Context Background:
The third phase of South Dublin County Council's In Context, 2006 –2009, built on the underpinning principles and learnings gained from the previous two phases of commissioning and was further informed by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism’s General National Guidelines for delivery of Per Cent for Art Schemes, published in 2004. This project was commissioned under In Context 3, of which the principle component was to create time for the artists to engage with the context. Jennifer Walshe performs the role of commissioner, performer and curator in her work with the Grúpat sound art collective. The project provides specific contexts for Jennifer Walshe to continue to develop her commitment to non-traditional musical notation and her exploration of place. Her connections to the particular terrains, histories and memories encountered during research and exploration of the South Dublin context are reflected in her collaborations with Grupat members.
Description:
Grúpat consists of nine individuals, each of whose projects combine a specific aspect of the local context with their well developed experimental artistic practice, for example Turf Boon’s silent music video; The Softest Music in the World, made from objects sourced in Tallaght shopping centre; Bulletin M’s songtags using field recordings, The Dowager Marchylove’s sound poetry walks from Tallaght to the Hellfire Club, Flor Hartigan’s experimental piano compositions, Violetta Mahon’s sonic reliquaries installed at Holy Wells across South Dublin, O’Brien Industries immersive environments, Ukeoirn O’Connor’s vocal scores incorporating the South Dublin skyline, The Parks Service’s mythology soaked world of the Fornar Resistance game played in the Glenasmole valley and Detleva Verens music scores based on satellite images from the South Dublin hills.
Jennifer Walsh's curated Grúpat artists work in a number of different exhibitions including Alight at Rua Red, Tallaght and the Project Arts Centre, Dublin. She performed compositions of Grúpat artists in a variety of international and national venues and produced Grúpat publications, all as part of her In Context 3 residency.
Artist Biography:
Jennifer Walshe is a composer and vocalist. She was born in Dublin, and studied composition in Ireland (with Kevin Volans) as well as in Glasgow and Chicago. Jennifier received her doctorate from Northwestern University in 2002; from 2003 to 2006 she lived in Germany courtesy of a residency from Akademie Schloss Solitude and then in Berlin as a guest of the DAAD Künstlerprogramm. She works within a wide variety of musical genres – concert music, music theatre, opera, improvisation and sound installation. Her work has been performed throughout Europe and the U.S. by ensembles including Alter Ego, ensemble récherche, Ensemble Resonanz, Apartment House, ensemble Intégrales, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, CrashEnsemble, Champ d’Action, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Bozzini Quartet, Concorde, the Hebri des Ensemble, Psappha, and Q-02.
Mediation:
Retrospective exhibition of Grúpat’s work, Project Arts Centre, February 2009.
Publication: A book about the project Grúpat, and two CD's were launched at the Project Arts Centre in February 2009.
Public Talk: Christopher Cox, music writer and academic, gave an illustrated talk contextualising Grúpat in terms of experimental music notation.
Exhibition at RUA RED: A selection of projects by Violetta Mahon and The Parks Service were exhibited at the Alight exhibition November/December 2008.
Public installation of Grúpat’s graphic scores on music stands in South Dublin Libraries, November 2008.
Workshops in toy instrument making and experimental sound provided access for a younger audience.
Artist’s talk, part of the Insight at Alight programme of public tours, talks and events to provide access and insight to the In Context 3 programme.
Jennifer Walshe, lunchtime talk and screening of performance clips “Innovation and Invention: the Grupat Sound Collective” Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
School Postcard Project
The multi-sensory exploration of place associated with Jennifer Walshe’s approach to the In Context 3 commission inspired the postcard printing and exchange project led by artist Julie Merriman. Children from four local primary schools were encouraged to listen, touch and observe their surroundings during drawing sessions exploring a sense of place. Drawings and drypoint printmaking were transformed into postcards which were exchanged across the county, reflecting the journeys and exchange of ideas inherent to the programme.
International performances and exhibitions (selection) :
Kilkenny Arts Festival, 2007
Dublin Electronic Arts Festival, 2008
Electric Eclectics Festival, Canada, 2008
Houston Contemporary Arts Museum, Texas, 2008
Denniston Hill, NY, 2008; Deutschland Radio, 2007
Press reviews The performance at Kilkenny Arts Festival 2007 was reviewed by Martin Adam.
Commissioner Type:
Local Authority
Commissioner:
South Dublin County Council SDCC
Programme:
In Context 3
PerCent for Art:
yes
Commissioning Process:
Open competition: two stage selection process
Funding:
Dept. of Environment Heritage and Local Government
Budget Range:
70,000 - 150,000
Exhibited:
Rua Red Arts Centre (25/11/2008 - 19/12/2008)
Project Arts Centre (11/02/2009 - 14/02/2009)
Rothe House, Kilkenny (17/08/2007 - 17/08/2007)
Contemporary Arts Muesum, Houston (03/10/2008 - 07/12/2008)
Issue Project Room, New York (26/10/2008 - 26/10/2008)
Denniston Hill Foundation, New York State (23/08/2008 - 23/08/2008)
Exhibition Details:
Rua Red Arts Centre: Grúpat curated by Jennifer Walshe - Exhibition at RUA RED: A selection of projects by Violetta Mahon and The Parks Service were exhibited at the Alight exhibition November/December 2008.
Project Arts Centre: Retrospective exhibition of Grúpat’s work, Project Arts Centre, February 2009.
Rothe House, Kilkenny: Jennifer Walshe with Grúpat - Performance as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival 2007
Contemporary Arts Muesum, Houston: Jennifer Walshe curating Grúpat - Works by Detleva Verens and Turf Boon to be exhibited in the Houston Contemporary Arts Museum, Texas, exhibition “Perspectives 163: Every Sound You Can Imagine” October 3rd to December 7th 2008:
Issue Project Room, New York: Jennifer Walshe with Grúpat - New works by The Dowager Marchylove and O’Brien Industries were premiered in New York on October 26th 2008
Denniston Hill Foundation, New York State: Jennifer Walshe curating Grúpat - Violetta Mahon’s work exhibited as part of "Swim Drink Eat Camp Listen!” at Denniston Hill on August 23rd 2008
Associated Professionals:
Project Manager: Rachel McAree, Christopher Cox, Bob Gilmore, Sarah Searson