Last night was the opening of the OBG troubles archive exhibition.nice to see a good turn out,Loved Graham Gingles "the man who hated flags" I cant help but note that I know alot of people who think like that, the knock at the door was an interesting piece. It reminded me of listening to some of the women that I have done development work with and the way in NI we have a coded language for all things related to the troubles. The women were talking about how they wouldn't say this or that or do this or that because they would get a "knock at the door" . I was telling this to some academics who were visiting but didn't realise that because I'm used to the phrase they wouldn't understand that it meant that the knock would be from the paramilitaries.Something that you didn't really want.
The painting of the police in riot gear is darkly suspicious and the installation with baseball bats makes me wonder where artists get inspiration from and muse of the fact that Brendan from Queens Street Studios said to me recently, "during the troubles some people were painting about it and others were painting flowers" interesting to see how different people cope with it.
What I did notice but I would have to check is that the only women artist in the exhibition is Una walker with a list of exhibitions during that time listed on perspex plaque, she made an installation of this list at the Golden Thread some time ago it made me think about all the confusion of information that people get sent out about exhibitions and how to you look at one from another. A well know art writer in NI was there at the time and he said it made him think of all the glasses of wine he took at each exhibition............................
On then to Queen street studios exhibition of Gary Law always a warm welcome after getting up the stairs to the golden drinks trolley. Gary has a selection of meanderings optical effects and a kind of artists meditation. What is so nice to see is a body of work from him. Ive only ever really seen his work in group shows so it's good to get a better view of what he has been up to . Whats so interesting about art I think is you never know whats in an artists head until you see it out there.
Anyway OBG have a selection of events on with QFT and at the gallery itself, tonight it's about Punk in Belfast time 8(you might need to check) Queens street studios is worth the walk up the stairs and going beyond the buzzer.
Lastly so why Victoria square? well Belfast Print Workshop is going into Victoria square at the end of July...........well not the workshop exactly an exhibition space os that should be exciting.
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