TULCA Festival takes on climate change

TULCA Festival of Visual Arts which runs in venues around Galway City from November 14 to 29 will feature works by over 40 Irish and international artists.

Dublin based writer, art historian and independent curator Mary Cremin is the curator of this year’s event, and has chosen the theme of Seachange to look at our changing environment.

“The future of the global environment may very well be the most pressing political priority of our time,” says Mary.  “This exhibition seeks to illuminate issues of climate change and our place in the changing landscape while, at the same time, examining the language associated with climatologists’ future projections – language often evocative of science fiction rather than science fact.  Through a combination of the real and the imaginary, the exhibiting artists create a collective call for a seachange, literally, in our current climate policies.”

The starting point of Seachange is the legendary island of Hy-Brasil, an island, noted on maps as early as 1325, which the Genoese cartographer Dalorto placed off the west coast of Ireland.

Mythologised in oral and written history, Hy-Brasil was said to be inhabited by a highly advanced society that could only be glimpsed through the fog every seven years.  It was only omitted from sailing charts in 1865 when its location could not be verified.

There are different theories about this island and whether it exists or not – for instance, a raised bank off the West coast is thought to mark the site of the island which sank like the legendary Atlantis. The ways in which the myths associated with Hy-brasil reflect our changing environment are explored in this exhibition.

TULCA 2015 is about creating conversation. According to Mary Cremin, art creates a platform for conversations and will encourage imaginative responses to the climate debate.

A series of talks and discussions entitled Hy-brasil Dialogues will explore different aspects of the island’s story with speakers from Ireland and abroad, including Dr Lillis Ó Laoire of NUIG.

Artists taking part in TULCA 2015 include Anne Maree Barry, Rhona Byrne, Mark Clare, Carol Anne Connolly,  Colin Crotty, Culturstruction,  Christo, Jason Deans, Michelle Deignan, Caroline Doolin,  Angela Fulcher,  Tue Greenfort, Martin Healy, Louise Hervé and Chloé Maillet, Allan Hughes,  Brian King, Barbara Knezevic, Clare Langan, Nevan Lahart, Richard Long,  Ruth Lyons, Maggie Madden,  Maria McKinney, Dennis McNulty and Ros Kavanagh, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain, Seamus Nolan, Seoidín O’Sullivan, Owen Quinlan, Oswaldo Ruiz, The Canary Project, Anaïs Tondeur and Michael John Whelan.

TULCA exhibitions will take place in gallery and non-gallery spaces throughout Galway City. There will also be workshops and children’s events. The main gallery will be located in the former Connacht Tribune Printing Works in Market Street, while work will also be shown in Nuns Island Arts Centre, Galway Arts Centre on Dominick Street, 126 Gallery on Flood Street as well as at UHG and NUIG.

Full details on the programme and events at tulcafestival.com