Production, reproduction and archiving

Of de Blacam and Meagher

Ormeau Baths Gallery

8/9/2011 – 29/10/2011

www.ormeaubaths.co.uk

Daunting.  Is the term that came to mind. Indeed the task was daunting.  Reviewing this mammoth sized, rather confusing collected states of ideas AND to top it all off its based on Architecture (not my forte, far from it to be exact). First of all I should point out if you are visiting the Ormeau baths you will notice that there are two exhibitions being displayed at present.  Both architecturally inspired. The one I shall be looking at is ‘Of de Blacam and Meagher’ a collection of two architects built and unbuilt ideas.  33 years of ideas, theories, and models all collected in separate documents.  This exhibition is to communicate the cultural landscape of urban Ireland, the changes and advances throughout the years.

The exhibition itself is truly something wonderful. When you enter the hanger (plane not coat) sized room in the Ormeau baths. In front of you will be placed five blocks, reminiscent of concrete blocks, until closer examination. These are made up of perfectly set, A3 pages of a book, thousands of copies to each ‘block’. Split into five. Consisting of sections labelled: Construction, drawings, writing and two photography sections. These combined create a book. This deconstructed book holds archived material, technically proficient sketches, information and photographs. The sense of production, reproduction and archiving is tangible. I thrive on this kind of work. Simplicity. Creative. Informative.  When there is a combination of 1. Historical information of importance.  2. Creations of a new art form. It’s hard not to feel the weight of its importance.  Pardon the metaphor but today my shoulders were hurting. 

The charming cherry on the top of this exhibition is that you are encouraged to take away each section of the book. Deconstructing the exhibition to another level, allowing the viewer to create the book themselves.  Allowing the exhibition to carry on long after you have left the building.  I found this truly educational, taking something so vitally important in our urban world that we walk past every day, sit in, go to, appreciate and taking this, deconstructing it and making it into a completely new art form. Not rehashed but a fascinatingly new way to bring 33years of concepts back to life.  After the exhibition I sat in a nearby coffee house studying these financial times sized extracts. Not solely for the reason of reviewing purposes, but out of utter appreciation and interest. The architecture itself within these documents are aesthetically beautiful, giving me the understanding on why Architects today dubbed these men as ‘the godfathers of contemporary Irish Architecture’

 Along with the deconstructed book the exhibition is combined with two videos, created by Ruan Magan, full of interviews and a documentary on when the curators took the exhibition to the 12^th international architecture exhibition in Venice to represent Ireland.  Usually I’m not a fan of art based video, I feel it forces a viewer to watch every second, taking the viewing pleasure away compared to a still piece of art, making certain viewers uncomfortable and trapped. But on this occasion, for this particular theme I wanted to know more, I found myself hungry for answers about the project, questions like why? How? When? Who? Which these small and beautifully edited documentaries answered in a very human manner compared to the sterile conversations usually found within gallery videos.   I feel strange being so utterly positive and I must apologise if this review seems that I’ve wrote it after thirty cups of espressos, but I needed to get words to paper while the emotions from the exhibition were still bubbling. The feeling of awe and appreciation. I advise and urge you to go visit and appreciate the Godfathers of Irish Architecture. 

ps. take all you can.