Weekender: |wiːkˈɛndə|– noun – what to do in Dublin this weekend.
GERDA FRÖMEL – A RETROSPECTIVE
Thursday 9 April – Sunday 5 July | IMMA | Free
Gerda Frömel was a Czech-born artist of German descent who made her home in Ireland for much of her adult life, until her untimely death in the 1970s, since when her work has rarely been the centre of attention, or exhibited. Predominantly a sculptor, this is the first retrospective of her work since her death. A lecture by IMMA curator Sean Kissane previewing the opening and contextualising the exhibit and Frömel’s life takes place on the evening of April 9th as the exhibition opens.
INVERSE LGBT CREATIVE WRITING COURSE
Starts Saturday 11 April | Big Smoke Writing Factory | Free
Inverse is a creative writing course for LGBT youth. Kicking off on Saturday 11th April and running over 6 weeks, a group of LGBT young people will pen their own original pieces of creative writing, which they will ultimately be afforded the opportunity to present as part of a public spoken word event during Dublin Pride in June. The course is free for all participants and led by writers Nathan O’Donnell, Nicole Rourke and Claire Hennessy as well as featuring a series of talks from well known LGBT literary types including, Denis Kehoe, Brian Finnegan and playwright Sonya Kelly over the 6 weeks. For further information check their website: www.inverseproject.blogspot.ie
MUSIC TOWN
Saturday 11 – Sunday 19 April | Various locations and prices
Music Town is a new initiative that string together a huge range of gigs, concerts and performances in a wide variety of venues across the city – from the streets operas on Cows Lane, to recitals in the Hugh Lane, to music technology installations in City Assembly Hall, to walking tours from Pat Liddy and Le Cool to even a gig on a boat (the MV St Bridget at Hanover Quay) – in the hope of perhaps making a coherent whole of them. Music, vague as that might be, is the theme for this selection box of events. This weekend marks its start, with Hank Shocklee in The Sugar Club and ‘Barry Town meets Music Town’ (harmonising neatly with One City One Book) in Vicar Street as the big draws of the weekend. For full listings see musictown.ie
WALL OF DEATH
Friday 10 – Saturday 11 April | Rua Red, Blessington Road, Tallaght | 12-7pm each day, €4/2
As a part of their A Matter of Life and Death exhibition, Tallaght-based gallery and community art space Rua Red are using their Gallery no. 1 to host the world-renowned Messham Brothers riding a real life Wall of Death! The Wall of Death, for those not familiar, is an old-timey carnival stunt, where motorcyclists defy gravity (or at least, its usual effects of dragging us mundanely to the earth) by driving perpendicular to the ground along the walls of the large cylindrical construction. The performances take place each hour from noon til 7pm, and Glasgow-based artist Stephen Strynka, whose work features in A Matter of Life and Death, will also be attempting, with some sage advice from the Messham Bros to take on the Wall of Death himself, the brave soul. For more see ruared.ie
COLIN STETSON & SARAH NEUFELD
Saturday 11 April | Twisted Pepper | 8pm, €17.50
Last time we caught Colin Stetson in the Twisted Pepper solo, he literally rattled every object in the building with his incredible saxophone performances. The some-time Arcade Fire live band member has recently team-up with former actual Arcade Fire and Belle Orchestre violinist Sarah Neufeld to create an album of instrumental music based on a combination of their solo pursuits. And trust us, it’s fairly beautiful stuff. Support comes from the equally charming Margie Lewis.
THE BAD PLUS PLAY ORNETTE COLEMAN’S SCIENCE FICTION
Sunday 12 April | National Concert Hall | 8pm, €30-35
Part of Perspectives series that takes place across the weekend at the NCH and sees an array of jazz artists take to the main auditorium including Hutte, performing with Irish singers Silver Kites, Tomasz Stanko Quartet and Reijseger-Graanje-Sylla Trio. The Bad Plus are probably one of the most successful crossover jazz acts in recent decades, along with Brad Mehldau and are known for the their cover versions of popular material like, for example, Smells Like Teen Spirit. Here they are taking on piece from the jazz canon in Ornette Coleman’s Science Fiction.
