Exhibition looks at pre-internet communication
A new solo exhibition by one of Cork’s most exciting artists opens tomorrow at Cork County Hall.
‘All This For Nothing’ by Peter Nash, which runs until 27 February at the LHQ Gallery, is a multi-media exhibition exploring pre-internet sources of knowledge and methods of communication.
The exhibition is a result of Nash’s ongoing research around concepts including digital exclusion and polarisation of debate. Mechanical bird sculptures call out to each other across the gallery, establishing territories and communicating through a tangle of wires and electronic circuitry. On the walls are displayed a series of ink and pencil drawings, a collection of annotated diagrams, maps and found imagery, showing the varied and often messy human thoughts, images, and source material that merge together in the process of generating an artwork.
Meticulous methods of making, including drawing, wood carving, and animation, are deliberately chosen by Nash and used as tools for slowing down; to gather, process, and share information and ideas. A handmade look is present in all of the work as an antidote to the increasing digital modes of making and connecting.
Themes surrounding contemporary systems of digital communication and machine learning are at the core of the exhibition. The artist explores feelings of isolation and frustration which he identifies as common reactions to the relentless march of technological progress. In an era where each new system update can leave one feeling more obsolete, helplessness often becomes anger which can be so easily manipulated and misdirected. ‘All This For Nothing’ is Nash’s attempt to find a visual language to translate these feelings without resorting to anger.
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley announced the exhibition. She said: “We are delighted to present this work by Peter Nash at LHQ Gallery. His work is a commentary on our reliance on modern technology and brings to life animatrons, and other pieces that don’t have productivity at their core. He asks the question, what is all of this technology for? I encourage all to visit the exhibition at LHQ Gallery.” Peter Nash is an artist living and working in Cork county who works across visual art disciplines including sculpture, print, drawing, and animation.
‘All This For Nothing’ opens tomorrow, Friday, and runs until 27 February at LHQ Gallery at Cork County Hall. An opening reception will take place tomorrow from 6pm and all are welcome to attend. LHQ Gallery is open Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm, except for public holidays. LHQ Gallery is managed by the Library and Arts Service at Cork County Council, supported by the Arts Council.