Major exhibition exploring Northern Ireland Troubles comes to Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
Wolverhampton Art Gallery is set to host a major exhibition that explores art relating to the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Through a broad representation of artists’ responses, the exhibition offers a unique insight into the artists’ personal perspectives and feelings towards conflict and how they believe it has affected Northern Ireland and/or their society.
Art of the Troubles features a wide range of works including paintings, drawings, photographs and sculpture by 50 artists from Northern Ireland and beyond. Joe McWilliams, Willie Doherty, FE McWilliam, Rita Duffy, Paul Seawright, Jack Pakenham, and Richard Hamilton are just some of the artists that will be showing their work at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. The scale of the exhibition makes this the first major display of work relating to the Troubles.
The exhibition explores a broad range of themes including violence and destruction, suffering and loss, traditions and life in the midst of turmoil.
Dr Jim McGreevy, Director of Collections & Interpretation for National Museums Northern Ireland said, “Art of the Troubles is not designed to be either a historical or comprehensive account of all that happened during the Troubles. We are conscious of the unresolved legacy of the Troubles and continuing sensitivities in our community. This exhibition offers avenues for exploring the ways in which the Troubles have been viewed by a range of artists and for reflecting upon the manifestations and impact of violence and division in our community.”
Development of the exhibition has been made through the gallery’s collaboration with Ulster Museum. Many works included in the show are from the collections of National Museums Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection. The gallery have works on loan from the Imperial War Museum’s Northern Ireland Collection and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Other works have been acquired from private collections and from the artists themselves.
Marguerite Nugent, from the Wolverhampton Art Gallery said, “This collaboration has enabled the major collections of art related to the Troubles to come together for the first time.”
The exhibition runs from Saturday 1st November until Saturday 27th February 2015. Throughout the exhibition events will be taking place, including a talk by artist Rita Duffy on the 31 October at the launch evening from 5.00-6.00pm.