us).

http://www.macathlaoich.com/

Our clients had recently bought a small two up two down house in the heart of the Blackpitts and had simple requirements – a ‘sustainable’ home with more space and more light.

On the ground floor the existing walls were removed and the rear extended so the longest dimension of the site reads from front to back. The rear of the house faces south, so rather than extend across the back of the house we wrapped the extension around 2 sides, allowing natural light to penetrate into the centre of the plan, and letting the kitchen and living room borrow an increased sense of space from the new external courtyard. A continuous floor material and fully-glazed sliding doors allow the interior and exterior to become the same space

The stairwell and master bedroom were opened up to the roof line, exposing a real treat in the slender original 1923 steel roof trusses.

A sustainable building strategy included new insulation throughout to some 150% of the Building Regulation recommendations, as well as a Sedum roof to the extension to provide a garden over the kitchen, and a solar panel for water heating.

The simplicity of the design was accentuated with interior design finishes by Eavan English, www.eedistudio.ie, and we were privileged to work with Desmond Rae-O’Kelly, engineer and architect of Dublin’s Liberty Hall who assisted us in the Structural specifications.

We also gained planning permission for a full width porch to the front, effectively allowing the house to be also extended to the front should they require more space.

This conversion Victuallers to Hair Salon, in conjunction with Kaye Rice Partnership Interior Design, pushes the ancillary spaces up or out, to create a single flowing space for the salon from front to back. At the shop front end we instated a curved glass corner and stripped the facade of a plethora of utility wiring to allow the Modernist Terrace to shine.

The existing shop had an external rear yard and reinforced freezer room with the shop itself split into the customer area and cutting room. The design for the salon, in collaboration with KRP, required the rebuilding of the rear areas to form an open plan space from back to front of the entire site, with the programme arranged around the long axis of the new space. Due to the specification for the salon a plant room with 10,000 litre storage tank and water heating plant is hung above the space, helping form the large roof light which allows natural light penetrate throughout the space, a feature mostly lacking in contemporary salon design.