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A photograph of a white tin jug, a white tin teapot and a smaller mustard yellow tin teapot placed on the floor. There is a pink and white curled wire coming out of the mustard yellow teapot. The background is blurred, but there is a crowd of people looking at a television on a chair.

Curator's Tour: How is it made?

What materials does an artist decide on and what are the reasons behind the choice? How do artists transform materials? How do materials convey meaning?

The question of how and why an artist uses materials has long been a topic of consideration in art history. Today, many artists are looking to this question and seeking to find a balance between what they use to make work and the concepts behind them. Providing agency to the materials themselves, artists are looking at materials as a means of communication, whether they are expanding on traditional media and narratives or utilizing everyday objects to construct new forms.

Looking at the work of David Lunney, Áine McBride and Katie Watchorn within the exhibition From Here to There, this themed tour led by our Learning and Engagement Curator, Fernando Sánchez-Migallón Cano will focus on materials and processes as a way to explore how the choice of material impacts the ideas the artwork communicates to the viewer as well as help us gaining a deeper understanding of how artists work today.

Upcoming Events

Uri Aran
In conversation with Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith

The Douglas Hyde is very pleased to announce an In Conversation event where critic and curator, Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith will talk to Uri Aran about his practice and his exhibition Take This Dog for Example. The talk will take place on Saturday, 1 April at 2 pm at the Robert Emmet Lecture Theatre, Arts Block, […]

Art & Ideas

Artists present us with new perspectives on the world we live in. Explore the exciting ideas behind our programmes, hear more from the artists we work with and discover new ways of engaging with art.

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