Visitors reading copies of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Curated by Christine Eyene, Guild Research Fellow in Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Preston as part of the Making Histories Visible (MHV) project, and developed in collaboration with Ormston House, Murder Machine takes its cue from thoughts and writings by Irish linguist and activist Pádraig Pearse, notably his pamphlet The Murder Machine (1916). The project proposes to revisit issues around the English language in the colonisation process in Ireland and draws parallels with African literature.
The exhibition’s main feature consists in the installation One out of many Afrophilias (2014) by The Otolith Group, presented in dialogue with images by South African photographer George Hallett, housed at MHV’s archive. Both sets of works focus on African literature and are shown alongside a display of the curator’s books relating to African literature and South Africa’s Soweto Uprising that took place on 16 June 1976; this year marks the uprising’s fortieth anniversary.
Also programmed as part of Murder Machine are a performance by Ceara Conway produced by Limerick-based DJ Deviant held during the exhibition opening (16/04), a conversation between The Otolith Group and Christine Eyene (11/05), a new sound piece by Linda O’Keeffe (12/05), and a workshop by Irish hip-hop trio Rusangano Family (2/06).
Murder Machine is presented at Ormston House in partnership with EVA International and Making Histories Visible as part the Federation of arts organisations and institutions responding to the curatorial concept of Ireland’s Biennial 2016: Still (the) Barbarians curated by Koyo Kouoh.
See here for more information on the project.
Click on any image to view a photo gallery of the installation and exhibition opening held on Sat 16 April 2016.
Photo: eye.on.art.
D. M. Zwelonke, Robben Island. Published by Heinemann, African Writers Series. Book cover by George Hallett. Photo: eye.on.art.
George Hallett, The creation of a book cover. London, 1972. Photo: eye.on.art.
Installation in progress at Ormston House. Photo: eye.on.art.
Installation of works by George Hallett. Photo: eye.on.art.
George Hallett’s selected work installed. Photo: eye.on.art.
A selection of books for the vitrine. Photo: eye.on.art.
Selected books in vitrine. Including covers by George Hallett, writing by Dambuzo Marechera, poetry by James Matthews, pieces selected by Richard Rive, and books on the Soweto Uprising with images by Sam Nzima and Peter Magubane. Photo: eye.on.art.
Books in vitrine. Photo: eye.on.art.
The posters have arrived. Photo: eye.on.art.
The Otolith Group, One out of many Afrophilias (2014), detail of installation. Photo: eye.on.art.
The Otolith Group, One out of many Afrophilias (2014), detail of installation. Photo: eye.on.art.
The Otolith Group, One out of many Afrophilias (2014), detail of installation with curator Francois Larini. Photo: eye.on.art.
The Otolith Group, One out of many Afrophilias (2014), detail of installation with curator Francois Larini. Photo: eye.on.art.
The Otolith Group, One out of many Afrophilias (2014), detail of installation with curator Francois Larini. Photo: eye.on.art.
First visitor. Photo: eye.on.art.
Visitors arriving for the launch of Murder Machine. Photo: eye.on.art.
Visitors at Murder Machine opening. Photo: eye.on.art.
Visitors in front of George Hallett’s work. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors at Murder Machine opening. Artist Mary Evans in the foreground. Photo: eye.on.art.
Visitors at Murder Machine opening. Photo: eye.on.art.
Visitors looking at the display of Transition magazines in The Otolith Group’s installation One out of many Afrophilias. Murder Machine opening. Photo: eye.on.art.
Visitors looking at the display of Transition magazines in The Otolith Group’s installation One out of many Afrophilias. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors looking at the display of Transition magazines in The Otolith Group’s installation One out of many Afrophilias. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitor at Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors at Murder Machine opening. Photo: Francois Larini.
Visitors reading copies of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors reading copies of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitor reading a copy of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
A copy of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitor reading a copy of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitor reading a copy of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors reading copies of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors reading copies of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors reading copies of Transition magazines, part of The Otolith Group installation. Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Murder Machine opening. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors gathered for the opening speeches by Koyo Kouoh, curator of EVA International 2016, Mary Conlon, co-director of Ormston House, and Christine Eyene, curator of Murder Machine. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors gathered for the opening speeches by Koyo Kouoh, Mary Conlon and Christine Eyene. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Murder Machine curator Christine Eyene giving an exhibition tour. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Visitors gathered for the opening speeches by Koyo Kouoh, Mary Conlon and Christine Eyene. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Artists Godfried Donkor and Tracey Rose. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Before Ceara Conway’s performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Audience being blindfolded for Ceara Conway’s immersive performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Audience being blindfolded for Ceara Conway’s immersive performance. Left: Woodrow Kernohan, director of EVA International. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Audience being blindfolded for Ceara Conway’s immersive performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Ceara Conway performing her new piece DUBH, to a blindfolded audience. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Member of audience during Ceara Conway’s performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Children, during Ceara Conway’s performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Dj Deviant, producer of Ceara Conway’s performance DUBH, with his drone machine. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Dj Deviant during Ceara Conway’s performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Dj Deviant during Ceara Conway’s performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Members of the audience during Ceara Conway’s performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
Member of the audience during Ceara Conway’s performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
End of performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
End of performance. Photo: Shane Serrano.
