Australian artist Patricia Piccinini praised the Galway team, referring not to the victors of the All-Ireland football final but the crew behind the Galway International Arts Festival. Piccinini, famous for her larger-than-life bespoke créature sculptures, worked in collaboration with the team to mount an impressive exhibition.
Piccinini was seen mingling on the fringes of a makeshift jungle erected on Galway’s William Street, in the company of the festival CEO John Crumlish. They were there for what might be the last tour around the Festival Gallery, whose closure, as remarked by Crumlish, would be a significant blow.
The introduction of the visual arts aspect of the Galway International Arts Festival brought the ‘jungle’ to life, a specifically crafted diorama setting for Piccinini’s creations in a temporary pop-up gallery at the city’s GPO. The festival forecasts a turnout of several thousands over its two-week duration.
Piccinini’s previous Galway exhibition drew a huge crowd. She mentioned that she, her life and creative companion Peter Hennessy and their children harboured hopes of returning to Galway since her inaugural festival show in 2015.
Paraphrasing Crumlish and festival director, Paul Fahy, whose hair is getting grayer as they “submerge into the half-light” of the jungle gallery, there has been a reiteration of the need for a permanent visual arts venue in town. With no tangible progress though, the proposal by An Post to include a sustainable public arts space in their redevelopment plans seems to be stagnating.
Fahy first urged for a devoted visual art space when he assumed directorship in 2006. He recounted how the festival has been innovatively repurposing spaces since its outset in 1978, mainly from necessity. Yet, in 2024, they find themselves still utilizing makeshift, converted edifices. To quote Fahy, ” Whilst it’s exhilarating and wonderful, it’s a regret”.
Arts Council Director Maureen Kennelly has drawn attention to the work of Piccinini, titled ‘We Travel Together.’ The art explores the intricate bond between the human-made artificial universe and the general natural world. Kennelly specified that the creatures, though seemingly peculiar in the wilderness gallery, are eerily recognizable. They highlight our obligation to care for the environment and its living beings.
The theme of environmental awareness overarches exhibitions by artists Bernadette Kiely and Yvonne McGuinness, which are showcased in the adjacent pop-up gallery, Printworks.
The Galway International Arts Festival started on Monday evening with a celebration directed by Eimear Noone. Noone is an LA-based composer and conductor for films and video games, but she’s originally from County Galway. On Wednesday, she’s set to conduct hits from The Police, featuring their drummer Stewart Copeland, as part of a festival roster at the Big Top tent.
Mark O’Rowe’s new play ‘Reunion’ performed on the opening night, featuring actors such as Robert Sheehan, Cathy Belton, Ian Lloyd Anderson, Catherine Walker, Venetia Bowe, and Stephen Brennan. This play is a joint production with Landmark, marking one of the seven world premiers at the festival this year.
Other featured works include, ‘The Map of Argentina,’ a play by Marina Carr that delves into complex family relationships, Enda Walsh’s two immersive theatre settings, and ‘Unspeakable Conversations’ by Christian O’Reilly. The latter discusses the life rights of disabled infants while featuring disabled artists Liz Carr and Mat Fraser.
The festival also hosts a re-envisioned Swan Lake named ‘Duck Pond,’ performed by the Australian company Circa, set in a renovated area – the University of Galway gymnasium.
With an attendee count of more than 400,000 in 2023, the festival this year aims to improve accessibility. Almost a third of events are free. Provisions for ISL-interpreted and captioned performances, as well as audio description and a touch tour of the Festival Gallery, have been made.