Summertime Radness
Summer has risen, and where better to celebrate than split between the grassy lawns and lush banquet halls of IMMA. Beginning with the launch of a large-scale Hélio Oiticica retrospective on Friday 18th July, a subsequent series of mini-bashes will bring food, film, art and giggles to the Kilmainham site under the name Summer Rising. Technically a festival, but more like a two week long serenade to summer, there’ll be banquets and boogying, open-air cinema, DJ sets and dance troupes. Here’s a mere scoop of what’s to come. (Full details are here)
Héllo Oiticica
All the fun of Summer Rising kicks off with the launch of legendary Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica’s exhibition Propositions. The major retrospective will take an edit of works spanning the artist’s career up until his untimely death in 1980, aged just 42. Starting off creating colourful and geometric Neo-Concretist art of the 1950s, Oiticica spawned the Tropicalia movement of the late 1960s with his novel installations – colourful spaces the viewer could walk around and interact with. Sometimes classified as “anti-art”, Oiticica’s curious and progressive approach saw him depart radically from convention. He believed colour and form ought to be freed from two-dimensional surfaces and that instead viewers should be brought inside the artworks for an all-encompassing experience. This exhibition will draw particular attention to his scripts and proposals, demonstrating how pioneering they really were.
Werk it, Gurl
Arty clubnight WERK has risen to almost cult status since it went on hiatus a few years ago. “Hatched in the sequinned bowels of the Abbey Theatre, baptised in the mushy fields of Electric Picnic, and deflowered on the banks of the Yarra at Melbourne International Festival”, it now returns for one night only at the Summer Rising launch – after the exhibition opening – on Friday 18th July. Mixing elements of drag culture with contemporary art and clubbing, we expect WERK to bring performance, readings, angular dancing, art and more fake eyelashes that you can shake a leaky glowstick at.
Food meets Art
Food is on par with art at Summer Rising, with a smattering of tasty events taking place across the two weekends. A specially made structure by Daniel Tuomey and Tom Watt will play host to a good chunk of them, giving the food programme its cheery title “Concrete Tiki”. On Saturday July 19, The Hare Café makes a buoyant return, following a successful run in Temple Bar Gallery + Studios last October. Its signature dish is the 3-in-1, but not as you know it: local plant-based produce, sourdough and dips replace scaldy curry chips ‘n’ rice in this raw food fare. Friday July 25 sees a lavish banquet by Jess Murphy of acclaimed Galway restaurant Kai and artist Mark Garry in the IMMA main hall (€50 per person) while on Saturday 26th July, The Cake Café host a three course lunch on bespoke platters designed by Distinctive Repetition. The best part? You can take ‘em home at the end. Meanwhile, workshops include butter churning, vegetable pickling and gingerbread icing for the young wans.
Gracelands
Curated by Vaari Claffey, Gracelands makes an event out of art – making it approachable, engaging and ephemeral; more akin to the experience of a music festival or happening than a conventional gallery-going experience. This specially commissioned edition will mark the first time Gracelands has been held in Dublin: 2012’s edition teamed up with eva International in Limerick, while its grassy roots were on the farmlands of artist Grace Weir (hence the name). Artist’s films, live performances, lectures and interventions from Gracelands will take place as part of Summer Rising’s closing event, Summer Party. Also helping the party buzz will be live music from Gang Colours and DJ sets from Donal Dineen, David Kitt, Emmet Condon and 11:11. And eating ain’t cheating: sips and nibbles in the courtyard will come courtesy of House Café in Cork (expect cocktails), while Jennie Moran from NCAD café Luncheonette will cater for the gardens. Delish.
Words: Rosa Abbott
