In his 1920 essay, ‘Beyond the Pleasure Principle’, Freud recounts the details of a game played by his infant grandson. Though close to his mother, the child rarely complained when left alone and instead played contentedly with his toys. One such toy was a spool tied with string, which he would throw out of sigh, uttering a drawn-out ‘o-o-o-o’ sound, which the family understood as ‘fort’, the German for gone. He would then quickly reel the spool back in, crying out ‘da!’ – there – as it came back into view. In this game Freud saw a disturbing compulsion that was linked to the early recognition of separate internal and external worlds.
Culture Ireland and The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon present Isabel Nolan’s commission for the Irish Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia running until Sunday 22 November 2026.
Acknowledging the crucial role artists play in influencing and shaping other artistic practices, The Artist’s Eye series asks those exhibiting in Gallery 1 to invite an artist of influence to present work in Gallery 2. In this instalment, Edith Karlson has invited artist Olivia Normile.
This winter, The Douglas Hyde is delighted to present Well, well, well, the first solo exhibition in Ireland by Edith Karlson. Her practice has established her as one of the most compelling sculptural voices in Europe today, following her acclaimed presentation representing Estonia at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in […]
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